The Mechanics of Spontaneous Healing Essay Example for Free

The Mechanics of Spontaneous Healing Essay The field of holistic healing is an evolving discipline. Therefore, the words used to speak about the realm of holistic healing remain difficult to concretize. For those who view this growing field from a distance, the confusion about communication is apparent. Essentially, the same words are used in different ways, depending on the speaker and on the context. Even practitioners within the field of holistic healing use words like â€Å"healing† and â€Å"holistic† in idiosyncratic ways. For holistic medical doctors, the term â€Å"holistic† may mean incorporating alternative healing techniques or procedures such as the use of herbal remedies, diet and nutrition. For psychologists â€Å"holistic† may indicate their use of several therapeutic techniques within the discipline of psychology. Or it may indicate that they integrate other healing techniques such as bodywork or meditation within the context of psychotherapy. For some, the term â€Å"holistic healing† denotes an overall philosophy of integrationalism regardless of their respective training background, and as such, serve as a self-identifier. Given the disparity of meanings attributed to the words, the realm of holistic healing is fraught with communication difficulties. This search terms clarifies for the operational definitions of the study’s critical terms to avoid confusion and help set the limits of its purview. Holistic healing literally means wholeness (holy and heal both derive from the Anglo-Saxon healen, meaning whole), with all that implies: â€Å"Bringing the rejected and discarded into the circle; listening with the inward ear for those parts that have been silenced; seeking a deeper, more accurate, more creative engagement with the world around us† (Barasch, 2003, p. 7). â€Å"Holistic† refers to the acknowledgement that human beings are multi-leveled. We exist each moment as a body, mind, spirit/soul, and emotional beings. Holistic healing therefore, acknowledges the many parts of our being and seeks to understand their interactions in both the disease and the health creation process. Holistic Healing Conceptualized Holistic healing remains on the edges of mainstream scientific thought. It is contrary to the accepted view that we will always be able to find a specific cause for any given disease. Holistic healing deals with the totality of a person’s being: the mental/emotional, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions. It is this totality as an integrative and synthesizing force, so perceived and utilized by the healing person or team, that constitutes holistic healing. (Otto Knight, 2001, p. 3). Holistic healing was described by Pelletier (1997). For him, all states of health were psychosomatic, each person representing a unique interaction of body, mind, and spirit. Illness was a disturbance in the dynamic balance of these relationships. The client and the practitioner shared the responsibility for the healing and both creatively learned about themselves during the healing process. Practical screen In spite of a thorough search of the literature, no studies have been found that relate directly to the focus of this study, the mechanics of spontaneous healing. The literature review is not the theoretical foundation on which the study is based, but is presented in order to illustrate the current state of the relevant literature. The initial review established the appropriateness of this study. The majority of the review will be accomplished after the data is analyzed and it will be guided by the findings. Literature from both the initial review and the later review will be compiled in this section. Topics will also be discussed that might relate to the mechanics of spontaneous healing such as the experience of healing, health status, recovery, and survival. In this related literature the independent variables such as social support, optimism, and hardiness are often well defined with reliable and valid measures. The dependent variables such as â€Å"being healthy, having minor health problems, suffering from chronic disease, being disabled, and being dead are treated as equally-spaced points on a continuum† (Hobroyd Coyne, 2002, p. 364), and are often well-defined or measured. Other measures sometimes defined as â€Å"healthy† are help seeking behaviours and compliance with medical recommendations. Nevertheless, there are some interesting studies in which attempt is made to measure the factors that might be relevant to the mechanics of spontaneous healing. The popular literature claims much more knowledge than can be substantiated with valid research but this literature has stimulated a research interest that may lead to more knowledge about the mechanics of spontaneous healing. In the literature related to specific techniques, such as biofeedback, therapeutic healing touch, imagery, and hypnosis is discussed directly. Each of these areas has a body of research but the studies do not define healing and often do not give enough information for the reader to make judgement on the mechanics of spontaneous healing and on whether the outcomes are credible. Methodological Screen A suitable design for exploring holistic healing from the perspective of the person in the mechanism of the health creation process is phenomenology. Phenomenology is the study of the essence of human experience (Solomon, 1980). Phenomenology is based on careful consideration of rich complex data, using logic and insight (Cohen, 2001). The phenomenon studied need not be tangible in a physical sense as it can be such things as loving, thinking, imagining, calculating, or doubting. Healing falls somewhere between with both tangible and intangible elements. Cause and effect are not relevant, but it can be asked what the experience is of perceiving something apparently causing something else. One would not ask what causes healing, only what the experience of healing is. As an approach to research, it is a way to stand back and watch, to break out of one’s familiar acceptance of the world, and to attain a state of wonder and understanding (Merleau-Ponty, 1992). Phenomenology as a Research Method From these philosophical origins, methods of investigation began to emerge. Spiegelberg (1995) described â€Å"doing phenomenology† in a philosophical sense, while Giorgi, Van Kaam, and Colaizzi developed research methods which were inspired by phenomenological philosophy but not bound by it (Omery, 2003). Phenomenological research is evolving and expanding since it is now being used by many disciplines. There is debate about how purely one should follow the method and whether it is appropriate to draw from other related methods such as ethnography and grounded theory. Phenomenology as a philosophy is so diverse that purity is probably nonexistent. Because of this it would be difficult to derive a pure research method. Phenomenology as it is Used in this Study The primary influences in developing the methodology for this study were Collaizzi (1998) and Merleau Ponty (2002). Both Collaizzi and Merleau Ponty were chosen because of their specific discussion of bodily functions and their desire to maintain the integration and complexity of these functions. They both believed that perception of reality was in fact reality and that this reality can be described. Careful interpretation can clarify this reality. In the process of interpretation, data are not created, but they are analysed with an attempt to discover their essence. In order to address the research questions posed above, selected individuals will be asked to discuss their experience of holistic healing and the mechanism of their health creation process. Asking people directly seemed an effective way to study meaning, experience, beliefs, expectations, and perceptions of holistic healing. Benner (2002) pointed out that physiological aspects of healing can be studied readily with traditional quantitative research. Much of the research available on psychological, interpersonal, and personality dimensions of health has also been done using quantitative methods. There is a current interest in exploring holistic healing using qualitative means, but no qualitative studies have explored healing. As healing is a lived experience it seems appropriate to use a qualitative method to ask individuals who are in the process of healing to attempt to articulate what they believe is happening.

Abortion In Mauritius Health And Social Care Essay

Abortion In Mauritius Health And Social Care Essay When does human life begin? In one sense this is a philosophical or religious issue, outside the realm of science. From a purely biological point of view the life of an individual begins when there is fertilisation. The birth of a child, no doubt, is a wonderful occasion. However women do abortion to limit births. Definition of abortion According to World Health Organisation, abortion is defined as an induced termination of pregnancy by use of medications or surgical interventions after implantation of the embryo and before the foetus is able to survive outside the maternal organism (before 22nd week of pregnancy). Types of abortion The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages. Worldwide 42 million abortions are estimated to take place annually with 22 million of these occurring safely and 20 million unsafely. While maternal mortality seldom results from safe abortions, unsafe abortions result in 70,000 deaths and 5 million disabilities per year. One of the main determinants of the availability of safe abortions is the legality of the procedure. Forty percent of the worlds women are able to access therapeutic and elective abortions within gestational limits. The frequency of abortions is, however, similar whether or not access is restricted. Abortion has a long history and has been induced by various methods including herbal abortifacients, the use of sharpened tools, physical trauma, and other traditional methods. Contemporary medicine utilizes medications and surgical procedures to induce abortion. The legality, prevalence, and cultural views on abortion vary substantially around the world. In many parts of the world there is prominent and divisive public controversy over the ethical and legal issues of abortion. Abortion and abortion-related issues feature prominently in the national politics in many nations, often involving the opposing pro-life and pro-choice worldwide social movements (both self-named). Incidence of abortion has declined worldwide, as access to family planning education and contraceptive services has increased. Abortion in Mauritius Abortion is generally illegal in Mauritius under the Penal Code. Any person procuring an abortion or supplying the means to procure an abortion is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years. Abortion in Mauritius is one of the taboo subjects even in 2010. Why abortion still taboo is can maybe be explained by the fear of open talks and some constraint that some cultures and religions put upon such talks. Since abortion is illegal in Mauritius and in this globalized world it is still considered as a taboo, there is very few empirical evidence on this issue in Mauritius. Women fear or sometimes are ashamed of talking on this issue. Sometimes after having an abortion done illegally that they make use of the contraceptives method. The study will provide an insight of the perceptions of young women on the issue of abortion. Rational of the study The purpose of this study is to provide an insight of the perception of the issue of abortion among young women in Mauritius since the rate of abortion is increasing and many women are having post abortion complications. Aims and objectives To evaluate the perception of the issue of abortion among young Mauritian women. To assess their understanding on the causes and consequences of abortion among young women. Chapter outline Chapter 1 is the introduction. It will give an introduction of abortion and will give and overview of what will the dissertation consist of. Chapter 2 is the literature review and it will give an overview of the situation. Chapter 3 is the methodology. It will give an overview of the methodology used to carry out the study. The study will be a qualitative study using in depth interviews as the perceptions of women are to be assessed. Chapter 4 is the report finding and analysis. In this chapter the findings will be presented and analysed by using graphs, charts. Chapter 5 is the conclusion and recommendation. Man, through the ages from primitive, non-literate societies to advanced, industrialized and sophisticated societies, has attempted to control conception by a variety of largely crude and rule-of-thumb methods. When he failed to prevent conception he tried to interrupt pregnancy. As a means of fertility, abortion is as old as humanity and probably occurs in all cultures. Throughout recorded history women have resorted to abortion to terminate unwanted pregnancies, regardless of moral or legal sanctions and often at considerable physical or psychological risk and cost. Definition of abortion Abortion means ending a pregnancy. There are different definitions of abortion and they are as follows: Medical and pro-choice communities definition The definition used by the medical and pro-choice communities is: the end of a pregnancy before validity of the fetus. i.e. the termination of the process of gestation after the time when the zygote attaches itself to the uterine wall (about 14 days after conception), but before the fetus is possibly capable of surviving on its own (currently 23 to 28 weeks from conception). The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists definition According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has defined abortion as occurring before the 20th week (134th day) of gestation. There are two types of abortion: Accidental abortion: a termination of pregnancy before viability that occurs naturally, without medical intervention. This is commonly called a miscarriage by the public. Therapeutic abortion: a termination of pregnancy via the intervention of a physician through surgery or the use of RU-486 or some other medications. Pro-lifers definition Pro-lifers sometimes define abortion as an intentional interruption of the development process, at any time from conception to birth. Definition from Wikipedia An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced. Statistics on abortion According to World Health Organisation, every year in the world an estimated 40-50 million women faced with an unplanned pregnancy decide to have an abortion. 20 million of them resort to unsafe abortion, often self induced or obtain clandestinely. These unsafe abortions are carried out by untrained person under poor unhygiene conditions. This corresponds to approximately 125,000 abortions per day. Worldwide in 1995, there were approximately 45.5 million abortions. Of these 19.9 million were unsafe or clandestine abortions and about 25.6 million abortions took place in countries where the procedure is legal under a broad range of conditions. Why seek an abortion? An unwanted or unplanned pregnancy is at the start of the abortion decision making process. Some of the most commonly declared reasons for having an abortion are the following: (Alan Guttmacher Institute. Aborto clandestine: una realidad Latinoamericana. New York, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994 (in Spanish)) A woman is unable to raise a child because she and her partner receive a low salary, have unstable jobs or are unemployed or are students The relationship between the women and her partner is unsufficiently stable for the couple to be sure of raising children together or because the man stopped providing emotional and economic support to the women when the pregnancy was discovered. The women or the couple have all the children they want or they want another child but not at this time The pregnant adolescent or unmarried woman fears rejection by her family and society Some young single women wish to attain a certain level of personal satisfaction before becoming mothers In certain cases, the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or the fetus is abnormal. Other reasons why women decide to terminate their pregnancy are as follows: They do not want more children or want them later on They are not married Their contraceptive method failed A child would disrupt their education or ability to work They cannot afford to raise a child Their relationship with their partner is bad They are too young Their parents objects They do not want their parent to know Methods of doing an abortion Many women are confronted with an unwanted pregnancy resort to a variety of techniques to induce an abortion. Many of these procedures begin in the womans home and end in the hospital emergency room. They may include self-administered abortifacients taken orally or administered vaginally. When women turn to others for help, the uterus may be manipulated by an unqualified person who may introduce a probe, catheter or sharp object to cause an abortion. Private physicians and other medical, paramedical and pharmaceutical facilities may also provide abortion services for a fee, using high-dose oral or injected hormone treatments such as misoprostol, aralen, quinine or oxytocins illegally. Millions of women through the centuries have followed old wives tales about drugs that produce abortion. Many have been the primitive, painful and dangerous methods used for abortion. Historically both tribal and urbanized societies have employed a variety of methods to end unwanted pregnancies. German Greer in her book Sex and Destiny described some of the abortion methods used throughout the world. They include the application of pressure outside the womb using logs and rocks, jumping on the womens abdomen as well as internal methods such as the ingestion of highly toxic chemicals and the use of various implements inside the uterus. In todays more industrialized societies technology has simplified the abortion procedure to a few basic, safe methods. For example medical and surgical abortion methods. Medical abortions use medications to end the pregnancy. This can be accomplished with a variety of medications given either as a single pill or a series of pills. It is commonly known as the Abortion Pill RU486 (brand name Mifeprex). Medical abortion causes an early abortion through the combination of the two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol. In Mauritius, it is commonly known as Cytotec. Some examples of surgical abortion methods are: Vacuum Aspiration and Dilation and Curettage: This abortion procedure, also known as DA or suction aspiration, uses gentle suction to remove all of the pregnancy tissue. Additionally, dilation and curettage or DC, may be necessary after a vacuum aspiration. In this procedure, a separate curette (a spoon-shaped instrument) may be used to help remove any remaining tissue that may be lining the uterus. Dilation and Evacuation (DE): This method uses the same procedures as DC procedure while also using additional surgical instruments (such as forceps). A DE abortion is usually performed during the second trimester of a pregnancy (roughly 13 to 24 weeks since conception). Induction Abortion This procedure is used to end a second or third trimester pregnancy through the use of medications that trigger the start of contractions. This, in turn, expels the fetus from the uterus. Induction abortions must be done in a hospital, so that the woman can be monitored during the entire procedure. During this procedure, a woman will undergo all the steps of delivery and childbirth. Induction abortions are usually only performed if there is a medical problem or illness present in the fetus or the pregnant woman. Intact Dilation and Extraction This method is performed after 21 weeks of pregnancy and is also referred to as DX, Intact DX, Intrauterine Cranial Decompression and Partial Birth Abortion. This abortion procedure takes about 2 to 3 days and results in the extraction of an intact fetus. Risks associated with abortion Abortion may impair a womens health through a variety of early and late somatic complications, which may occur at the time of the abortion or soon thereafter or which may be discovered much later, perhaps in connection with another pregnancy or with efforts to become pregnant again. Studies in Hungary and in Japan have shown that premature births tend to occur more frequently among women who have had induced abortions than among women who have not had them. Death According to the best record based study of deaths following pregnancy and abortion, a 1997 government funded study in Finland, women who abort are approximately four times more likely to die in the following year than women who carry their pregnancies to term. In addition, women who carry to term are only half as likely to die as women who were not pregnant. The leading causes of abortion related maternal deaths within a week of the surgery are hemorrhage, infection, embolism, anesthesia, and undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies Breast cancer The risk of breast cancer almost doubles after one abortion, and rises even further with two or more abortions.   Cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer   Women have had an abortion done face the risk of cervical cancer, compared to non-aborted women. Ovarian and liver cancers have also been linked to single and multiple abortions. These increased cancer rates for post-aborted women are apparently linked to the unnatural disruption of the hormonal changes which accompany pregnancy and untreated cervical damage.   Uterine perforation The risk of uterine perforation is increased for women who have previously given birth and for those who receive general anesthesia at the time of the abortion. Uterine damage may result in complications in later pregnancies and may eventually evolve into problems which require a hysterectomy, which itself may result in a number of additional complications and injuries including osteoporosis.   Cervical lacerations:   The risk of cervical damage is greater for teenagers, for second trimester abortions, and when practitioners fail to use laminaria for dilation of the cervix.   Placenta previa Abortion increases the risk of placenta previa in later pregnancies (a life threatening condition for both the mother and her wanted pregnancy) by seven to fifteen fold. Abnormal development of the placenta due to uterine damage increases the risk of fetal malformation, perinatal death, and excessive bleeding during labor.   Complications of labour Induced abortion not only increased the risk of premature delivery, it also increased the risk of delayed delivery. Women who had one, two, or more induced abortions are, respectively, are more likely to have a post-term delivery (over 42 weeks). Pre-term delivery increases the risk of neo-natal death and handicaps. Handicapped newborns in later pregnancies Abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage which may increase the risk of premature delivery, complications of labor and abnormal development of the placenta in later pregnancies. These reproductive complications are the leading causes of handicaps among newborns.   Ectopic pregnancy Abortion is significantly related to an increased risk of subsequent ectopic pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies, in turn, are life threatening and may result in reduced fertility. Endometritis Endometritis is a post-abortion risk for all women, but especially teenagers are more likely to acquire endometritis following abortion.   Immediate complications   The nine most common major complications which can occur at the time of an abortion are: infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock. The most common minor complications include: infection, bleeding, fever, second degree burns, chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, gastro-intestinal disturbances, and Rh sensitization. Clients and abortion provider Clients are usually referred to a provider by a family member or friends who have used the service before. Sometimes the help of intermediaries such as person from the community, a chemist or a lay health provider may be sought. This informal information network is the main source of accessing services in illegal contexts. Women do not always obtain satisfactory services from the first provider they visit and sometimes refuse a service because the cost is prohibitive. In contexts of illegality or poor availability of services the choice of provider is limited but where options exists, women demonstrate a concern for quality of care and safety. Frequently mentioned reasons for choosing a particular provider include the fact that he or she is known to be experienced in performing abortions. A variety of techniques to induce abortion are used depending on the type of provider. Traditional methods vary widely and range from abdominal massage to insertion of roots, twigs, catheter, holy water, bitter concoctions etc. Many service providers ignore the psychological needs of women undergoing abortion or post abortion care and focus only on the physical aspect of the abortion. Motives and attitudes of providers tend to vary considerably and are not always focused on providing appropriate abortion-centered care. In a study in a public hospital in Mexico in 1998 where women were admitted with incomplete abortions were interviewed, it was reported that these women often felt considerable worry, fear, and /or guilt in addition to physical pain, that the staff were short of skills and time, and in many cases showed little interest in providing a minimally dignified encounter. Cost and abortion Unwanted pregnancy is a social problem of major urgency to society and of central important to individual women who must accept the consequences or seek alternative solutions. The cost of a legal abortion varies from country to country. For example, in Romania, the price of an abortion is less than US$3 public clinics but may be as much as US$15 in private clinics. In Armenia, abortion was provided free of charge until August 1997; since then, the charge has increased gradually form about US$7.50 in 1997 to approximately US$9 in 1999 and general anesthesia raises the charge to approximately US$13.50. In Lithuania, abortions under 6 weeks gestation cost approximately US$15; those beyond 6 weeks gestation cost approximately US$22. Private practices also offer abortion services ranging from US$100 for vaccum aspiration to US$200 for dilation and curettage. In the Russian Federation although abortion is theoretically free of charge, prices may reach US$50 in some clinics. A study was carried out on induced abortion in Mauritius (Study on induced abortion in Mauritius: Alternative to fertility regulation or emergency procedure? July 1993. A total number of 475 women who had undergone an abortion were interviewed. 7.1% of the women obtained abortion by aspiration. Aspiration is done mainly by private doctors and is accessible only to those who could afford to pay for the procedure. The cost varied from Rs 1000 and Rs 4000 depending on the expertise and qualifications of the doctor. Historical evolvement of abortion The practice of abortion dates back to ancient times. Pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods, including the administration of abortifacient herbs, the use of sharpened implements, the application of abdominal pressure, and other techniques. The first recorded evidence of induced abortion is from the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus in 1550 BC. A Chinese record documents the number of royal concubines who had abortions in China between the years 500 and 515 BC. According to Chinese folklore, the legendary Emperor Shennong prescribed the use of mercury to induce abortions nearly 5000 years ago. Many of the methods employed in early and primitive cultures were non-surgical. Physical activities like strenuous labor, climbing, paddling, weightlifting, or diving were a common technique. Others included the use of irritant leaves, fasting, bloodletting, pouring hot water onto the abdomen, and lying on a heated coconut shell. Evolution of abortion related laws in some countries Historically laws on abortion have been influenced by religious attitudes that consider abortions a sin. Women seeking and obtaining abortion were considered perpetrators of a wrong. The extent to which a woman has a legal right to determine the fate of her pregnancy is differently interpreted in the different countries. Societies attempted to restrict the practice of abortion, partly on religious and moral grounds but undoubtedly largely because the primitive methods available until relatively recently resulted in the death or maiming of large numbers of women. Despite often severe penalties on abortionist and aborted women alike and the high risk of illness and death, abortion continued to be employed. With the evolution of medical science, safer methods of abortion emerged, thus removing one of the principal bases for restricting abortion. Changing religious and moral views, coupled with the realization in many societies that illegal abortion using primitive and dangerous methods is wide spread, lead some countries to liberalize their abortion laws. Termination of pregnancy at the request of the women was first legalized in the Soviet Union on November 8 in 1920. Historically abortion was legalized in most Eastern European countries following the 1920 Soviet Union. In 1920 Lenin legalized all abortions in the Soviet Union. In 1931 Mexico was the first country in the world to legalize abortion in case of rape. 1932 Poland was the first country in Europe outside Soviet Union to legalize abortion in cases of rape and threat to maternal health. In 1935, Iceland became the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion under limited circumstances. In 1935, Nazi Germany amended its eugenics law, to promote abortion for women who have hereditary disorders. The law allowed abortion if a woman gave her permission, and if the fetus was not yet viable, and for purposes of so-called racial hygiene. In 1969, Canada passed the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968-69, which began to allow abortion for selective reasons. In 1971, the Indian Parliament under the Prime Ministership of a lady Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, passes Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 (more commonly referred to as simply MTP Act 1971). India thus becomes one of the earliest nations to pass this Act. The Act gains importance, as c India had traditionally been a very conservative country in these matters. In 2007 the government of Mexico City legalizes abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and offers free abortions. On August 28, 2008, the Mexican Supreme Court upholds the law. In 2008, the Australian state of Victoria passes a bill which decriminalizes abortion, making it legally accessible to women in the first 24 weeks of the pregnancy. In 2009, in Spain a bill was passed to decriminalize abortion, so as to make it legally accessible to women in the first 14 weeks of the pregnancy. The evolution of religious views on abortion Mans attitude towards abortion have ranged over a wide spectrum, from approval, bordering on encouragement to total prohibition and condemnation; all the way from the early civilizations Assyrian, Babylonian, Hindu, Greek and Roman to the present day. History is strewn with evidence that abortion has always been a subject of interest, if not of controversy. Provisions for abortion in almost all contemporary societies and the rituals prescribed in these societies, lead one to suspect that attitudes towards abortion are a part of a universal cultural process in the same manner as attitudes towards puberty or mating. Eastman has demonstrated the lack of historical correlation between the attitudes of societies towards abortion and their ethical conduct or intellectual sophistication. Our own attitudes towards abortion are thought to be derived from the commandment Though shalt not kill, and its Judeo-Christian interpretation. A major factor in the evolution of present-day attitudes towards abortion has its origin in the gradual breakdown of the repressive sexual mores of the Victorian Age. An important cause of this change and one which has received little attention, is the devastating effect of the First World War which left in its wake disillusionment and loss of hope in a social system whose values, buttressed by a Victorian moral code, had brought on the slaughter. Weisner (7, p.24) notes that the concept of the phase in which the fetus is imbued with life varies according to culture. The degree of approval or disapproval of induced abortion will depend in part on this concept. For 70% of weisners Chilean study population, life does not begin at the moment of conception but is generally defined as beginning somewhere between the first and third month of the pregnancy; the state prior to this is considered a blood clot formation. The early Christians views The attitude of early Christians is that anything that interrupted human life, be it contraceptive potion or poison or abortion was disapproved of and denounced as murder. The Catholic views The Catholic Church believes that life begins at conception and therefore the removal of a zygote, embryo or foetus is considered as murder and is hence forbidden. The Hindu views The Hindu scriptures from the vedic age down to the Smritis (100 BC-AC100) called it bhruna-hatya (foetus murder) or garbha-hatya (pregnancy destruction) and condemned it as a serious sin. The Jewish views The popular Jewish wisdom of the Sentences of Pseudo-Phocylides (written between 50 B.C and A.D 50) says that a woman should not destroy the unbirth babe in her belly nor after his birth throw it before the dogs and vultures as a prey. Similarly the first century Jewish historian and apologist Josephus wrote The law orders all the offspring to be brought up, and forbids women either to cause abortion or to make away with the foetus. A woman convicted of this was regarded as having committed an infanticide, because she destroyed a soul and diminished the race. Abortion law in Mauritius The legal provisions governing abortion in Mauritius are a result of the intermingling of elements of French and English law. The French ruled Mauritius from 1721 to 1810, while the British ruled from 1810 until independence was attained in 1968. The provisions of the Penal Code dealing with abortion are derived directly from the French Napoleonic Penal Code of 1810 and from the British Offences against the Person Act of 1861. They were not modified by the 1938 revision of the Penal Code of Mauritius. Abortion is generally illegal in Mauritius under the Penal Code. Any person procuring an abortion or supplying the means to procure an abortion is subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years. A similar punishment is prescribed for a woman who induces her own abortion or consents to its being induced. Physicians, surgeons and pharmacists who facilitate or perform an abortion are also subject to imprisonment. Nonetheless, under general criminal law principles of necessity, an abortion may be performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. Abortion in Mauritius Abortion is the dread secret of our society. It has been relegated for so long to the darkest corners of fear and mythology that an unwritten compact virtually requires that it remains untouched and undiscussed so writes Lader in the introductory remarks of his 1966 work on abortion. Abortion, unlike many countries, is illegal in Mauritius is not permitted under any circumstance. Despite these strict legal parameters, clandestine illegal abortions are being performed in all corners of the island, by untrained doctors, nurses, midwives and wise women, and mostly under unsafe conditions. There are no reliable statistical data available on the number of abortions performed in Mauritius. More than 2,800 post abortion complication cases have been registered in Government hospitals in 2000. The number of abortion is estimated to range between 15,000 to 20,000 and almost equal to the number of live births annually (Mauritius Research Council Biomedical Research, September 2001 pg 33). Any form of abortion which is defined as the termination of pregnancy is illegal in Mauritius yet a large number of cases are admitted at hospitals and clinics following complications of abortions. A Mauritius family planning official has estimated that there is one abortion for every live birth. Among 2008 official cases of post abortion complication registered in 1997, 798 occurred among youth below the age of 24 years old. Mauritius has a high incidence of unsafe abortions because of unprotected intercourse experienced by many young women in a rapidly industrializing environment. The Mauritius Family Planning Association (MFPA) tackled the issue of unsafe abortion in 1993. The MFPA organized an advocacy symposium in 1993 on unsafe abortion. The advocacy campaign of the MFPA consists of having abortion legalized on health grounds and improving family planning services, especially for young unmarried women and men. The full support of the media was secured on the abortion issue: articles appeared, meetings were attended by the press, and public relations support was also received from them. The MFPA worked closely with parliamentarians. A motion was tabled in 1994 in the National Assembly which called for legalization of abortion on health grounds, but the Church squelched its debate. In March 1994 MFPA a conference on Unsafe Abortion in Mauritius with the participation of over 100 representatives from 2 0 countries. Studies on abortion in Mauritius It is estimated that each year there are some 20,000 cases of induced abortion, which is illegal in the country. Since abortion services are illegal, post abortion services addressing complications are often a womans only point of contact with the public health sector. A study was carried out on induced abortion in Mauritius (Study on induced abortion in Mauritius: Alternative to fertility regulation or emergency procedure? July 1993. A study based on a sample of 475 women admitted to three hospitals with complications due to induced abortion revealed considerable use of unreliable methods (e.g., withdrawal and natural methods), frequent method switching, and inconsistent use of modern methods. The study also found that women seeking abortion were usually under 30 years of age, and 20% of women with abortion complications were not using any method, and some 50% were using an unreliable method at the time they become pregnant. It emerged that with increasing numbers of women employed, their work schedules hindered their going to a family planning clinic and resulted in abortion being used as a

Issues in Age and Entering the Workforce

Issues in Age and Entering the Workforce Problems Confronted by Mature Workers Re-entering the Workforce and Young Adult Workers Looking to Enter the Workforce after College Brandi Thomas-Scott Post University Problems confronted by mature workers re-entering the workforce and young adult workers looking to enter the workforce after college Whether just starting out in the workforce or returning to the workforce after being retired, finding a job in today’s market comes with some challenges. In todays economy it is difficult to find individuals who are not struggling to find employment or sustain the position they currently hold (Brown, 2012). The recession and massive layoffs have more than just hit the lower and middle class workers; an abundance of educated professionals and experienced retired professional are struggling to find stable employment (Brown, 2012). This paper will discuss why mature retired workers returning to the workforce and young recent college graduates are struggling to find employment, and why social standing and a post-secondary education does not always count when it comes to job security. The effects of a recession and a poor job market can be felt by the most experienced professionals, as well as by recent college graduates looking for opportunities to enter the workforce (Brown, 2012 ). Regardless of the motivation behind each of these groups search for gainful employment, they face various forms of resistance while trying to find and secure employment. Retirees Returning To the Workforce Since our country’s economic breakdown, there have not been enough jobs created for our population of workers, and even fewer positions are available for those of advanced age (Brown, 2012). Demographic and current trends suggest that the U.S. will be witnessing mature workers dynamically involved in the workforce, either due to financial need or their preference and ability to do so (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). In fact retirement is beginning to no longer be a permanent event. Older individuals departing from the labor force is becoming more gradual, and countless workers are changing jobs before actually leaving the workforce completely, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Brandon, 2011). Many of these workers do not see themselves as older workers, while unfortunately society believes differently and this is where a majority of the problems faced by older workers begin (Brown, 2012). Many mature workers need assistance navigating a complicated labor market, identify ing available career opportunities, and determining their education and training needs in order to improve their chance of employability and impact to the workplace (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). Many factors cause mature workers to re-enter the workforce, such as dis-satisfaction with retirement life, inadequate retirement savings, and aspiration to improve their quality of life (Brown, 2012). According to Pew Charitable Trusts (2012) , regardless of these reasons many mature workers are subjected to prolonged periods of unemployment, which makes it challenging for them to become reemployed (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). Recent studies have also mirrored this sentiment and have reported findings that affirm that barely half of mature workers who lost their jobs and were actively seeking employment were successful (Li, 2010). Many employers are reluctant to hire mature workers due to their negative perceptions, which include the following: Mature workers are expensive to employ due to their wages, health insurance cost, and the cost associated with to training. Mature workers are less productive due to their age and produce lower quality work. Mature workers are unable to adapt to change at work (Walker, 2007). Due to this type of thinking many mature workers are facing increased occurrences of age discrimination both before they are hired and while they are employed (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). Even though the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects mature workers from age based employment discrimination, and pertains to both employees and job applicants; age discrimination claims still accounts for approximately one-quarter of the complaints filed with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). According to a survey conducted by AARP, â€Å"one-third to one-half of baby boomers had experienced age bias in a job search† (Heidkamp Heldrich, 2012). As a result of the misconceptions and challenges facing mature workers, one of the first tasks that career counselors must do is assist their client in â€Å"identifying and [eliminating] some of their own beliefs about themselves;† in order to counter any negative thoughts that were created by their discriminatory experiences (Brown, 2012, p 136). Counselors need to help them come to terms with the following facts: As people age their personalities do tend to become fixed, but flexibility in your youth usually tends to continue on as you age. Mature workers are just as productive as younger workers, and at time even more productive. Being overqualified for a position is very likely for mature worker and may cause angst, but depending on the reason they are working (ie. to supplement their existing income), it may not be an issue because the job may allow them to have a flexible schedule. Regardless of the age of a supervisor their characteristics are the only things that determine their relationship with employees. Mature workers learn just as well as younger workers. A decline in strength is not a direct result of old age, but lack of exercise. Although a decline in sight and hearing is a part of the aging process, many advancements in device technology that aide these areas make these concerns no longer an issue (Brown, 2012). Even though finding employment at a mature age can be challenging, it is not altogether impossible. It takes the development of new skills, such as interviewing techniques, but mature workers may also require additional education and/or training that will help improve their employability in the workforce (Brown, 2012). Young Recent College Graduates We like to believe that a young adult as prepared to launch easily into the workforce and their careers, but the reality is that this transition in today’s economy is fraught with many difficulties (Brown, 2012). Young workers of today are no longer given the opportunity of job security; employment instability seems to be the new reality in our society (Kahn, 2010). Regardless of the extensive misperceptions by employers that young workers lack a work ethic, unlike mature workers, the truth is that many young workers in today’s economy are forceed to work several jobs and work longer hours in order to afford the rising cost of basic living expenses (Draut, 2006). One of the main factors affecting recent young graduates entering the workforce is that they are coming out of school lacking workplace skills, which causes employers to be apprehensive about hiring recent graduates (Draut, 2006). Many employers believe that these young men and women are ill prepared for the workforce, and the societal shift in workforce values has employers expecting young applicants to come equipped with a fundamental set of basic understandings and the aptitude to apply their skills in their new place of work (Draut, 2006). These set of skills and understandings, also known as experience, is what is hindering this population from being hired. Employers have asserted their belief that recent grads lack professionalism and/or work ethic (Kahn, 2010). The data being circulated are showing that many recent grads today are having trouble keep up in the workplace, if they are even lucky enough to find employment (Grasgreen 2014). Employers surveyed consider recent gradu ates lack of readiness to be their most important issue that is keep them from being hired, 62 percent also believe that unprepared for the workforce can damage the â€Å"day-to-day productivity of their businesses† (Pianin, 2014). Many recent graduates are finding it difficult to secure an employment, and those that are fortunate to find employment are often finding themselves underemployed and restricted to low-wage positions (Abel, Deitz, Su, 2014). These facts have begins to make graduates questions if their college degree is even worth anything anymore (Abel, Deitz, Su, 2014). According to the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll (Gallup. 2010a) â€Å"nearly one-fifth of employed [graduates] are underemployed† and not using any of the skills they have obtained from their post-secondary education (Brown, 2012, p 292). Overall many of the issue facing young recent college graduates revolve around their lack of experience, preparedness, skills, and training (Pianin, 2014). According to an analysis done by Time, many employers are not motivated to hire recent grads due to their inability to navigate the office setting, and their lack of communication and interpersonal skills (Pianin, 2014). Recent grads just seem to unprepared for corporate culture and lack the experience to be effective employees, but these belief either true or a misconception is causing jobs to go unfilled and applicants forced to take what is available to them regardless of their educational background (Kahn, 2010). Many young recent graduates believe that these misconceptions are causing them to be looked over for employment, and in actuality they believed that they are being due to their age (Amour, 2003). It is the job of career counselors to assist young applicants in overcoming these misconceptions through employability trai ning, internships, and occupational information that will help prepare them for what the workforce have become in a difficult economy (Brown, 2012). Conclusion Mature and young applicants face various misconceptions that are hindering their ability to secure gainful employment (Brown, 2012). Form the mature workers being categorized as over qualified, inflexible, less productive, and medically unreliable (Brown, 2012). While young workers are seen as being unprepared, lacking communication and interpersonal skills, lacking experience, and a solid work ethic (Draut, 2006). Both of these populations are believe to be unprepared for how the corporate culture works leaving both populations either unemployed or underemployed in today’s economy (Brown, 2012). Both groups are also experiencing instances of discrimination due to their mature age or their lack of maturity/experience, and both are believe to lack the skills necessary to be valuable employees regardless of their educational background, experience, or lack of experience (Amour, 2003). Employers and researchers seem to believe that there are individual out there that are in the m iddle of these two extremes that can fill these positions, yet positions are going unfilled (Abel, Deitz, Su, 2014). This is where employee development and organizational development can be utilized to help both of these groups transform from a so-so employee to a skilled a valuable employee who helps increase organization growth (Brown, 2012. References Abel, J. R., Dietz, R., Su, Y. (2014). Are recent college graduates finding good jobs? Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 20(1). Retrieved from: http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues/ci20-1.pdf Amour, S. (2003). Young workers say their age holds them back. USA Today. Retrieved from: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2003-10-07-reverseage_x.htm Brandon, E. (2011). Why your retirement may not be permanent: Consider these increasingly popular alternative paths to retirement. U.S.News. Retrieved from: http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2011/08/22/why-your-retirement-may-not-be-permanent Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson Education, Inc. Draut, T. (2006). Strapped: Why America’s 20- and 30-somethings can’t get ahead. New York, NY. Doubleday Publishing. Grasgreen, A. (2014). Ready or not: Are college graduates prepared for the workforce? Only university administrators seem to think so. Slate.com. Retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/inside_higher_ed/2014/02/gallup_higher_education_poll_college_graduates_aren_t_prepared_for_the_workforce.html Heidkamp, M. Heldrich, J, (2012). Older workers, rising skill requirements, and the need for a re-envisioning of the public workforce system. CAEL Publishing. Retrieved from: http://www.cael.org/pdfs/TMT_Reenvision_Public_Workforce_System Kahn, Lisa B. (April 2010). The Long-Term Labor Market Consequences of Graduating from College in a Bad Economy. Labour Economics, 17(2): p 303-16 Li, X. (2010). Extending the working lives of older workers: The impact of social security policies and labor market (Doctoral Dissertation). Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/rgs_dissertations/2010/RAND_RGSD265.pdf Pianin, E. (2014). The surprising reason college grads can’t get a job. CNBC. Retrieved from: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101373230 Walker, D. M. (2007). Older workers: Some best practices and strategies for engaging and retaining older workers (GAO-07-433T). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office. Retrieved from: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07433t.pdf

Genital Herpes Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have infected 45 million Americans and will infect 1 million more Americans each year. Who am I?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Herpes, from the ancient Greek meaning to creep or crawl, is the name of a family of viruses of which herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are the most serious human pathogens. HSV-1 is normally associated with orofacial infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. Both viruses establish latent infections in sensory neurons and, upon reactivation, cause lesions at or near point of entry into the body. While HSV-1 and HSV-2 are different viruses, under a microscope, HSV-1 and 2 are virtually identical, sharing approximately 50% of their DNA and are treated similarly. HSV-1 and HSV-2 contain a large double-stranded DNA molecule. HSV is gram negative, consists of 162 capsomers and replication takes place within the nuclei of eukaryotic cells. The HSV virion has four parts: an electrondense core containing viral DNA; an icosapentahedral capsid; a tegument-an amorphous layer of proteins that surround the capsid; and an envelope. HSV-1 and HSV-2 encode at least 84 different polypeptides. Each protein does many things, hence HSV genes can encode several hundred different functions. To initiate infection, HSV attaches to at least three different classes of cell-surface receptor and fuses its envelope with the plasma membrane. The capsid, minus its envelope, is transported to the nuclear pore, through which it releases viral DNA into the nucleus. HSV replicates by three rounds of transcription that yield: alpha (immediate early) proteins that mainly regulate viral replication; beta (early) proteins that synthesise and package DNA; and gamma (late) protei ns, most of which are virion proteins. Of the 84 known polypeptides, at least 47 are not needed for viral replication in cultured cells. These 47 genes are not completely dispensable. Some complement cellular genes that are not expressed in terminally differentiated cells; others alter cellular metabolism to ensure high virus yields. Mutant viruses lacking these genes cannot survive in nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The symptoms of genital herpes vary widely form person to person. Some people have severe symptoms (such as many painfu... ...Unlike the culture method, this test does not require growing the virus but rather seeks to identify herpes by the presence of antigens, fragments of the virus that are know to stimulate the immune response. Herpes cannot be cured. Once someone is infected with either virus, it cannot be cleared from the human body. Genital herpes is usually treated with antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir (Zovirax), Famciclovir (Famvir), and Valacyclovir (Valtrex) to help keep the virus in an inactive state and prevent most outbreaks but again does not cure a person from the virus. During an active herpes episode people should follow a few key steps to speed healing and avoid spreading the infection to other places on the body or to other people:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Keep the infected area clean and dry to prevent other infections from developing  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Try to avoid touching the sores  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wash you hands after contact with the sores  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Avoid sexual contact from the time the first symptom is felt until the sores are completely healed, that is, the scab has fallen off and new skin has formed where the sore was.

cakes making :: essays research papers

Sugar You have to handle sugar with care because can be dangerous. Also sugar can explode. At 315 degrees sugar should be clear. Sugar boils at 215 degrees. Corn syrup helps the sugar not to crystallize Dark Chocolate For dark chocolate the melting point is 118 degrees to 128 degrees White Chocolate For white chocolate the melting point is 100 degrees to 105 degrees, then you must take off the heat and whip. Types of meringue French: is plain egg whites and sugar. But this method is not for buttercream. Italian: is made with egg whites, sugar and water. The difference is that the water and sugar are cooked to 240 degrees, and then added into the whipped egg whites. Swiss: is made from egg whites and sugar. But the egg whites and egg are heated over a Water bath to 110 to 120 degrees, and then put in the machine to whip. If fresh egg whites are used, heat meringue to 150 degrees. 01/09/02 Chocolate: Should be never refrigerated, for chocolate moose you should heat the chocolate to 150 degrees. Chocolate can be good up to one year, and should be stored at 50 to 70 degrees. In order to temper chocolate you must first cut the chocolate in thin slices. For European chocolate the heating temperature is 120 degrees maximum, but you should always read the package. All chocolate is made different. Tempering is to melt all the crystals and ingredients in the chocolate to the right temperature. There are three methods. Tabling method: chocolate holds up to 60 days. Melt chocolate to 118 degrees. (American Chocolate) Pour to marble slab and chill to 84 to 85 degrees. Then you handle the chocolate with a scraper and a pallet knife. Then you reheat the chocolate to 105 degrees. Then you pour it on the marble slab and repeat the handling until it reaches between 85 and 87 degrees. Seeding method: Melt chocolate to the temperature of 118 degrees. You melt two pounds and you chop one pound on the side. After heating the two pounds on the stove to 118 degrees, you take off the stove and add the other pound and reheat until it is 85 to 87 degrees, and make sure all chocolate is melted and no lumps. Use this method for chocolate that will be used the same day. If you see white spots on a chocolate decoration, you can put the chocolate in the oven for two seconds, and they will disappear.

Kamote tops Essay

Sweet Potato Leaves (talbos ng kamote) Sweet potato tops (kamote tops or talbos ng kamote) are the shoots and leaves of the sweet potato plant that contains protein, lipids, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamins A and C. It is excellent source of anti-oxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It is relatively low in calories and has no fat and has the highest content of total polyphenolics among other commercial vegetables studied. Studies also indicate that it can also be used as a cure for diabetes particularly the purplish form. Research also shows that the nutritional content of kamote tops or sweet potato greens can counter attack the downfall of the platelet count of anyone hit by dengue fever by drinking its juice. It boosts the immune system of our body helping our body’s defenses against this sickness. The juice is also great for people with hemorrhaging problems like internal cervical bleeding and intestinal bleeding. It is prepared by boiling the leaves adding a little salt, sugar, or kalamansi to make it easier to drink. Since it is easy to grow, you can find these leaves anywhere and in the Philippines. In less than a month from planting, you can start harvesting the tops and leaves thus it is usually organic and safe making it more healthy and nutritious. While it is usually added as vegetable to dishes like sinigang, it can be eaten fresh in salads or with shrimp paste or fish sauce. It can be cooked in vinegar and soy sauce and served with fried fish (Adobong talbos ng kamote). It can also be sautà ©ed in place of spinach adding them to stir-fries or a replacement to another well known green in the Philippines called Kangkong.

How to make a good business?

Everyone would like to have a good business that would bring him or her a lot of money, a high life position and satisfaction. But how to make it? How should you begin to get round to it? It is hard to answer the question but there are some principles that can help us. First and foremost we must have some capital. Let's establish – we need around 50000 zlotys. If we want, we can look for a partner but as for me I would like to do it on my own. So when we have got some money we should invest them. We can for example open a shop. But there are a lot of shops so there is a large competition and we should be aware of it and get ready to it. WE have to think what goods would sell best. Perhaps some second-hand clothes that are so popular recently in Poland? Everything depends on us, our ideas and involvement in the matter. We can also invest in education. Why not? Lots of people think about their future and want to become well-educated in order to find a good job. That is why we can open a foreign language school. To make our potential school attractive, we should think about some interesting solutions that would attract people's attention. Maybe low prices of courses, a possibility of taking part in interesting discussions during classes etc. We must remember that at the beginning the profit is not the most important. First we ought to encourage people, to make them believe that we are special and unique. We must have well-trained staff, good conditions of work and what is important – high quality of teaching. If not, we will not become successful. A client is our sir! We cannot forget about it. We cannot let him leave us. That is why it is very good to organize competitions or promotions. Happiness, competence and optimism will bring us success and a lot of money. Advertising appeared for the first time in Europe early in the 17th century and Britain was the pioneer. Nowadays we can observe a great development of different means of information transfer. The mass media are connected not only with the show business, entertainment and science but also with trade, the stock exchange and other fields of economics. That is why during TV serials or other broadcasts, in nearly every magazine and newspaper, one can find, read, see or hear hundreds of advertisements. What does the phenomenon of the advertising consist in? First and foremost, it is connected with special techniques for creating adverts, striving for maximum impact on people's minds by using psychological methods. According to a poster maker Benetton – advertisements do not sell products or ideas but a false and hypnotizing model of happiness. Half-truths rule the world of advertising. It means that commercials and advertisements creators can use metaphors and embellishments while presenting the advantages of their products. But in some countries it is forbidden as for example in France where one cannot use in commercials and advertisements adjectives and adverbs in the superlative degree. But who is able to resist the temptation created by commercials and advertisements? Sometimes it is very hard, as we want to have the best products, to be modern. With enthusiasm we let ourselves be persuaded to follow various fashions and cults. For some time now the fashion for techno music in the Polish advertising industry has been growing more and more intense and it influences young people. Moreover, some people claim that techno music is a very popular youth subculture thanks to which it is easy to win over young people. It is commonly known that one of the most important aims of the advertising industry is to attract people's attention. That is why most commercials and advertisements feature the young and the beautiful. It contracts with all disasters in the world: war, hunger. To form an opinion on the problem given in the topic, it is worth watching the TV programme by Tomasz Kamel – â€Å"Kup pan cegle†. The programme exposes the mechanisms of advertising and tries to show its true, dual nature. To sum up I would like to say that advertising is both manipulation and a marketing tool. Some psychologists say that advertising can be dangerous, as excessive submission to standards does not always bring favourable effects. And even if it seems to be impossible to avoid the contact with advertisements and commercials we can defend ourselves from its influence by treating it â€Å"with a pinch of salt†. Speech about environment. We approach to welcome twenty-first century. Everyone is happy because world is going to be better. The horrible illnesses and problems of population, poverty and wars started to disappear. World starts to change and everybody think: Yes, maybe tomorrow it will be better. People go to their jobs and they earn money. The most important for them it is to have a good car, big home with swimming pool. Only a few people think what happens with our environment. With trees, with rivers, with woods. Now everyone is busy and not many people see that everything what is round us is going to die. Have you ever asked yourself how environment can be damaged? Do you think about it when you leave the light in your room when you go out? Do you read a note on the packets of some products that you buy in supermarket? I'm sure that you don't. You don't want to waste your time so you use deodorant with CFC, you throw the rubbish into the sea and you don't mind when all lights at your home are switched on, do you? So, you see that everyone damages environment although he is unaware of it. Now the most important dangers are: sun's radiation, devorestation and pollution. Sun's radiation are bad, very bad for our skin. If the ozone layer disappeared we would have burns and our skin wouldn't be just like before. The burns of sun's radiation leave horrible scars and later we could have problems. So the scientists scream: use less electricity, don't smoke, use less products with CFC. All these things damage the ozone layer, which protects us from sun's radiation. We should use bicycles, we shouldn't burn forests, we should throw litter on beaches. We should be †green† and protect our planet. We have to use ozone friendly things because holes in the ozone layer might become bigger. Poland is a country where it is a big problem with pollution. Our beaches, sea, rivers and forests are polluted and it looks horrible. People don't want to swim or walk there. So I think that we must organise an action called Clean up the world At least for one week we could clean our hausing estates , we could put in more rubbish beens. We might join ecologists and then our planet will be beautiful. Can the problem of crime be solved? There is a lot of crime in our world. We meet it every day. We read about it in newspapers, hear in radio and TV, we watch films full of murders and violence. People murder other people, even children in age 12, even less, become killers. They often do it without any available and reasonable reason. They have strange requirement , they like to see blood and pain on their victim's face. There are a lot of lawbreaker: arsonists, shoplifters, muggers, vandals, kidnappers, pickpockets, drug dealers, assassin, hooligans, smugglers, forgers, etc. It is dangerous to walk alone at night. We can became a victim of crime. We can meet group of young people with sticks and if we won't give them money they will beat us. In large cities there are a lot of unemployed people who have no useful work skills , they don't work, can't work, don't pay taxes. There are also alcoholics and drug addicts. Those people steal money or goods to pay for their drugs, alcohol, food. Their crimes cost people a lot. There are also angry young people who destroy property and commit violence. In this time more popular, on the wrong meaning, become terrorism. All world is under impression of assassination on World Trade Center. Everybody knows, who Osama bin Laden is. But there are also many crimes which aren't public, which haven't got witnesses. They pass in private houses, flats. We don't know how many women and children are beaten by husbands and fathers. Those men very often overuse alcohol or do it sobered. Women and kids are frightened and they don't have courage to go at the police station. Can the problem of crime be solved? I don't think so. It is long and hard work. We can't battle violence overnight. I think that criminals should suffer punishment. If they don't take penalty more people will commit violence. They will think, that they can avoid responsibility. I think that prisons which are only for punishment don't change criminals into good citizens. They live in bone cells, in a severe regime. When they are released they commit other crimes. The prisoners should cooperate with psychiatrists, group therapy sessions. But it is also hard work. Results depend on a person. If the criminal wants a change, he will do it. But usually they don't want any changes, because they think, that their â€Å"job† is good. I think that good way of rehabilitation is giving sentences to serve in the community. But not for every prisoner. Some of them, for example the one who murdered another man, shouldn't take such punishment, because they can once again make many damages. I don't know what to think about death penalty. On the one hand I support it, because it is a good punishment for someone who committed hard crime. On the other hand we haven't got a law to kill other people. We hurt their families, we deprive children of fathers or mothers, wives of husbands, parents of children, etc. Huge variety of tourist attactions Thanks to the liberalization of regulations, the elimination of visas, and improved standards, of tourist services, as well as a favourable geographical location and competitive prices, Poland is witnessing promotion in the world ranking of attractive destinations for tourists. It is estimated that the number of foreign tourists to Poland will increase by 3-4% per year. Every year the number of tourists in Poland is growing. Are Polish tourist organisations currently capable of providing suitable conditions and safety for foreign visitors? Our office is doing its best to satisfy the demands and needs of tourists. However it is not always easy as the total number of hotels in Poland is only 844 with 80,000 beds, which in comparison with almost 20 million tourists visiting Poland is a drop in the ocean. However there is more accommodation than the official number reported by the Main Statistics Office (GUS). The majority of these are rooms in private houses. Despite the fact that they do not provide a suitable standard of services, they are the only way to fill the gap in the market. Experts in the tourist market believe that Poland needs about 200 two star hotels, with at least 120 beds each. In connection with the growing number of tourists visiting Poland every year, we have witnessed an increase in the number of places available to house tourists (in 1995 it was 9,345, 199611,075, and 1997 12,000). The biggest increase was the number of hotels, increasing from 686 in 1995 to 844 in 1997. Motels increased from 95 in 1995 to 102 in 1996 up to 120 in 1997. Guest houses increased from 305 in 1995 to 372 in 1996 up to 433 in 1997. Rooms in private houses rose from 1,760 in 1995 to 3,312 in 1996 up to 4,221 in 1997. The number of holiday camps has also increased from 224 in 1995 to 245 in 1996 up to 266 in 1997. As a result in the increase in the tourist market, research was conducted in 1997 to examine the sport and recreational facilities provided with the accommodation. The findings revealed that 3,023 places have volley or basketball courts, 3,012 offer table tennis, 1,411 offer boat hire 1,315 offer billiards, and 1,007 rent bicycles. Nine hundred and fourty nine have play rooms for children, 840 tennis courts, 817 have a sauna and 721 have a gym. A small a number of places provide solariums (318) and ind.oor swimming pools (170) and mini golf (145). From these statistics we can see that tourist facilities in Poland are so diverse that they can satisfy all types of tourists. In the last few years there have been major changes in Polish tourism. What are the directions of these changes and what can foreign visitors expect as a result of them? One of the signs of the transformation in Polish tourism is the new law regulating tourist services, which came into force on July 1st 1998. The purpose of this law is to protect the interests of tourists in line with western standards. Based on this law we are introducing a classification system for places offering tourist accommodation. The law also provides a legal basis for using the terms hotel, motel, guest house, youth hostels, holiday camps, camp sites etc, specifying a definition and requirements for each category. The law also includes penalties for misuse of these names. The new law also regulates the requirements surrounding tourist agencies and intermediaries, to comply with the European Union Directive No. 90/ 314. The Directive emphasizes the obligation of association member states and tourist agencies to insure financial security for its clients. This insurance should. cover all payments by clients and the ability to return tourists home. The law also envisages increasing the skills and qualifications of employees and directors of tourist agencies, hotel employees and tour guides. We very often hear how Poland is slow to adopt West European norms for protecting the environment. Relatively little is said about those many regions in Poland, where large scale pro-ecological projects are underway. How do you, Mr President, view the situation? One of the regions particularly attractive for tourists because it has a great unspoilt variety of wildlife is called â€Å"The Green Lungs of Poland†, located in the north-east of Poland and compromising some 18% of the total area of Poland. It is a re.gion of unprecedented. natural beauty, which is relatively unpolluted. and with great geomorphologic and landscape variety. It is characterized by a great number of fore.sts and farmland, as well as a low level of urbanization and industrialization, and has a low population density. Many protected areas are also located here, such as National Parks, nature reserves, and areas of protected landscape which makes this region particularly important, not just for Poland, but for the whole of Europe. This unique area of nature, its spa qualities and varieties of wildlife and culture make the â€Å"Green Lungs of Poland.† attractive for various forms of tourism, leisure and recreation, and spa centres. This all provides immense potential for both domestic and foreign tourism. The basic concept of â€Å"Green Lungs of Poland† initiated by the members of the Polish Tourist Country Lovers' Association, was the harmonious and stable social and economic development of the North-east region of Poland. The publicizing of this idea led to the signing of an agreement between regional authorities and has been taken up in government documents. The President of State Sports and Tourism Administration is one of the thirty signatories of this agreement. The administration is interested in the possibilities for tourism in this region and in introducing various forms of tourism that would fit in with the local ecology and the needs of nature. Will foreign visitors find favourable conditions and varied attractions during their holiday in Poland? The World Tourist Organization (WTO) places Poland 7th in the ranking of tourist travel. It is a very good position which makes it possible to satisfy tourist expectations and meet world tourist market trends. Some of these trends include: taking more than one holiday a year, city-break holidays, which are now the second low season type of travel, the increased demand for trips including an educational aspect, and the growing demand for active holidays and agrotourism, particularly by tourists from Western Europe for short stay holidays. Trends in the world tourist market have an influence on the development of tourism in Europe, including Poland. Taking into account the present demand for tourism in Poland on the primary market, as well as the potential resources and possibilities, Poland has concentrated its efforts to create and promote quality in the areas of city and culture tourism, recreational, active and agrotourism, specialized holidays, cross-border tourism as well as for business travel, and transit traffic. Poland has a huge variety of tourist attractions. For nature lovers there is the sea, the mountains, the lakes, national and landscape parks, nature reserves, rivers, forests and numerous spas. Poland also has many historical and cultural attractions which belong to the world heritage of culture. These include ancient ruins, monuments, old towns, castles, palaces, parks, churches and museums. Another feature that makes Poland an attractive destination for tourists is the many international sports and cultural events which even by themselves are very attractive. All these attractions have tremendous potential and make people curious to visit new places. For the sports and specialized holidays which are increasingly popular, Poland offers great facilities for water sports, such as sailing, and canoeing, winter sports (such as cross country skiing as well as mountain skiing), cycling, hiking, climbing, caving, horse riding, etc. Polish traditional hospitality and openness means that Pol and is a friendly country for every visitor and our tourist attractions make Poland a good destination for tourists. Do the favourable changes in Polish tourism create opportunities for foreign investors? If so, in what areas and how are they used? At the moment we have been witnessing the dynamic development of catering, accommodation, and recreational facilities. At the same time almost every Polish gmina and town located in attractive tourist regions has a range of offers for investors to help develop these kinds of facilities and infrastructure. Another area of foreign investment is, for example, the construction of conference centres. East-Central Europe enjoys a lot of interest from people all over the world. That is why many international organizations hold events in Prague or Budapest. Unfortunately Warsaw is less frequently the destination for these events due to a lack of facilities. I earlier mentioned the increase in the number of accommodation and catering facilities in Poland. This is also due to foreign investors, who can see the great demand for such places and realize that Poland is a country with good opportunities for investment. Tourism in the Nation's Economy The Word Tourist Organisation (WTO) places Poland 7th in the ranking of tourist travel. It is very good position, which make it possible to satisfy tourist expectation and meet world tourist market trends. Some of these trends include: taking more than one holiday a year, the increased demand for trips including an educationally aspect, and growing demand for active holiday and agrotourism, particularly by tourists by Western Europe for short stay holidays. Trends in the word tourist market have an influence on the development of tourist in Europe, including Poland. Taking into account the present demand for tourist in Poland on the primary, as well as the potential resources and possibilities, Poland has concentrated its effort to create and promote quality in the areas of city and culture tourism, recreational, active and agrotourism, specialised holidays, cross-boarder tourism as well as for business travel, and transit traffic. Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of ind ustry of Poland. Every year the number of tourists organisation are doing their the best to satisfy the demands and needs of tourists. However is it not always easy, as the total number of hotels in Poland is only 844 with 80000 beds. It is a drop in ocean in comparison with almost 20 million tourists visiting Poland. The rooms in private houses fill the gap in the market. The sport and recreational facilities provided with the accommodation include volley and basketball, tennis courts, playrooms for children. Many places offer table tennis, boat hire. Some of them have sauna, have a gym or hire bicycles. A small a number of places providers solarium and indoor swimming pool and mini golf. We can see that tourist facilities in Poland are so diverse that we can satisfy all types of tourists. Poland has a huge variety of tourist attractions. For nature lovers there is the sea, the mountains, the lakes, national and landscape parks, nature reserves, rivers and forests. Poland has many historical and culture attraction, which belong to the word heritage of culture. These include ancient ruins, monuments, old towns, castles, palaces, churches and museums. Another features that makes Poland an attractive destination for tourist is the many international sports and cultural events, which even by themselves are very attractive. All these attraction have tremendous potential and make people curious to visit new places. For the sports and specialised holidays, which are increasingly popular, Poland offer great facilities for water sports, canoeing, winter sports (such as cross country skiing as well as mountain skiing), cycling, hiking, climbing, horse riding etc. Polish tradition hospitality and openness means that Poland is a friendly country for every visitor and our tourist a ttraction make Poland a good destination for tourists. In 1996 Poland attracted almost 23 million tourists and visitors who spent at least one night in our country (as classified by the Word Tourism Organisation). Many of them were transit visitors but the majorities were day-tripper shoppers. According to central bank's official cross boarder shopping generated approximately 6,3 billion USD in 1996. The average length of stay of tourist in Poland stands at 4,7 nights per person. Since 1995 foreign visitors have decelerated their main reason for visiting Poland as being relaxation and tourism and spent around $ 8,4 billion. In terms of revenue from tourism Poland holds 14th position in the world. Around 10 million Poles over 15 years old went on holiday in 1996. The majority of domestic travels stayed in private accommodation. The average Polish tourist spent 9,2 nights abroad, half of this number organised their trips individually. Most popular were trips to the neighbouring countries. Around $ 2,5 billion spent by Poles abroad in 1996. The tourism industry is comprised of services rendered by travel agents and hotels. In practice its revenue is made up both directly (by transport companies, the catering industry, and telecommunications) as well as indirectly by companies from many sectors of economy. The latter group includes furniture manufactures, house building services, the food industry and agriculture. According to assessment of Polish Chamber of Tourism, there is room for between 8000 to 10000 travel agents on the Polish market. Approximately a third of services rendered by travel agents by major tour operators as Orbis, PTTK, Gromada and others. The Polish market ha not created a major tourist company which could operate on a European scale. A few foreign companies have invested in the hotel business in Poland by building luxury hotels in the largest Poland cities (examples include the Marriott, the Holiday Inn). This sector is expected to grow rapidly. The largest owner of hotels in Poland is Orbis also being the largest Polish travel agent. Its network includes 53 hotels, all situated in attractive location. Poland is likely to at least maintain its current position on the global tourism market, providing the more expenditure for the development of tourism infrastructure, improving its quality and increasing on promotion. Business in Poland For several years now, Poland has been arousing interest as an attractive place for investment and commerce. The private sector is currently experiencing dynamic growth: both home-grown firms basing themselves on their own financial resources and joint ventures launched together with foreign capital, which is entering Poland in increasing amounts. Some 7,000 joint ventures have already been established in Poland, engaged in production, distribution, consultancy and other services. The giants of West European and American manufacturing and commerce are also taking part in the privatisation of Polish industry. Firms already operating in Poland include such household names as Coca Cola, Johnson and Johnson, Ikea, Siemens, Philip Morris, and many others besides. Although this expansion of international commercial activity is affecting the entire country, Warsaw's status as the national capital makes it the city most frequently visited by foreign businessmen. It is Warsaw which offers easiest access to all manner of legal and economic information, and it is here that we find the headquarters of various Polish business organisations which provide organisational and legal assistance to foreign business partners. In addition to the expert knowledge which is available, those interested in doing business in Poland also have ready access to all necessary technical facilities. Orbis hotels provide professional business centres offering suitable premises, communications facilities, secretarial services and state-of the-art office equipment. Poland has also become an interesting and convenient place for all kinds of meeting, conference, congress and exhibition. All inclusive assistance in arranging the requisite facilities is available from the ORBIS Incoming Tourism Bureau, which has nearly thirty years of experience in this field. The Bureau can boast the successful organisation of hundreds of events involving thousands of participants, and has taken part in organising undertakings of such size as the visits of Pope John Paul II to his homeland. Depending on the number of participants, meetings in Warsaw can be held in the Victoria, Holiday Inn or Novotel hotels, or in the Congress Hall of the Palace of Culture and Science, which seats 2,500. Events can also be arranged in the Holiday Inn in Cracow, the Gdynia Hotel in Gdynia, and in numerous other stately homes and small hotels throughout the length and breadth of Poland. The Orbis Incoming Tourism Bureau is involved in the provision of three types of service: * the organisation of participants' stay in Poland, including hotel accommodation, transport, short sightseeing excursions, tickets for cultural and artistic events, receptions, special activities, etc.; * the organisation of meetings/conferences, including the co-ordination of programmes and financial budgeting, the hire of halls, the provision of secretarial, technical and interpretation/translation services, the supply of photo-copying equipment and buffet facilities, the preparation of press conferences, etc.; * the organisation of exhibitions, including the hire of display space, the construction and decoration of stands, the provision of technical assistance, advertising, publications, etc. Over the years, the Orbis Incoming Tourism Bureau has earned itself the recognition of many international organisations, including the major agencies of the United Nations and the International Congress and Convention Association. The Polish National Tourist Office (PNTO) in London is succeeding in putting the message across that Poland is the natural choice as a tourist destination. â€Å"Over 217,500 people from the UK visited Poland in 1996. This makes the UK the second most important market after Germany. The rise in the number of tourists from the UK continues unabated. We estimate that by the end of 1997 Poland will receive about one quarter of a million UK visitors†, says Czeslaw Jermanowski, Director of the PNTO. He is aware of the increasing importance of business travel to Poland and promotion of the country's diverse holiday attractions as a range of products. â€Å"Within two years we have accomplished a lot. Poland is now a more interesting travel destination to the British public†. Since the PNTO launched its London office in 1994 the number of tour operators featuring Poland in their brochures has increased dramatically. In total, more then 86 L1K tour operators have been selling trips to Poland in 1997. Thompson Holidays, one of the major players in British market, includes Warsaw and Krakow City Breaks in its 1997 catalogue, and has planned to extend its offer to include Polish nature resorts – lakes and mountains – in 1998. Jermanowski points out that Warsaw is in fact 2 miles closer to London than Madrid. Poland is also moving up the list of important business venues. He emphasises the Polish governments support for business tourism. Two years ago Polish authorities established a tourist board committee on business travel. It helped to create new facilities for meeting, conferences and a high standard of service for individual business travellers. This year Britain's prestigious â€Å"Business Travel World† Magazine has once again awarded LOT Polish Airlines the title of † Best Eastern European Business Airline† LOT emerged clear winner in this category; ahead of Lufthansa and British Airways. This year LOT has carried more passengers than ever before. Non-stop London Heathrow – Warsaw flights are being increased from 13 to 16 a week. In addition, April 1997 saw the start of the Manchester-Warsaw air-link, three days a week. There is also a London Gdansk-Krakow service. Travellers arriving from the UK into Warsaw or Krakow find the rest of Poland easily accessible. LOT Polish Airlines maintain regular and seasonal connections with major Polish cities such as Szczecin, Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Krakow and Rzeszà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½w. â€Å"One part of the Polish tourist infrastructure which has already been developed is Poland's rail network which is one of the most comprehensive in Europe†, says Jermanowski. The Polish government has recently realised that tourism gives the country a great opportunity. Jermanowski, who was Vice-President of the State Sports and Tourism Administration in Warsaw before coming to London in 1995, was responsible for compiling the government's tourist development plan and for establishing a world-wide network of national tourist offices. Now tourism is part of Polish economic policy. VAT has been reduced from 22 to 7% on four and five star hotels. Furthermore, tax exemptions of up to 50% for creators of tourist infrastructure have been introduced. The 1990-1996 period has seen the number of hotels in Poland grow by 30% as more and more Polish and foreign chains have taken advantage of the burgeoning tourist industry and favourable tax law. Major chains such as Marriott, Holiday Inn, Radisson, Forte, Intercontinental and Sheraton are all represented in Poland in Addition to the Polish chains of Orbis and Gromada. The range of medium and smaller private hotels is growing fast. â€Å"Poland used to be perceived as very distant, small, grey and underdeveloped country†, says Jermanowski. â€Å"We've tried to improve its image. Today, Poland is a modern sophisticated country, with an air of optimism and development. We've worked hard to ensure that Poland is unpolluted and environmentally friendly. Our logo – Polska, the natural choice – shows that Poland can offer sandy coastlines, mountains, primeval forest and lake districts, along with cities rich in history and culture†. According to the PNTO's research, the city-break Polish market is strong. Krakow recorded the highest percentage of travellers, higher then the 26 per cent visiting Warsaw, in the first half of 1997. This reflects the increased ease of access to the â€Å"cultural capital† of Poland, soon to be â€Å"Capital of Culture† in year 2000. Market research shows that Southern Poland, including Zakopane and the Tatra mountains, is a prime destination for LTK travellers. Pomerania and Central-East Poland are the second most popular destinations. The growth in tourist traffic to Poland is being reflected by the increase in the number of operators offering Poland in their brochures and the growth of travel arranged by their agencies. For instance between 1996 and 1997 Peltours turnover has increased by nearly 100 %, Page & Moy – 60%, and Wallace Arnold – nearly 50%. â€Å"This indicates increased business opportunities for the UK travel industry†, says Jermanowski. The Polish National Tourist Office in London intends to continue its efforts to promote Poland as an attractive travel destination. Nothing succeeds like success.