Ceremony Response (written by Leslie Marmon Silko) Essay

Ceremony Response (written by Leslie Marmon Silko) - Essay Example Ceremony is a beautifully written story which combines poetry as well as prose to explain the reader its real meaning. It shows the importance of cultural and traditional values in a person’s life and how a person can recover from deep troubles if he properly understands his culture and sticks to his traditions. Tayo was a young lad who belonged to the Laguna Pueblo tribe. He was half white and half Native American. Tayo was his mother’s illegitimate child whom she abandoned at a very young age. She left him with her mother and sister who brought him up. Tayo did not have very memorable childhood as he had to listen to regular taunts from his aunt who used to remind him constantly about the shame that his mother had brought to the family. Tayo was scarred further by the atrocities that he witnessed in the Second World War while in Japan. He became mentally unstable during the war which was reflected by the fact when he was not ready to shoot one of the Japanese soldiers whom he felt was his uncle Josiah. He also lost his cousin Rocky during the war. Thus, the war worsened his condition and he became mentally ill and traumatized. Upon return, he was moved to an army hospital but this did not relieve his psychological problems. He became an alcoholic as the thoughts of his past haunted him. This did not help him forget about his past and it made him more physically and emotionally drained. Seeing his deteriorating condition, his grandmother brought him back and suggested spiritual Native American cures for him for which he went to see a man Ku’oosh. Ku’oosh referred Tayo to visit Betonie who would be able to carry out a stronger healing ceremony for him. Betonie gave him clues and ways that he would need to accomplish him to fully recover from his trauma. Tayo followed his path and stayed away from the things that reminded him of war. He gathered himself and found the cattle that belonged to his uncle and started his life once again. H is enemies got doomed and he recovered from his losses. Ceremony is a story which speaks about family bonds and the impact that one’s family can have on the life of an individual. Tayo could have lived a better life if he would have received proper love and care from his mother. He would also have been raised in a better way had he been not mentally tortured by his aunt. Despite of these shortcomings, it also needs to be assessed that Tayo was only able to recover because of the support of his family members. His grandmother was very supportive of him and she wanted Tayo to lead a normal life. Furthermore, it was his uncle who took him to Betonie for the healing ceremony. Thus, it was his family’s assistance which brought him back to normal and he was able to get rid of his problems. Reading about the family bonds in the story reminds me of my family and the love and support that they always offer me in times of difficulties. I can relate to Tayo and his insecurities w hen he was far away from his family at war and at the hospital. I felt the same when I had to come to complete my studies in the United States. I became very depressed and suffered from stress. But it was my family’s love and support which helped me recover from my difficulties. Thus, Tayo’s recovery from the difficulties that he was facing with the assistance of his grandmother and family reflect upon my revival as well. The ceremony

Le Groupe International Belge French Essay

Le Groupe International Belge French Essay Note de Synthà ¨se Le groupe international Belge SOLVAY, est un groupe diversifià © il est composà © de 3 Domaines dActività ©s Stratà ©giques: Chimie, Plastique et Pharmacie Lintà ©gration des actività ©s pharmaceutiques au sein du groupe Solvay sinscrit dans là ©volution historique du groupe et dans une stratà ©gie de croissance durable. Depuis les annà ©es 70, Solvay a dà ©cidà © de dà ©velopper des actività ©s acycliques, en particulier dans le domaine de la santà ©, ce qui la conduit à   de nombreuses acquisitions, avec encore rà ©cemment lacquisition des Laboratoires Fournier (2005). Solvay Pharmaceuticals est devenue une socià ©tà © active, de dimension internationale. Solvay Pharmaceuticals a fortement contribuà © au dà ©veloppement du Groupe. Alors que jusque là   le groupe raisonnait en termes de croissance durable et veillait au dà ©veloppement de son actività © pharmaceutique, on assiste aujourdhui à   un revirement stratà ©gique avec la dà ©cision prise le 28 Septembre 2009 de cà ©der lintà ©gralità © des actività ©s Pharmaceutiques. Il est à   noter que le DAS Pharmacie est lactività © la plus rentable du groupe (2/3 des bà ©nà ©fices pour 1/3 du CA). La problà ©matique qui sest alors dà ©gagà ©e a à ©tà © de savoir pourquoi lentreprise Solvay a fait le choix de se dà ©gager dune actività © rentable? La dà ©cision se caractà ©rise comme une stratà ©gie de recentrage, compte tenu du marchà © de la pharmacie (concurrence, mutations) et de ses contraintes (financià ¨res, sanitaires, là ©gales†¦) ainsi que des ressources de lentreprise (taille moyenne). Ce recentrage intervient dans une logique de focalisation stratà ©gique à   long terme. Solvay a dà ©cidà © de dà ©sinvestir par cession (sell-off), avec lintention de se concentrer sur son cÅ“ur de mà ©tier afin dassurer sa pà ©rennità © sur des marchà ©s dominables (≠ Pharmacie structure concurrentielle non favorable) et de renforcer la cohà ©rence de ses actività ©s. Ce revirement sinscrit donc dans une dynamique dadaptation et de pà ©rennisation. Solvay à   donc pour ambition daffirmer sa position parmi les leaders dans les produits et services de la chimie et du plastique, par croissance interne (forte valeur ajoutà ©) et externe (nouvelles compà ©tences, nouveaux territoires). Cette stratà ©gie apparaà ®t comme cohà ©rente face au rude marchà © de la Pharmacie, mais des incertitudes persistent quant au rà ©investissement des sommes dà ©gagà ©es par la vente, mais aussi quant à   lavenir de Solvay sur des marchà ©s enclin à   une flambà ©e des prix des matià ¨res premià ¨res (Progression du CA mais baisse des performances). Introduction A lheure du dà ©veloppement considà ©rable des nouvelles technologies, biotechnologies ou autres nanotechnologies, le secteur mà ©dical est en perpà ©tuel mouvement. Ainsi, avec des efforts en recherche et dà ©veloppement trà ¨s importants dans ces secteurs et laccroissement des produits gà ©nà ©riques ainsi que des laboratoires, ces derniers nont plus seulement comme but de dà ©velopper des ressources et solutions pour les personnes malades. En effet, un rà ©el business sest dà ©veloppà © autour de ce secteur avec une concurrence mondiale qui saccroà ®t chaque annà ©e dans le cadre dune augmentation des dividendes versà ©s aux actionnaires, nà ©gligeant parfois la vocation premià ¨re du secteur mà ©dical: aider les personnes malades. De ce fait, les socià ©tà ©s nont pas de remords à   tester de nouveaux mà ©dicaments en contre partie dune contribution financià ¨re sur des à ©tudiants ou personnes dà ©sireux darrondir leurs fins de mois. En outre, les rachat s dactions ou de socià ©tà ©s sont de plus en plus frà ©quents, les commerciaux mà ©dicaux sont de plus en plus nombreux et laugmentation des produits gà ©nà ©riques complexifient le domaine du secteur mà ©dical de nos jours. En 2010, la France a consacrà © 2,2% du PIB pour la RD, soit prà ¨s de 30 milliards deuros, en augmentation de 5,5% par rapport à   2009. Lunion europà ©enne sest fixà ©e un objectif de croissance de 3% par an dans le but de rattraper le retard par rapport aux Etats-Unis. Le budget de recherche et dà ©veloppement dans le secteur privà © en France est de 5 milliards deuros pour lannà ©e courante. Cette faible croissance des dernià ¨res annà ©es à   conduit à   la dà ©localisation de nombreuses entreprises dans dautres pays au dà ©but du XXIà ¨me sià ¨cle. Dans le cadre de notre sujet de recherche, nous à ©tudierons la position du groupe international SOLVAY qui sest rà ©cemment sà ©parà ©e dun de ses trois domaines dactività ©s stratà ©giques, le secteur pharmaceutique. Ce domaine qui à ©tait rentable pour la socià ©tà © Belge. Aprà ¨s avoir prà ©sentà © ce groupe diversifià ©, nous prà ©senterons les cours de son action et mettrons en à ©vidence les chiffres clà ©s qui permettent de mieux lapprà ©hender. Dans une seconde partie, nous nous focaliserons sur le domaine cà ©dà © par SOLVAY, le secteur pharmaceutique et nous y à ©tudierons plus prà ©cisà ©ment ses diffà ©rentes facettes. Nous pourrons ainsi en dà ©gager des rà ©flexions sur la pertinence de la dà ©cision rà ©alisà ©e par les dirigeants de la socià ©tà ©. I. SOLVAY un groupe diversifià © 1. Prà ©sentation du Groupe SOLVAY Solvay est une socià ©tà © fondà ©e en 1863 par le chimiste Ernest Solvay. Le groupe fut le premier à   dà ©velopper la production du bicarbonate de sodium ainsi que lutilisation de là ©lectrolyse. SOLVAY est donc un groupe chimique et pharmaceutique international dont le sià ¨ge se trouve à   Bruxelles. Il est prà ©sent dans 50 pays et emploie plus de 29.000 personnes dans les secteurs dactività ©s: Chimie, Plastique et Pharmaceutique. Aujourdhui, SOLVAY est un groupe international qui intervient dans lindustrie chimique et pharmaceutique, il sest dà ©veloppà ©, dans plus de 50 pays, emploie 29000 employà ©s dans le monde. Le sià ¨ge se trouve à   Bruxelles, en Belgique. Le groupe, qui a une actività © industrielle importante dans les secteurs dactività ©s: Chimie, Plastique et Pharmaceutique, veille à ©galement à   la protection de lenvironnement tout au long du cycle de vie du produit dans le cadre dune prise en compte active du dà ©veloppement durable. Chacun est dailleurs sensibilisà © à   ce sujet dans le code de conduite de la socià ©tà ©  «One group, One code, One path ». Depuis le 15 Fà ©vrier 2010, SOLVAY sest rà ©orientà © sur 2 axes stratà ©giques (Chimie, Plastique) avec la revente de lactività © pharmaceutique à   la socià ©tà © Abott dans le cadre dun recentrage des actività ©s de la socià ©tà © Belge. La plus-value aprà ¨s impà ´t rà ©alisà ©e sur la vente du secteur pharmaceutique est de 1,7 milliards deuros. La socià ©tà © a pour but de rà ©investir cette somme dans des projets stratà ©giques en chimie et plastiques. De plus, elle souhaite continuer à   dà ©velopper ses rà ©gions qui ont un potentiel de croissance. En attendant les rà ©sultats des à ©valuations sur ces projets, elle compte investir à   court terme la trà ©sorerie excà ©dentaire. 2. Les parties prenantes Le groupe SOLVAY est cà ´tà © au NYSE Euronext à   Bruxelles, il est dà ©tenue à   30,07% par Solvac, 3,05% est dà ©tenu par Solvay Stock Option Management et 2,94% est dà ©tenue par Blackrock. Il est a souligner que M. Patrick Solvay est administrateur de la holding Solvac est dà ©tient 5,27% du Capital de celle-ci. à  Lien à ©troit entre Solvac et Solvay (Famille Solvay) 3. Performance Globale Quant à   lanalyse de la performance globale et à   la projection de la socià ©tà © sur les prochaines annà ©es, nous avons retenu les informations les plus pertinentes (daprà ¨s là ©tude des analystes dinfinancials: www.infinancials.com, des donnà ©es fournies par www.bourse.lesechos.fr, ainsi que des donnà ©es du Groupe Solvay: www.solvay.com). Voici tout dabord les diffà ©rentes à ©volutions des chiffres daffaires et rà ©sultats opà ©rationnels entre 2008 et 2009: CA 09 ∆% CA 08/09 Resultat opà ©rationnel 09 ∆% Resultat opà ©rationnel 08/09 Pharmaceutique 2791 3% 649 29% Chimique 2713 -12% 246 3% Plastique 2982 -19% 73 -72% * les chiffres ci-dessus sont en millions deuros/Source: infinancials.com Ci-dessus, là ©volution du chiffre daffaire et du rà ©sultat opà ©rationnel entre 2008 et 2009. On peut facilement observer sur ces donnà ©es calculà ©es à   partir du rapport 2009 de Solvay, que lactività © pharmaceutique a à ©tà © en forte progression aussi bien en termes de ventes que de rà ©sultat opà ©rationnel. Les actività ©s chimiques et plastiques, quant à   elles, en rà ©gression considà ©rables au niveau des ventes ainsi quen rà ©sultat opà ©rationnel pour lactività © plastique, ont en partie à ©tà © affectà ©es par la crise mondiale rà ©cente. Seulement le secteur pharmaceutique permet de rà ©tablir ces valeurs peu favorables durant lannà ©e 2009. De plus, daprà ¨s le rapport 2009 de SOLVAY, la là ©gà ¨re à ©volution du rà ©sultat opà ©rationnel du secteur chimique a à ©tà © induite par la diminution des coà »ts fixes et coà »ts à ©nergà ©tiques. Le secteur pharmaceutique a de nombreux produits phares dans diffà ©rentes spà ©cialisations comme les vaccins antigrippaux (Influac), la gynà ©cologie (Duphaston, Prometrium), la cardiomà ©tabollique (Tricor, Liphantyl) ou encore la neuroscience (Serc). Ces produits sont à   forte valeur ajoutà ©e pour le groupe. Ainsi, lacquisition de filiales et le dà ©veloppement de la socià ©tà © dans des pays en voie de dà ©veloppement ont contribuà © à   la plus-value rà ©alisà ©e lors de la cession. 2009 Prà ©visionnel 2010 ∆% 09/10 Investissements et acquisitions 567 673 18,7% RD 555 148 -73,3% Total 1122 821 -26,8% * les chiffres ci-dessus sont en millions deuros/Source: infinancials.com Sur ce tableau, on peut observer la projection de la socià ©tà © quant à   lannà ©e 2010 concernant les investissements et la recherche et dà ©veloppement. On peut constater que la socià ©tà © va continuer à   se dà ©velopper en comptant acquà ©rir dautres filiales. Suite à   la vente du secteur pharmaceutique à   Abott, la RD va considà ©rablement diminuer. En effet, la recherche mà ©dicale nà ©cessite beaucoup de moyens pour la recherche afin de dà ©velopper de nouveaux mà ©dicaments. Suite à   là ©tude de la performance des concurrents, et grà ¢ce aux ressources dinfinancials.com en sà ©lectionnant les crità ¨res suivant: EBITDA, rendement de la dette, revenus net, valeur des actions, volatilità © des actions. Nous avons pu caractà ©riser la socià ©tà © comme suiveuse. Voici, selon les analystes dinfinancials.com, la notation attribuà ©e à   la socià ©tà © en comparaison de la concurrence mondiale: SOLVAY Concurrence mondiale Taux de croissance 1,9 4,2 Valeur de lentreprise 3,4 5,1 Profitabilità © 6,1 5 Risque de marchà © 7,3 6,7 * toutes les notes sont notà ©es sur 10 points A titre informatif, les indicateurs et les valeurs pertinentes dà ©taillà ©s de ces dernià ¨res annà ©es sont mis à   disposition en annexes (Annexe 1). 4. Domaines dActività ©s Stratà ©giques La typologie des 3 DAS: Pharmaceutique : Cest un secteur de croissance non cyclique, il reprà ©sentait une zone de croissance pour Solvay. La socià ©tà © pharmaceutique est de taille moyenne. Chimique : La branche chimie dispose dun leadership fort et dune position concurrentielle. Elle se dà ©compose en 4 grands pà ´les: Le Pà ´le des minà ©raux (46% du CA du secteur Chimique: Carbonate de soude et dà ©rivà ©s, carbonates de baryum et de strontium,  « advanced Functional Minerals  ») Le Pà ´le Electrochimie et Fluor (36,3% du CA du secteur Chimique : soude caustique et produits fluorà ©s) Le Pà ´le Oxygà ¨ne (16,3% du CA du secteur Chimique : peroxyde dhydrogà ¨ne, dà ©tergence et caprolactones) Et le pà ´le Organique (0,9% du CA du Secteur Chimique) Plastiques : Cette branche est mineure dans lactività © du groupe, et se caractà ©rise par une spà ©cialisation dans: Les Polymà ¨res  « high tech  » et Inergy Automotive Systems (42% du CA de ce secteur) Et les actività ©s compà ©titives de la chaà ®ne vinylique (58% du CA de ce secteur) Il est à   souligner que Solvay fait partie des leaders mondiaux dans les domaines de la fabrication et de la commercialisation de produits plastiques et chimiques. Analyse des performances à ©conomiquespar DAS: Dans un premier temps nous allons analyser la reprà ©sentation des diffà ©rents DAS dans la performance à ©conomique du groupe Solvay. Rà ©partition du CA 2009 en pourcentage: Rà ©partition du Rà ©sultat 2009 en pourcentage: Au niveau du Chiffre dAffaires on remarque que la rà ©partition est homogà ¨ne avec une reprà ©sentation denviron 1/3 pour chaque DAS. Cependant dans lanalyse du Rà ©sultat on remarque que le portefeuille dactività ©s est trà ¨s dà ©sà ©quilibrà © en effet la Pharmacie reprà ©sente 2/3 du Rà ©sultat global du groupe. Tandis que les secteurs Chimique et Plastique ne reprà ©sentent seulement 1/3, la chimie à ©tant le plus rentable des 2. Suite à   cette analyse nous pouvons dire que le secteur Pharmaceutique est le plus rentable et ainsi est la source principale de revenu pour du groupe. Analyse du portefeuille dactività ©s du groupe: Matrice BCG: Lanalyse du portefeuille BCG est basà ©e sur 2 indicateurs la PDM relative et le taux de croissance. Pour le groupe Solvay, la Matrice laisse apparaitre la Pharmacie comme DAS Dilemme, en effet compte tenu de la concentration du secteur et de la taille moyenne de la branche pharmacie du groupe Solvay cette actività © devient problà ©matique. La chimie cÅ“ur de mà ©tier du groupe reprà ©sente lactività ©  «Vache à   lait », en effet Solvay fait partie des leaders sur ce marchà © à   tendance stable (taux de croissance nul) et enfin lactività © Plastique se prà ©sente comme  «Star » car Solvay travaille beaucoup dans le segment des plastiques  «high tech » et simpose comme un acteur important dans le domaine. II. Le Recentrage: une stratà ©gie nà ©cessaire et cohà ©rente? 1. Diagnostic (Focus DAS Pharmacie) A. Diagnostic Externe Les grandes tendances du marchà ©: * Une croissance fragilisà ©e: Le secteur connaà ®t une croissance mais qui est fragilisà ©e par la crise. En effet depuis ces 3 dernià ¨res annà ©es, on assiste à   un ralentissement de la croissance du CA du secteur et ainsi a une perte de vitesse de la croissance du secteur. Plusieurs facteurs, expliquent cela, daprà ¨s les à ©tudes du XERFI 700 on dà ©note : Les à ©conomies des organismes payeurs tel que lassurance maladie et autres mutuelles qui rà ©duisent leurs coà »ts. Une baisse significative de lauto mà ©dication : du fait de la remonter des prix et de la baisse du pouvoir dachat de la population dut à   la crise Une forte augmentation de la consommation de vaccins ainsi que de la vente de mà ©dicament gà ©nà ©rique. Rà ©ellement seul lactività © hospitalià ¨re et des maladies de grandes ampleurs tel que de la grippe A soutiennent lactività © du secteur. Concernant le dà ©veloppement des gà ©nà ©riques il est dà ©favorable à   lindustrie franà §aise par exemple (car cest un producteur de second rang). Les principaux producteurs sont les pays à ©mergents tel que la chine l inde ou le brà ©sil. Laugmentation de la perte de brevet reprà ©sente une hausse des couts de la recherche et un dà ©clin de la productività © de la RD Un durcissement de la rà ©glementation des mà ©dicaments concernant notamment toutes les à ©tapes de fabrication. La radicalisation des conditions dhomologation des nouveaux Laugmentation des substituts tels que les alicaments, les contrefaà §ons de mà ©dicaments (en nette progression dans les pays en dà ©veloppement) et les nouvelles alternatives thà ©rapeutiques. Le problà ¨me de surcapacità © des grands groupes dans la production de mà ©dicaments reprà ©sente à ©galement une des raisons de la fragilità © de ce secteur. Le problà ¨me de ce ralentissement vient principalement de la faible croissance des marchà ©s forts tels que les marchà ©s europà ©en et amà ©ricain. Nà ©anmoins les pays en dà ©veloppement tels que la Chine, lInde reprà ©sentent un à ©norme potentiel. * La crise du modà ¨le Blockbuster: Le modà ¨le blockbusters reposait sur la production dun nombre restreint de rà ©fà ©rences qui par des effets de masses et dà ©conomie dà ©chelles, atteignait des niveaux de rentabilità © trà ¨s à ©levà ©. On assiste aujourdhui à   une crise de ce modà ¨le du fait quaujourdhui la clientà ¨le a nettement moins besoin de mà ©dicament de masse mais de plus de mà ©dicament ciblà ©. Ce systà ¨me est à ©galement remis en cause par: la perte des brevets, laugmentation des coà »t de RD, la concurrence des gà ©nà ©riques†¦ * La tendance à   la spà ©cialisation Le secteur pharmaceutique sur le long terme tend à   un partage des risques et vers un modà ¨le de blockbusters de niche (mà ©decine de spà ©cialità ©). Cette nouvelle tendance intà ¨gre le dà ©veloppement des nouvelles technologies, lenjeu de se modà ¨le rà ©side dans une stratà ©gie de portefeuille nouvelle adaptà ©e a des besoins bien spà ©cifiques. * Restructuration dans le secteur Les grands laboratoires sont à ©galement à   la recherche dà ©conomies de coà »ts, notamment en RD, cest ainsi que lon a assistà © à   une vague de restructuration en 2008. Lobjectif à ©tant dadapter lorganisation de la RD (sous traitance), pour leurs permettre de prà ©server leur potentiel dinnovation et mieux rà ©pondre à   lintà ©gration des nouvelles technologies. * Le retour à   une concentration du marchà © (mà ©gafusions) Face à   ces mutations du secteur, les grands laboratoires on dà ©ployà © de nouvelles stratà ©gies pour conserver leur position et rà ©pondre aux exigences du marchà © et des payeurs. Les enjeux aujourdhui pour ces groupes sont loptimisation des coà »ts et la croissance externe, cest ainsi quils on recours à   des Fusions et Acquisitions ciblà ©es par exemple en rachetant des petites boà ®te spà ©cialisà ©es dans les biotechnologies (RD active et innovante) ou en acquà ©rant des actività ©s oà ¹ les barrià ¨res à   lentrà ©es sont moins importantes comme les gà ©nà ©riques, les vaccins†¦(les entreprises cibles sont de taille moyenne). Le secteur pharmaceutique passe de la production de produit de masse à   la recherche de marchà ©s de niche à   fort potentiel. Cette à ©volution passera incontestablement par des investissements importants à   linternational (conquà ªte de nouveaux marchà ©e), en RD (nouvelles technologies) etc †¦ Analyse PESTEL: *Source Xerfi 700 On a pu observer que le contexte dans lequel lindustrie pharmaceutique à ©volue est de plus en plus difficile. Le dà ©veloppement de nouveaux mà ©dicaments coà »te cher et lissue est toujours plus incertaine. Les contraintes sanitaires et là ©gales sont devenues draconiennes et lapprobation de plus en plus difficile. Analyse des à ©là ©ments structurels du secteur: Modà ¨le de Porter(5 forces+Gouvernement)  · Le pouvoir de nà ©gociation des fournisseurs (+) Il y a un faible pouvoir de nà ©gociation de la part des fournisseurs. En effet les entreprises du secteur commandent majoritairement de grosses quantità ©s notamment du fait de la production de masse des mà ©dicaments et dans le but de rà ©aliser des à ©conomies dà ©chelles (systà ¨me des blockbusters). Cependant ce fort pouvoir de nà ©gociation tend à   diminuer du fait de la crise du modà ¨le des blockbusters.  · Le pouvoir de nà ©gociation des clients (+-) Il y a un faible pouvoir de nà ©gociation de la part des clients. Cependant les clients finaux sont fortement influencà ©s par limplication des organismes payeurs, dans le taux de remboursement des mà ©dicaments.  · Les produits substituts (- -) Les produits gà ©nà ©riques sont de nouveaux produits de substitution leur production commence dà ¨s quun brevet tombe dans le domaine public. Le nombre de mà ©dicaments gà ©nà ©riques est en augmentation chaque annà ©e ce qui est une menace pour le secteur. Enfin la dernià ¨re menace sont les produits contrefaits en augmentation dans les pays en dà ©veloppement qui se substituent à   tord aux mà ©dicaments originaux. Autre menace dans une moindre mesure, les alicaments et mà ©decines douces, bien quils ne rà ©pondent pas aux mà ªmes besoins et ne sont pas rà ©ellement substituables, ils sont consommà ©s en amont par les consommateurs ce qui correspond à   une forme de substitution.  · Entrants potentiels (+) Le secteur est fermà © aux nouveaux entrants, il est donc difficile de venir concurrencer une entreprise sur le secteur, en effet il y a de trà ¨s fortes barrià ¨res à   lentrà ©e (investissements financiers à ©levà ©s, technologies†¦). Il faut cependant souligner le fait que les clients dans ce secteur ne sont pas fidà ¨les à   une marque si le produit à   la mà ªme efficacità © (mà ©dicaments gà ©nà ©riques).  · Concurrence interne (- -) La rivalità © dans ce secteur dactività © est trà ¨s vive du fait du nombre et de la taille des acteurs (concentration). Le marchà © de la pharmacie est de type ultra concurrentiel, avec une dominance des 2 leaders mondiaux (Pfizer et GSK), suivis de grands groupes internationaux (ex: MerckCo, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis†¦) et en de laboratoires nationaux indà ©pendants trà ¨s actifs qui possà ¨dent des positions fortes notamment dans la RD.  · Gouvernement (-) Il est essentiel de noter limportance des facteurs induits par le Gouvernement dans un secteur tel que celui de la Pharmacie. En effet le gouvernement joue un rà ´le essentiel en ce qui concerne le contrà ´le de la production des mà ©dicaments et des prix pratiquà ©s. Le gouvernement joue un rà ´le essentiel dans un pays comme par exemple en France oà ¹ il est un organisme payeur (remboursement des mà ©dicaments). B. Diagnostic Interne Dans les annà ©es 70 et au lendemain de la crise pà ©trolià ¨re, le groupe Solvay a optà © pour un modà ¨le stratà ©gique hybride, en se lanà §ant, grà ¢ce plusieurs acquisitions, dans le secteur pharmaceutique. Lobjectif à ©tait alors davoir une actività © plus stable dans son portefeuille dactività ©s, qui permettrait de compenser laspect trop cyclique des actività ©s Chimie et Plastique (rà ©partition des risques). Cette petite actività © est devenue grande et source de revenu, au cours du temps. En 2008, la pharmacie pesait pour 52 % du bà ©nà ©fice du groupe Solvay, elle nest donc pas une actività © annexe. Il semblerait quaujourdhui Solvay Pharma soit un groupe denvergure relativement modeste et nest pas la taille critique pour poursuivre son à ©volution dans le secteur pharmaceutique. SOLVAY PHARMACEUTICALS est un groupe de socià ©tà ©s pharmaceutiques qui assurent les actività ©s pharmaceutiques mondiales du groupe SOLVAY. Axà © sur la recherche, ces socià ©tà ©s semploient à   rà ©pondre à   des besoins mà ©dicaux non satisfaits dans les domaines thà ©rapeutiques suivants: neurosciences, cardiomà ©tabolisme vaccins antigrippaux, gastro-entà ©rologie et gynà ©cologie/andrologie (source Solvay). En passant en revue les principales fonctions de lentreprise, il est possible de dà ©terminer les forces et faiblesses par rapport aux concurrents de lentreprise Solvay. Nous analyserons donc la branche pharmacie sur diffà ©rents aspects et crità ¨res : Commercial Solvay pharma a augmentà © ses ventes en Amà ©rique du Nord. Cela est dà » à   des raisons bien prà ©cises. Lapprobation de mà ©dicaments par la Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) a nettement augmentà © la vente de certains produits comme le CREON. Il a donc explosà © les ventes aux Etats-Unis puisquil le chiffre daffaire dà ©passe les 260 millions deuros. On peut aussi noter une diminution des ventes de Marinol puisque le mà ©dicament est passà © dans le secteur public. Lentreprise doit ainsi faire face à   une concurrence fà ©roce que sont les gà ©nà ©riques. On peut ainsi noter une forte augmentation des parts de marchà ©s sur le sol Amà ©ricains puisquil reprà ©sente 39% des ventes totales dans le monde de Solvay Pharma. De ce fait, Les principaux clients de Solvay Pharma sont lAmà ©rique du Nord, la Russie et la France. LEurope reste en tà ªte avec plus de 46% des ventes rà ©alisà ©. La collaboration avec ChemDiv met en avant une volontà © de se rapprocher encore plus de la Russie ainsi que des Etats-Unis. De plus, il reflà ¨te une recherche permanente puisque ChemDiv est un institut spà ©cialisà © dans la recherche de nouveaux composà ©s. On peut donc noter que ce partenariat sintà ¨gre parfaitement dans la stratà ©gie de croissance de Solvay Pharma. Elle est aussi en collaboration avec HUYA Bioscience International, une entreprise spà ©cialisà ©e dans la facilitation et laccà ©là ©ration du co-dà ©veloppement mondial de nouveaux produits biopharmaceutiques originaires de Chine. Ainsi grà ¢ce à   cette collaboration, Solvay Pharma accà ¨de au portefeuille de molà ©cule chinoise et dà ©veloppe le domaine cardiovasculaire. On peut aussi noter les produits phares de Solvay Pharma qui sont les vaccins antigrippaux principalement vendus en Europe, lAndrologie vendu dans le monde entier ainsi que lEnzyme pancrà ©atique. Recherche et dà ©veloppement Dans le cadre de la recherche et du dà ©veloppement, Solvay Pharma continue son partenariat avec Abbott. Ainsi, sur les produits visant à   diminuer le cholestà ©rol, Solvay Pharma et Abbott ont dà ©veloppà © un produit TRILIPIX rà ©duisant ce symptà ´me. Ils ont ainsi pu diminuer les dà ©penses de recherche et dà ©veloppement. On peut aussi noter que dans ce secteur dactività ©, la RD est trà ¨s importante. De ce fait, les dà ©penses dans ce pà ´le sà ©là ¨vent à   416 millions deuros alors que lentreprise alloue un budget total de 555 millions deuros toutes les dà ©penses lià ©es à   la recherche. Il est important de noter que Solvay Pharma se munie des meilleurs installations puisquelle a installà © la technologie la plus rà ©cente pour son unità © de production cellulaire. Au dà ©but des annà ©es 2000, les espoirs du groupe reposaient sur deux molà ©cules vedettes : le Cilansetron (syndrome du colon irritable) et le Bifeprunox (schizophrà ©nie). Cependant face aux diffà ©rents refus des autorità ©s sanitaires, Solvay a dà » abandonner ces molà ©cules en 2005 (Cilansetron) et 2009 (Bifeprunox), ces à ©checs ont entrainà © la perte de plusieurs millions deuros. On dà ©note à ©galement une faible productività © en termes de RD chez Solvay Pharma. Aujourdhui la rentabilità © et la croissance de lactività © Pharmaceutique sont assurà ©es par les molà ©cules hà ©rità ©es de lacquisition de Fournier (Tricor/Trilipix). Lactività © Pharmaceutique repose donc  «principalement » sur ces molà ©cules (faiblesse a long terme) qui constituent le principal argument de vente la branche Pharma. Financier On peut constater que la vente de Solvay Pharma reprà ©sente un gain de plus de 5 milliard deuros. Ce montant est basà © sur les gains quenregistre Solvay Pharma depuis les dernià ¨res annà ©es. De fait, le rà ©sultat opà ©rationnel sur ce secteur atteint des records puisquil a augmentà © de plus de 27% atteignant ainsi 640 millions deuros sur lannà ©e 2009. On peut aussi constater dans les tableaux des flux de trà ©sorerie que lentreprise Solvay Pharma diminue les efforts dinvestissements puisquelle a diminuà © ses emprunts de prà ¨s de 200 millions deuros. Cela est dà » à   la trà ©sorerie que dà ©gage depuis peu lactività © pharmaceutique. Lentreprise pratique aussi à ©normà ©ment lauto financement puisquelle en a les capacità ©s. C. SWOT Opportunità ©s Menaces Forte augmentation de la consommation de vaccins. Forte augmentation de la vente de mà ©dicament gà ©nà ©rique. Lactività © hospitalià ¨re et des maladies de grandes soutiennent lactività © du secteur. Fort potentiel des nouveaux marchà ©s en dà ©veloppement tel que la Chine, le Brà ©sil et lInde. Modification de lorganisation de la RD Fort potentiel de dà ©veloppement des marchà ©s de niche (spà ©cialisation) Diminution de laugmentation du CA du secteur Ralentissement de la croissance Une baisse significative de lauto mà ©dication Faible croissance des marchà ©s Occidentaux Marchà © trà ¨s concurrentiel (notion de taille critique) Durcissement de la rà ©glementation des mà ©dicaments concernant toutes les à ©tapes de fabrication Diminution des remboursements des à ©tablissements payeurs (tel que la sà ©curità © sociale) La crise du modà ¨le des blockbustersà  dvpt des gà ©nà ©riques Une hausse des couts de la RD et un dà ©clin de la productività © Pertes des brevets Dà ©veloppement des big pharma (FAà  concentration du secteur) Forces Faiblesses Recherche et dà ©veloppement Prà ©sence importante sur un marchà © porteur quest le cholestà ©rol (fenofibrate) Gros portefeuille de molà ©cules Partenaire dune grande importance Abbott, partenaire chinois (acquisition de part de marchà © en Chine) Dà ©veloppement grà ¢ce à   lacquisition des pà ´les pharmaceutiques (cardiovasculaire avec lacquisition de Fournier) Solvay Pharma dimportance moindre / à   la concurrence (taille moyenne) Difficultà © à   faire face au marchà © des gà ©nà ©riques Coà »t de la RD Manque de productività © dans la RD Rentabilità © et croissance repose sur les molà ©cules de Fournier Echec du dà ©veloppement de 2 molà ©cules vedettes Actività ©s mà ¨re de lentreprise ne peuvent pas se dà ©velopper à   cause de linvestissement dans la pharmacie Facteurs Clà ©s de Succà ¨s: Le dà ©veloppement et la rà ©organisation de la RD, et lintà ©gration de nouvelles technologies La rà ©duction des coà »ts et le dà ©veloppement sur des segments a forte valeur ajoutà © notamment par des processus de fusion acquisition Malgrà © son degrà © de spà ©cialisation, Solvay Pharma na pas la taille critique pour rà ©pondre au FCS (dà ©velopper un avantage concurrentiel durableà  coà »t à ©levà ©) et ainsi pour se dà ©velopper sur un marchà © ultra-concurrentiel. 2. Les modalità ©s de la dà ©cision A. Description de la dà ©cision de recentrage Le 28 Septembre 2009 Solvay a annoncà © le recentrage de ses actività ©s, afin de mettre en Å“uvre une rà ©orientation stratà ©gique sur son cÅ“ur de mà ©tier dans lintention dassurer la pà ©rennisation du Groupe. Pour cela le groupe à   dà ©cider de vendre la totalità © de ses actività ©s pharmaceutiques. Cette annonce a suscità © tout dabord lintà ©rà ªt des firmes europà ©ennes et tout particulià ¨rement du groupe Sanofi-Aventis. Loffre faite par Sanofi-Aventis a à ©tà © dà ©clinà ©e par la famille, celle-ci valorisait la socià ©tà © à   7,2 milliards deuros (soit 85 euros par action), Solvac souhaitait alors 100 euros par actions. La vente a finalement à ©tait faite à   Abbott,  «coopà ©titeur » historique du groupe, pour une valeur dentreprise totale denviron 5,2 milliards deuros. ABBOTT est une entreprise multinationale amà ©ricaine diversifià ©e dans le domaine de la santà ©, elle intervient dans la recherche, le dà ©veloppement et à   la commercialisation de produits pharmaceutiques et mà ©dicaux spà ©cifiques, y compris les produits nutritionnels, diagnostiques et les dispositifs mà ©dicaux. Lentreprise amà ©ricaine emploie plus de 72.000 personnes et commercialise ses produits dans plus de 130 pays (source

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas Essay -- fight

Dylan Thomas was born in the Britain in 1914. He was a Welsh poet and writer who wrote exclusively in English. According to Poets Organization,† His father was an English Literature professor at the local grammar school and would often recite Shakespeare to Thomas before he could read† (1). The home education developed his writing style which led him to have his first piece of work published in 1925. The poem,† Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† was written by Dylan Thomas in 1945 during the last illness of his father's life. Thomas addressed this poem to his father whose eyesight and general health were failing. He expresses a powerful message about the flight and passage of death in his poem. Meanwhile, he begs his father to fight against the darkness which is taking over and leading him into the afterlife. In this villanelle form poem, through the use of the metaphor language and images, especially the parallelism, writer gives examples of wise men, goo d men, wild men, and grave men to his father who was dying at the time this poem was written and also tires to convince his father to fight against the coming death. Thomas thinks a man who is dying in an old age should not die quietly, but fight with death until the last second. He begins the poem with second-person point of view and constantly reminds readers not to go gently into death and darkness, but rather to fight with them. To express the death and darkness, In the first stanza, Thomas uses a metaphor in which day represents life, night represents the afterlife and close of day represents the moment of death,† Do not go gentle into that good night,†¦, at close of day†(line 1-3). The first line of the poem is also a refrain. To makes reader notice this sentence, wri... ...getic, warm, intimate acts. â€Å"Fierce tears† images passion in nature. Thomas hopes that his father can fight with death. He also asks him not be indifferent or accept death mildly. Life is limited; therefore we need to fight to do the most and the best things without any doubting. Even when we face with death, we also need the passion to live, no matter what the result is. So the poet naturally prays his father to fight with death again in the last stanza, â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, Rage, against the dying of the light† (line 18-19). The cycle of life and death formed a constant underlying theme in this poem. Thomas once brings readers into the darkness and death meanwhile, makes readers understand the meaning of life and death. Even at the end of life, everyone should attempt to "burn" with life, to "rage against the dying of the light". Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, by Dylan Thomas Essay -- fight Dylan Thomas was born in the Britain in 1914. He was a Welsh poet and writer who wrote exclusively in English. According to Poets Organization,† His father was an English Literature professor at the local grammar school and would often recite Shakespeare to Thomas before he could read† (1). The home education developed his writing style which led him to have his first piece of work published in 1925. The poem,† Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† was written by Dylan Thomas in 1945 during the last illness of his father's life. Thomas addressed this poem to his father whose eyesight and general health were failing. He expresses a powerful message about the flight and passage of death in his poem. Meanwhile, he begs his father to fight against the darkness which is taking over and leading him into the afterlife. In this villanelle form poem, through the use of the metaphor language and images, especially the parallelism, writer gives examples of wise men, goo d men, wild men, and grave men to his father who was dying at the time this poem was written and also tires to convince his father to fight against the coming death. Thomas thinks a man who is dying in an old age should not die quietly, but fight with death until the last second. He begins the poem with second-person point of view and constantly reminds readers not to go gently into death and darkness, but rather to fight with them. To express the death and darkness, In the first stanza, Thomas uses a metaphor in which day represents life, night represents the afterlife and close of day represents the moment of death,† Do not go gentle into that good night,†¦, at close of day†(line 1-3). The first line of the poem is also a refrain. To makes reader notice this sentence, wri... ...getic, warm, intimate acts. â€Å"Fierce tears† images passion in nature. Thomas hopes that his father can fight with death. He also asks him not be indifferent or accept death mildly. Life is limited; therefore we need to fight to do the most and the best things without any doubting. Even when we face with death, we also need the passion to live, no matter what the result is. So the poet naturally prays his father to fight with death again in the last stanza, â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, Rage, against the dying of the light† (line 18-19). The cycle of life and death formed a constant underlying theme in this poem. Thomas once brings readers into the darkness and death meanwhile, makes readers understand the meaning of life and death. Even at the end of life, everyone should attempt to "burn" with life, to "rage against the dying of the light".

Different generations in Dubliners by James Joyce Essay

Dubliners: Choose one story from the collection and discuss how Joyce depicts relationships between people of different generations. In your answer you should: * Explain your own view of the treatment of the young by old people; * Look closely at the effects of Joyce’s narrative methods and language; * Comment on how the story relates to the concerns and methods of the novel as a whole. In Eveline Joyce portrays two generations, namely Eveline and her parents. Unlike the narrators in the previous stories, Eveline is an adult but the entrapment of the narrators remains constant with her. The main treatment of the young is of Eveline by her father. Her father, an alcoholic, abuses his daughter, â€Å"Even now, though she was nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence. She knew it was that that had given her palpitations.† He makes her work but takes away her wages to throw away on drink, saying that she would â€Å"squander† the money, having â€Å"no head†. He is ungrateful for the hard work she does and ridicules her. Like Dublin, her father is stifling and oppressive and while she is with him she can never be happy or prosper. Also her work colleagues treat her unfairly, another example of the mistreatment of the young by their elders. On wondering what they will think to her moving away, she says they would â€Å"say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Mrs Gavan would be glad.† She says â€Å"She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores. But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that.† Although she hates the lack of respect her colleagues have for her, her work is familiar, like her home life, and though it is dismal, it is assured. Eveline is in keeping with the stages-of-life structure of the novel whereby the narrator of each successive story is older than the last. Eveline is an adult, a young women of marrying age, but like the narrators of the first three stories preceding her own, she is controlled by the older generations. Eveline has more responsibilities than the previous narrators and her financial situation is worse but Joyce blurs the distinction between her adulthood and the children of the previous stories with her recollection of childhood memories. She recalls when â€Å"they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her father was not so bad then; and besides, her mother was alive.† The subject matter is more adolescent and the ideas of love and romance are introduced, having only previously being presented in the form of the boy’s unrequited crush in Araby. However, Eveline seems to distance herself from everyone around her and does not appear to feel very much love. Although she seems very attached to the familiarity of home, she â€Å"knows† her family rather than â€Å"loves† them – â€Å"In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life.† Equally, she does not appear to love Frank, but merely likes him – he was â€Å"very kind, manly, open hearted.† Although this story marks a shift to a third person narrative, Joyce uses the technique of streams of consciousness to convey the narrators’ thoughts. When Eveline has her epiphany, her sudden realisation of how terrible her life really is, this techinique is used: â€Å"Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live. Why should she be unhappy? She had a right to happiness. Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his arms. He would save her.† The ellipse follows this, taking the action to the dock where she is to leave. This acts to build tension as the reader is sure Eveline will leave. By saying that â€Å"She prayed to god, to direct her, to show her what was her duty† Joyce is commenting on religion as if God has instructed Eveline to make the wrong decision and stay in Dublin. Likewise, in the previous stories he has presented priests very negatively and has hinted at the repressive nature of the Irish church, religion being another of the omnipresent themes in Dubliners. The recurrent themes of entrapment and paralysis play an important part in Eveline with the title character being trapped in the stagnant Dublin by her abusive, domineering father. Joyce makes clear her desire for something more as â€Å"She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue† but duty bound she wastes her opportunity to escape. It is she that looks after the house and the children, her brothers – â€Å"It was hard work – a hard life – but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life.† This shows the extent of her feelings of duty and her entrapment as she will suffer with the familiar rather than escape to the uncertain. Although she is terrified of ending up like her mother, whose â€Å"life of common place sacrifice closed in final craziness†, she feels obliged to stay to face the same inevitable future of misery. There is also a strong element of fear, of her father and of her lover but predominantly of the unknown – life outside the safe misery of Dublin. The treatment of Eveline by her father, and to a lesser extent her work colleagues, is typical of the treatment of the young in Dubliners. In The Sisters, Araby, and An Encounter children are repressed and controlled by adults including parents, teachers and churchmen. Throughout the novel Joyce depicts trans-generational relationships in a negative light, with most of them being very unbalanced and unfair. In Eveline the father is controlling and ungrateful and uses his power to keep Eveline from escaping Dublin, in the hope of a happy future. The main theme of entrapment dominates this story with Eveline trapped by fear and duty in the stagnant Dublin, trapped in the claustrophobic confines of her home.

Status Of Women

What is gender? What is sex in biological terms? Are gender and sex the same thing? Explain why or why not? The state of being male or female, typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. Gender refers to the personal sexual identity of an individual regardlessnof the persons bological and outward sex. How people define masculinity and femininity can vary based on the ndividuals background and surrounding culture. Our biological sex is how we are defined as female and male or intersex.It describes our internal and external bodies including our sexual and reproductive anatomy, our genetic make-up and our hormones. The distinction between sex and gender differentiates sex, the biological make-up of an individuals reproductive anatomy or secondary sex characteristics, from gender, an individuals lifestyle or personal identity of ones own gender. Sex and gender are often used interchangeably. How do gender and sex contribute to the concept s and constructions of masculinity and femininity? Genedr and sex contribute to the concepts and construction of masculinity and femininity in many ways.Gender and sex concepts and construction of masculinity and femininity of being able to tell the difference between the two. They show them as being completely different like males being the protector and ladies being caring and emotional. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity? Yes, I do feel that our concepts of gender and sex contributr to the way we embrace gender and sex in diversity. I feel that we look at males in one light and females in another, we all at some point expect men to the ones that are tough and brave and look at women as being emotional.When it could be the other way around. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation? Explain. Yes, I feel that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of se xual orientation in mnay ways. We have a understanding of what each gender is and what they provide, causing us to make a desision on who we want to be with in life. Wether we are heterosexual: attracted to an individual of the opposite sex, bisexual: attracted to both sexes, or homosexual: attracted to members of the same sex.

Free Essays on Every Word Has A Meaning

Every word has a meaning Behind any word there is a meaning. However, meaning is not a â€Å"transparent† representation for a definition. Meaning varies from culture to culture and differs between individuals. It is constructed and is interpreted by many contrasting views. What one chooses as a definition of democracy can cause a discrepancy for another with a conflicting point of view. As for me a democracy is a government that is run by people. However, there is no government that can be perfect. The democracy in which we live has many strengthens and weaknesses. Neither strength or weakness out weight one another, but it is necessary to have both due to the varying definition. The politicians that we elect to run our government are human and they are susceptible to mistakes based on their own strength and weakness. We live in a representative democracy that means â€Å"we the people† are given the right to elect those who represent our believes and values. Like I said above that all human are having tendency to make mistakes. And our government is run by the people who also are making positive and sometimes negative decision. The negativity tends to stick in our minds more than the positive. It is a kind of relationship, that people tend to remember bad more than the good. Almost everyone is having different opinion about life and government. We think differently about one problem and we want to solve the same problem in different way. For example, today in America the big topic is about 87 billion dollars that president Bush and his administration are now asking to â€Å"finish the job†. Some people are agree and some are not. In my country we have proverb that says: †Every stick has two ends.† And I can apply this saying to the situation with 87 billions dollars. Some people are saying that they want to see the money spent on education, towards cleaning up environment and other needs. Second half are saying that Americ... Free Essays on Every Word Has A Meaning Free Essays on Every Word Has A Meaning Every word has a meaning Behind any word there is a meaning. However, meaning is not a â€Å"transparent† representation for a definition. Meaning varies from culture to culture and differs between individuals. It is constructed and is interpreted by many contrasting views. What one chooses as a definition of democracy can cause a discrepancy for another with a conflicting point of view. As for me a democracy is a government that is run by people. However, there is no government that can be perfect. The democracy in which we live has many strengthens and weaknesses. Neither strength or weakness out weight one another, but it is necessary to have both due to the varying definition. The politicians that we elect to run our government are human and they are susceptible to mistakes based on their own strength and weakness. We live in a representative democracy that means â€Å"we the people† are given the right to elect those who represent our believes and values. Like I said above that all human are having tendency to make mistakes. And our government is run by the people who also are making positive and sometimes negative decision. The negativity tends to stick in our minds more than the positive. It is a kind of relationship, that people tend to remember bad more than the good. Almost everyone is having different opinion about life and government. We think differently about one problem and we want to solve the same problem in different way. For example, today in America the big topic is about 87 billion dollars that president Bush and his administration are now asking to â€Å"finish the job†. Some people are agree and some are not. In my country we have proverb that says: †Every stick has two ends.† And I can apply this saying to the situation with 87 billions dollars. Some people are saying that they want to see the money spent on education, towards cleaning up environment and other needs. Second half are saying that Americ...

Vietnamese Culture essays

Vietnamese Culture essays Thesis Statement: The Vietnamese culture, a rich heritage on many different levels. Through exploring its religion, population, language, education, government, art and economics, an appreciation can be developed for the important contributions Vietnamese people make in American society. The early inhabitants of the area were Negritos. Some 4,000 years ago Austronesian (Indonesian) migrants from the north were moving into the area that is now North Vietnam. Later, Austro-Asiatic (Mon-Klimer and Maylayo-Polynesian) peoples arrived. Then, about 2500 years ago Viet (Yueh) and Tai peoples moved down from southern China. Out of this mixture of genes, languages, and cultures arose Van Lang, considered to have been the first Vietnamese Kingdom. In mid-third century B.C Van Lang was over run by and incorporated into another state to the north, forming the kingdom of Au Lac. Then Au Lac was incorporated into an even larger and more powerful state: Nam Viet. (Levison 284) Historically speaking, Vietnam (officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as of 1992) has struggled for independence for at least two thousand years, primarily from China. There have been brief periods when the country has itself played the role of conqueror, but for the most part Vietnam has been a subject of conquest by French and Japanese Imperialists during the 1800s and 1900s and most recently by the United State during the Vietnam War (1959-75). But it has been communist China who shares its northern border with Vietnam that has had the greatest impact on Vietnam, an influence that is more than obvious in terms of philosophy, art, dress, politics, and most of all religion. As in China, the most widely practiced religion is Buddhism of the Mahyana (Mahyana means greater vehicle). Although its popularity is not as great as the form of Buddhism that is practiced in those parts of Burma, about two thirds of all Vietnamese are practicing Budd...

Biography of Simon Bolivar, Liberator of South America

Biography of Simon Bolivar, 'Liberator of South America' Simon Bolivar (July 24, 1783–December 17, 1830) was the greatest leader of Latin Americas independence movement from Spain. A superb general and a charismatic politician, he not only drove the Spanish from northern South America but also was instrumental in the early formative years of the republics that sprang up once the Spanish had gone. His later years are marked by the collapse of his grand dream of a united South America. He is remembered as The Liberator, the man who liberated his home from Spanish rule. Fast Facts: Simon Bolivar Known For: Liberating South America from Spanish rule during the Independence movementAlso Known As: Simà ³n Josà © Antonio de la Santà ­sima Trinidad Bolà ­var y Palacios, The LiberatorBorn: July 24, 1783 in Caracas, VenezuelaParents: Marà ­a de la Concepcià ³n Palacios y Blanco, Colonel  Don Juan Vicente Bolà ­var y PonteDied: December 17, 1830 in Santa Marta,  Gran Colombia  Education: Private tutoring; the military academy of the Milicias de Aragua in Venezuela; military academy in MadridAwards and Honors:  The nation of Bolivia is named for Bolivar, as are numerous cities, streets, and buildings. His birthday is a  public holiday in Venezuela  and Bolivia.Spouse:  Marà ­a Teresa Rodrà ­guez del Toro y AlaizaNotable Quote:  Fellow citizens! I blush to say this: Independence is the only benefit we have acquired, to the detriment of all the rest. Early Life Bolivar was born in Caracas (present-day Venezuela) in 1783 to an extremely wealthy creole family (Latin Americans descended almost entirely from European Spaniards). At that time, a handful of families owned most of the land in Venezuela, and the Bolivar family was among the wealthiest in the colony. Both of his parents died while Simon was still young: he had no memory of his father, Juan Vicente, and his mother Concepcion Palacios died when he was 9 years old. Orphaned, Simon went to live with his grandfather and was raised by his uncles and his nurse Hipà ³lita, for whom he had great affection. Young Simon was an arrogant, hyperactive lad who often had disagreements with his tutors. He was schooled at the finest schools that Caracas had to offer. From 1804 to 1807 he went to Europe, where he toured around in the manner of a wealthy New World Creole. Personal Life Bolà ­var was a natural leader and a man of great energy. He was very competitive, often challenging his officers to contests of swimming or horsemanship (and usually winning). He could stay up all night playing cards or drinking and  singing  with his men, who were fanatically loyal to him. Bolivar married once early in life, but his wife died shortly thereafter. From that point forward, he was a notorious womanizer who had dozens, if not hundreds, of lovers over the years. He cared greatly for appearances and loved nothing more than making grand entrances into cities he had liberated and could spend hours grooming himself; in fact, some claim he could use a whole bottle of cologne in one day. Venezuela: Ripe for Independence When Bolà ­var returned to Venezuela in 1807, he found a population divided between loyalty to Spain and a desire for independence. Venezuelan general Francisco de Miranda had attempted to kick-start independence in 1806 with an aborted invasion of Venezuelas northern coast. When Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808 and imprisoned King Ferdinand VII, many Venezuelans felt that they no longer owed allegiance to Spain, giving the independence movement  undeniable momentum. The First Venezuelan Republic On April 19, 1810, the people of Caracas declared provisional independence from Spain: they were still nominally loyal to King Ferdinand, but would rule Venezuela by themselves until such a time as Spain was back on its feet and Ferdinand restored. Young Simà ³n Bolà ­var was an important voice during this time, advocating for full independence. Along with a small delegation, Bolà ­var was dispatched to England to seek the support of the British government. There he met Miranda and invited him back to Venezuela to participate in the government of the young republic. When Bolivar returned, he found civil strife between patriots and royalists. On July 5, 1811, the First Venezuelan Republic voted for full independence, dropping the farce that they were still loyal to Ferdinand VII. On March 26, 1812, a tremendous earthquake rocked Venezuela. It hit mostly rebellious cities, and Spanish priests were able to convince a superstitious population that the earthquake was divine retribution. Royalist Captain Domingo Monteverde rallied the Spanish and royalist forces and captured important ports and the city of Valencia. Miranda sued for peace. Disgusted, Bolà ­var arrested Miranda and turned him over to the Spanish, but the First Republic had fallen and the Spanish regained control of Venezuela. The Admirable Campaign Bolivar was defeated and went into exile. In late 1812, he went to New Granada (now Colombia) to look for a commission as an officer in the growing Independence movement there. He was given 200 men and control of a remote outpost. He aggressively attacked all Spanish forces in the area, and his prestige and army grew. By the beginning of 1813, he was ready to lead a sizeable army into Venezuela. The royalists in Venezuela could not beat him head-on but rather tried to surround him with a number of smaller armies. Bolà ­var did what everyone least expected and made a mad dash for Caracas. The gamble paid off, and on August 7, 1813, Bolivar rode victoriously into Caracas at the head of his army. This dazzling march became known as the Admirable Campaign. The Second Venezuelan Republic Bolà ­var quickly established the Second Venezuelan Republic. The grateful people named him Liberator and made him dictator of the new nation.  Although Bolivar  had outfoxed the Spanish, he had not beaten their armies. He did not have time to govern, as he was constantly battling royalist forces. At the beginning of 1814, the infernal Legion, an army of savage Plainsmen led by a cruel but charismatic Spaniard named Tomas Boves, began assaulting the young republic. Defeated by Boves at the second Battle of La Puerta in June of 1814, Bolà ­var was forced to abandon first Valencia and then Caracas, thus ending the Second Republic. Bolà ­var went into exile once again. 1814 to 1819 The years of 1814 to 1819 were tough ones for Bolà ­var and South America. In 1815, he penned his famous Letter from Jamaica, which outlined the struggles of Independence to date. Widely disseminated, the letter reinforced his position as the most important leader of the Independence movement. When he returned to the mainland, he found Venezuela in the grip of chaos. Pro-independence leaders and royalist forces fought up and down the land, devastating the countryside. This period was marked by much strife among the different generals fighting for independence. It wasnt until Bolivar made an example of General  Manuel Piar  by executing him in October of 1817 that he was able to bring other Patriot warlords such as Santiago Marià ±o and Josà © Antonio Pez into line. 1819: Bolivar Crosses the Andes In early 1819, Venezuela was devastated, its cities in ruins, as royalists and patriots fought vicious battles wherever they met. Bolà ­var found himself pinned against the Andes in western Venezuela. He then realized that he was less than 300 miles away from the Viceregal capital of Bogota, which was practically undefended. If he could capture it, he could destroy the Spanish base of power in northern South America. The only problem: between him and Bogota were not only flooded plains, fetid swamps and raging rivers but the mighty, snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains. In May of 1819, he began the crossing with some 2,400 men. They  crossed the Andes  at the frigid Pramo de Pisba pass and on July 6, 1819, they finally reached the New Granadan village of Socha. His army was in tatters: some estimate that 2,000 may have perished en route. The Battle of Boyaca Despite his losses, in the summer of 1819 Bolivar had his army where he needed it. He also had the element of surprise. His enemies assumed he would never be so insane as to cross the Andes where he did. He quickly recruited new soldiers from a population eager for liberty and set out for Bogota. There was only one army between him and his objective, and on August 7, 1819, Bolivar surprised Spanish General Josà © Marà ­a Barreiro  on the banks of the Boyaca River. The battle was a triumph for Bolivar, shocking in its results: Bolà ­var lost 13 killed and some 50 were wounded, whereas 200 royalists were killed and some 1,600 were captured. On August 10, Bolivar marched into Bogota unopposed. Mopping up in Venezuela and New Granada With the defeat of Barreiros army, Bolà ­var held New Granada. With captured funds and weapons and recruits flocking to his banner, it was only a matter of time before the remaining Spanish forces in New Granada and Venezuela were run down and defeated. On June 24, 1821, Bolà ­var crushed the last major royalist force in Venezuela at the decisive Battle of Carabobo. Bolà ­var brashly declared the birth of a New Republic: Gran Colombia, which would include the lands of Venezuela, New  Granada,  and Ecuador. He was named president and  Francisco de Paula Santander  was named vice president. Northern South America was liberated, so Bolivar turned his gaze to the south. The Liberation of Ecuador Bolà ­var was bogged down by political duties, so he sent an army south under the command of his best general, Antonio Josà © de Sucre. Sucres army moved into present-day Ecuador, liberating towns and cities as it went. On May 24, 1822, Sucre squared off against the largest royalist force in Ecuador. They fought on the muddy slopes of Pichincha Volcano, within sight of Quito.  The Battle of Pichincha  was a great victory for Sucre and the Patriots, who forever drove the Spanish from Ecuador. The Liberation of Peru and the Creation of Bolivia Bolà ­var left Santander in charge of Gran Colombia and headed south to meet up with Sucre. On July 26-27, Bolivar met with  Josà © de San Martà ­n, liberator of Argentina, in Guayaquil. It was decided there that Bolà ­var would lead the charge into Peru, the last royalist stronghold on the continent. On August 6, 1824, Bolivar and Sucre defeated the Spanish at  the Battle of Junin. On December 9, Sucre dealt the royalists another harsh blow at the Battle of Ayacucho, basically destroying the last royalist army in Peru. The next year, also on August 6, the Congress of Upper Peru created the nation of Bolivia, naming it after Bolivar and confirming him as president. Bolà ­var had driven the Spanish out of northern and western South America and now ruled over the present-day nations of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. It was his dream to unite them all, creating one unified nation. It was not to be. Dissolution of Gran Colombia Santander had angered Bolivar by refusing to send troops and supplies during the liberation of Ecuador and Peru, and Bolivar dismissed him when he returned to Gran Colombia. By then, however, the republic was beginning to fall apart. Regional leaders had been consolidating their power in Bolivars absence. In Venezuela, Josà © Antonio Pez, a hero of Independence, constantly threatened secession. In Colombia, Santander still had his followers who felt that he was the best man to lead the nation. In Ecuador, Juan Josà © Flores was trying to pry the nation away from Gran Colombia. Bolà ­var was forced to seize power and accept dictatorship to control the unwieldy republic. The nations were divided among his supporters and his detractors: in the streets, people burned him in effigy as a tyrant. A civil war was a constant threat. His enemies tried to assassinate him on September 25, 1828, and nearly managed to do so: only the intervention of his lover,  Manuela Saenz, saved him. Death of Simon Bolivar As the Republic of Gran Colombia fell around him, his health deteriorated as his tuberculosis worsened. In April of 1830, Bolà ­var was disillusioned, ill, and bitter, and he resigned the presidency and set off to go into exile in Europe. Even as he left, his successors fought over the pieces of his empire and his allies fought to get him reinstated. As he and his entourage slowly made their way to the coast, he still dreamed of unifying South America into one great nation. It was not to be: he finally succumbed to tuberculosis on December 17, 1830. The Legacy of Simon Bolivar It is impossible to overstate Bolà ­vars importance in northern and western South America. Although the eventual independence of Spains New World colonies was inevitable, it took a man with Bolà ­vars skills to make it happen. Bolà ­var was probably the best general South America has ever produced, as well as the most influential politician. The combination of these skills on one man is extraordinary, and Bolà ­var is rightly considered by many as the most important figure in Latin American history. His name made the famous 1978 list of the 100 most famous people in history, compiled by Michael H. Hart. Other names on the list include Jesus Christ, Confucius, and  Alexander the Great. Some nations had their own liberators, such as Bernardo OHiggins in Chile or  Miguel Hidalgo  in Mexico. These men may be little known outside of the nations they helped free, but Simà ³n Bolà ­var is known all over Latin America with the sort of reverence that citizens of the United States associated with  George Washington. If anything, Bolà ­vars status now is greater than ever. His dreams and words have proved prescient time and again. He knew that the future of Latin America lay in freedom and he knew how to attain it. He predicted that if Gran Colombia fell apart and that if smaller, weaker republics were allowed to form from the ashes of the Spanish colonial system, the region would always be at an international disadvantage. This has certainly proven to be the case, and many a Latin American over the years has wondered how things would be different today if Bolà ­var had managed to unite all of northern and western South America into one large, powerful nation instead of the bickering republics that we have now. Bolà ­var still serves as a source of inspiration for many. Former Venezuelan dictator  Hugo Chavez  initiated what he called a Bolivarian Revolution in his country in 1999, comparing himself to the legendary general as he tried to veer Venezuela into socialism. Countless books and movies have been made about him: one outstanding example is Gabriel Garcà ­a Marquezs The General in His Labyrinth, which chronicles Bolà ­vars final journey. Sources Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence  Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John.  The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826  New York: W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Lynch, John.  Simon Bolivar: A Life. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006.Scheina, Robert L.  Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899  Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003.

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Strategy - Essay Example This scenario’s characteristics will be open regulation of European and American airline industry and increasing customer price sensitivity. The final scenario is one of new horizons, in which European and American carriers will still be struggling from the financial crisis, cutting business travel and seeing an increase in low cost airlines (Grieve, 2012: p16). This will be characterized by protectionist regulation of the airline industry in Europe and America and increasing customer price sensitivity. c) The first scenario will require restructuring and improving efficiency to control disadvantages of cost (Grieve, 2012: p17). The second scenario will require airlines to increase the levels of quality and service through innovation on the ground and in the air to stay competitive against low cost carriers from Asia. Another strategy would be a hybrid of the two, in which investment is made in cost saving and core preferences of the customer, while also improving various support processes. Finally, European airlines should lobby European and national bodies to reassess disadvantages and advantages of liberalization of the airline industry in Europe. a) One resource that Square Inc possesses is knowledge and information, for example customer information systems like their CRM database, as well as knowledge and understanding of customers and retailers (Grieve, 2012: p22). Another resource they possess is capital in form of equipment and funds, which are relevant since their absence would create constraints for the company. With regards to Capabilities, Square Inc has a pricing management capability, which gives them the ability to extract from their customers an optimal profit and revenue using price discrimination tactics through a yield management system capability. Another capability they possess is customer relations management that enhances their ability to

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Journal 1 and 2 - Essay Example In my mind, the concept of human security was shaped by the ideas and concepts from presidents and the media. It is not only about military power and being protected from other nations, as we should not trust the authorities. After reading the first section, I began to view the concept of human security in a different way. Indeed, most security issues nowadays come from domestic groups rather than outsiders. In fact, it is groups of people who are being ignored by the government or not taken seriously that are causing chaos and conflict in the state. For example, the main cause of the Arab Spring revolution was because the people wanted a change to their system and regime. They wanted a change that would provide them with all their basic needs, such as safety and respect. When this change did not happen, or was not accepted by their leaders, people started to rebel against their leaders and this created conflict in the country. In addition, as I included in my QIP reflection of secti on 1 of the book, the author indicated that to achieve human security patriarchy should be replaced with gender equality. For example, this means allowing women to get involved in making security decisions. Also, the institutions of war must be destroyed (Reardon and Ash Hans 111). ... However, the discrimination against women is not about men and women but it is about the roots of each person's origin. In other words, people who don't have Arab roots might be involved but not as deeply as the local people, where they get the chance to be ambassadors and take higher positions in the political field. In fact, the reason why people who have Iranian roots are not involved in the political system is because of distrust and suspicion that those people may cause conflict in the state. This discrimination increased a lot after the involvement of Iran in the revolution in Bahrain between the Sunnis and Shias. This also caused tension between the Sunnis and Shias in the most of the Gulf countries as well. Not involving women in the political sphere is not only about the idea that men are more powerful than women, it is also about other concepts, such as religion and trust. Moreover, women can find jobs in any other field easier than they do trying to get a job in politics. The teaching notes, A Gendered Analysis of Women, Power, War and Peace, written by Professor Barbara Wien, presented five feminist schools of thoughts: eco-feminism, liberal feminism, post-modernism, radical feminism, and difference feminism. I always heard about feminist schools of thought but I did not know what each one was called and what each stood for. The teaching notes helped me to understand the different feminism schools clearly, and I was impressed by many of the concepts that the schools stand for. For example, when it comes to the liberal feminist school of thought, it supports the fact that women are neither peaceful nor softer than men, but it also says

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Working Conditions - Essay Example As we all very well know, nuclear blasts are the worst and it is up to nuclear engineers to ensure that the radioactive substances operate at optimal temperature. Furthermore, a nuclear engineer is often expected to risk his life and health every time he or she enters the reactor chamber (Mulembo, 2007). Employees of this nuclear plant are adequately informed regarding the risks involved in working in such stations. Protective gears are often provided the management that provides protection from the emitted radiation emanating from the decaying radioactive substance (Rajput, 2006). Furthermore, education regarding the dangers of exposure to radiation is well known to the employees and hence makes sure that they minimally expose them to the radiations (Rajput, 2006). Furthermore, the government has regulations regarding the working conditions and the amount of radiation expected at the working place as it protects the employees’ rights of a favourable working environment (Rajput, 2006). There are also other environmental and work policies regarding the amount of radiation that can be exposed to a given individual. I do not feel the risk is acceptable as radiation ultimately results in cell damage that eventually leads to cancer development. Hence such a risk is a ticking time bomb for the workers and is unacceptable (Rajput, 2006). The risk involved in this job far much more out ways benefits since radiation exposure usually result in changes a cellular

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The car that saved JLR - Coursework Example The culture of an organization is an eminent part of countless decisions made in business. The ideas, assumptions, ethics, values, attitude, and belief of an enterprise govern ways in which employees think and behave. Culture is considered as a base of organizational strength that directs the resources and holds them together. Culture is often defined as a concoction of inheritance, customs, values, lifestyle, and tradition shared within a social group (Hanges, et al., 2004). Although the definition of organizational culture is unclear, yet it is very important for every organization. The organization culture differs from one organization to another. At many situations, the terms ‘organization culture’ and ‘corporate culture’ are used interchangeably. Corporate culture is the reflection of an organization’s personality. It takes into account shared values, methods, and policies that are implemented by an organization and its employees in order to meet everyday business problems (Milne, 2007). The corporate culture of an organization is reflected in its employee’s attitude and behavior. The culture of any enterprise adds meaning, clarity, and dimensions to its various functions, thereby helping to achieve organizational goals. The organization culture allows employees to be on the same platform and defines the way they interact among themselves (Seel, 2000).According to Fincham and Rhodes (2005), main attributes of culture is that it is symbolic, unifying and holistic in nature.

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Lead Paint and Crime - Research Paper Example Statistics indicate that approximately 38 million houses In the US were painted before the 1978 ban on lead paints (Seymour, 2010). This paper is a critical evaluation of Lead poisoning and its contribution towards antisocial behavior. Lead Poisoning Painting is a technical process, which ensures that an end product such as a house, vehicle, furniture, toys among others, get an appealing look, which is important while dealing with the dynamic nature of tastes and preferences in different individuals. However, not many people take time to question the integrity of the paints being used to satisfy their requirements either due to ignorance or due to sheer lack of interest. However, it is also common to find that in urban areas, where majority of people live in rental houses, it is difficult to establish the type of paint that has been used on the walls or other painted surfaces. Such people are susceptible to Lead poisoning especially if they are living in houses painted using Lead bas ed paints. Small children living in such surroundings are the worst affected especially if the paint has already started peeling off to the ground. This is due to the fact that they are identifiable with the habit of collecting and feeding on anything that comes their way especially while they are crawling on the floor (Seymour, 2010). The paint particles disintegrate into smaller particles after which they mix with the dust on the floor such that it becomes easy for the whole household to inhale them without noticing. In addition, the peelings from the roof and the walls can find their way onto the food and water that is not well covered after which unsuspecting persons can ingest them thereby putting them at risk. It is therefore not a wonder to find that CDC estimates indicate that more than 250000 children in the US suffered from Lead poisoning between 1997 and 2009. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), Lead concentration in the blood is considered dan gerous if it exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Lead is tasteless and it does not contain any peculiar smell and therefore, it is not easy for a layman to identify it. In addition, people who have ingested it do not show immediate signs and symptoms, which can trigger the urgency to seek medical attention. Instead, it continues to accumulate in the blood system and the bones thereby causing a slow progressive damage to vital organs in the body of the victim until such time when the body begins to react negatively to the poisoning. During this time, the affected person begins to portray symptoms such as; memory loss, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, and muscle pains (Fancher, 2010). The affected person may also experience constant headaches, depression, and loss of appetite among others, which are common in adults. Young children exhibit some of the above mentioned symptoms and others such as vomiting, abdominal pains, mental disabilities and retarded growth whereby t he child takes long to master basic techniques such as talking. In general, Lead poisoning is highly damaging to some of the most important organs in a human body such as; the brain, kidney, the nervous system as well as the blood. Blood is highly important as it facilitates the transportation of oxygen to the brain and extreme organs such as the limbs (Fancher, 2010). Lead in the blood

Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation Assignment

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How to make it illegal for employers not to offer bike racks and showers - Essay Example This research will begin with the presentation of the current state of workplace cycling campaign. The major benefit to employers is that healthy employees take fewer sick leaves and are more productive at the workplace. The health of employees is improved because cycling is a form of physical exercise which lowers blood pressure of people, improves weight control and improves the condition of the heart and lungs. Cycling employees are also very alert and they experience lower stress levels. Employees also arrive at work on or in time because cyclists are freed from traffic jams. Staff cycling also lowers direct costs of employers. Employees also travel cheaply using shared bicycles at the workplace; hence savings are made on bus fares, taxi costs and care to hire expenses. The organization also benefits from cheaper parking costs, this is because the cost of parking one car can adequately meet parking costs for more than 10 bicycles. Encouraging cycling also reduces company car expe nses because giving a bicycle and incentives make employees forego company car. Cycling also builds a greener corporate image; this is because companies encouraging staff cycling reduce effects of road congestion and associated air pollution. Employees also benefit from cycling in various ways. Staff cycling lowers the cost of employee travel; this is because the buying price of a bicycle is much less than the buying price of a car, cycling saves car parking fees, and employees incur fewer petrol bills and bus passes.

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Scotland Child Committee Purpose Social Work Essay The North East of Scotland Child Protection Committee (NESCPC) has produced this Risk Assessment Framework in response to an identified need for a Pan Grampian approach. This framework is for use by all agencies located within Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray with the aim of ensuring that there is a consistency of understanding and approach to risk assessment across all sectors. The framework is written with the additional understanding that all practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that they are familiar with and follow their own organisations child protection procedures. These should all link to the overarching NESCPC Guidelines and give advice on who to contact, how to take immediate action and how concerns should be recorded. Background Several models of Risk Assessment exist but are not used in a systematic way because they are not thought to be comprehensive enough to be used in all situations (Scottish Government: Effective Approach to Risk Assessment in Social Work: an international literature review (2007). To enable greater consistency and conformity across Scotland, the Scottish Executive (2005) proposed a programme of change: Getting it Right For Every Child, incorporating the development work undertaken on an Integrated Assessment Planning and Recording Framework (IAF). This is based on requirements to gain a thorough understanding of: the developmental needs of a child the capacity of a parent/carer to respond appropriately to those needs the impact of the wider family and wider environmental factors on parenting capacity and on the childs needs This Framework emphasises the need to treat assessment as a process rather than an event. In evaluating the assessment and planning a response, practitioners are expected to consider the totality of the childs development and any unmet needs rather than focusing too narrowly on a need for protection. This approach should make sure that: Children get the help they need when they need it; Help is appropriate, proportionate and timely; Agencies work together to ensure a co-ordinated and unified response to meeting the childs needs; The plan is used to put in place arrangements to manage risk and to co-ordinate help for the child or young person; The plan is based on assessment and analysis of the childs world, including the risks, needs and resilience factors. What is Risk Assessment? Risk Assessment is a frequently used term without practitioners always being clear about what is meant. Risk assessment is merely the description of good methodical practice to risky situations (Jones, 1998). Risk Assessment is a critical element of the integrated assessment process pulling together, as it does the identified strengths within a family as well as those areas of concern or risk that need to be addressed. It is a complex, continuous and dynamic process, which involves the gathering and weighting of relevant information to help make decisions about the family strengths, needs and associated risks and plan for necessary interventions. Good systematic assessment confirms what may have happened, how this may affect the immediate and future safety of the child or young person, places this in context and informs what needs to be done. Risk assessments can also be used to predict the escalation of the presenting behaviour as well as the individuals motivation for change. Assessing risk is not an exact science; prediction involves probability and thus some errors are inevitable. Basic Principles when assessing risk. The welfare of the child is paramount. Risk assessment should be based on sound evidence and analysis Risk assessment tools should inform rather than replace professional judgement All professionals involved in risk assessment should have a common language of risk and common understanding of information sharing to inform assessment Risk assessment is influenced by professionals own personal and professional values, experiences, skills and knowledge The judgement and experience of practitioners needs to be transparent in assessment No tool, procedure or framework can adequately account for and predict human behaviour Effective communication and information sharing is crucial to protecting children Children, young people and family views should be sought, listened to and recorded with clear evidence of their involvement in decision making where possible. A good risk assessment process should elicit and highlight both commonalities and differences in professional and family perspectives Good risk assessment requires the best possible working relationship between worker and family members All staff must always be alert and aware to situations where children may be at risk and address any potential concerns through their own agencys child protection policy / NESCPC child protection guidance. Risk Assessment Framework This framework is adapted from the work undertaken by Jane Aldgate and Wendy Ross (A Systematic Practice Model for Assessing and Managing Risk, 2007) and is structured in 9 different stages: Using the SHANNARI well-being indicators (Safe, Well, Active, Nurtured, Achieving, Respected, Responsible and Included). 2. Getting the child and familys perspectives on risk. Drawing on evidence from research and development literature about the level of risk and its likely impact on any individual child. 4. Assessing the likely recurrence of harm. 5. Looking at immediate and long-term risks in the context of My World triangle. Using the Resilience Matrix to analyse the risks, strengths, protective factors and vulnerabilities. 7. Weighing the balance of that evidence and making decisions. 8. Constructing a plan and taking appropriate action. 9. Management of Risk 1. Using the SHANARRI well-being indicators: The Scottish Executive (2004) agreed a vision for Scotlands Children. They should be: Safe Healthy Active Nurtured Achieving Respected Responsible Included Using these SHANARRI indicators, professionals consider the childs holistic needs. In any assessment professionals should ask themselves the following key questions: What is getting in the way of this child being safe, healthy, active, nurtured, achieving, respected, responsible and included? Why do I think that this child is not safe? What have I observed, heard, or identified from the childs history that causes concern? Are there factors that indicate risk of significant harm present and is the severity of factors enough to warrant immediate action? What can I do? What can my agency do? Do I need to share / gather information to construct a plan to protect this child? What additional help may I find from other agencies? 2. Getting the child and familys perspectives on the risk. The involvement and partnership with children, young people and their families is integral and essential to successful risk assessment and management. Information is incomplete and a good understanding of the risks of harm and needs of the children cannot be reached without families perspectives on the risks to their childrens difficulties. An open and transparent approach that actively involves all involved, including the children and families is of clear benefit in that: Children, young people and families can understand why sharing information with professionals is necessary; Children and families can help practitioners distinguish what information is significant; Everyone who needs to can take part in making decisions about how to help a child; Everyone contributes to finding out whether a plan has made a positive difference to a child or family; Professionals behave ethically towards families; Even in cases where compulsory action is necessary, research has shown better outcomes for children by working collaboratively with parents. 3. Drawing on evidence from research and developmental literature about the level of risk and its likely impact on any individual child. Risks need to be seen in the wider context of short and long term risks to childrens wellbeing and development. Core factors can be identified in relation to abuse or neglect but these should not be used as predictors for current and future abuse without being considered in the context of the childs own nature and environment. In all cases of child abuse, parenting capacity should also be considered and this involves taking account of historical information as well as assessing the here and now. Protective factors need to be weighed up against risk factors and vulnerability to determine the level of risk to the individual child or young person and the likelihood of future harm. The factors should be used as a knowledge base to underpin more detailed assessments of strengths and pressures based on the My World triangle. (See Section 5). Factors to be considered: (This list is not complete but is a general guide). Adapted from City of Edinburgh Risk Taking Policy and Guidance (2004). Consideration of significant harm (link to Safety Threshold considerations, Section 3 NESCPC guidelines for further explanation); Current injury/harm is severe: the more severe an injury, the greater the impairment for the child/young person and the greater the likelihood of reoccurrence; Pattern of harm is escalating: if harm has been increasing in severity and frequency over time, it is more likely that without effective intervention the child/young person will be significantly harm; Pattern of harm is continuing: the more often harm has occurred in the past the more likely it is to occur in the future; The parent or care-giver has made a threat to cause serious harm to the child/young person: such threats may cause significant emotional harm and may reflect parental inability to cope with stress, the greater the stress for a person with caring responsibilities, the greater the likelihood of future physical and emotional harm to the child/young person; Sexual abuse is alleged and the perpetrator continues to have access to the child/young person: if the alleged perpetrator has unlimited access to the child/young person, there is an increased likelihood of further harm; Chronic neglect is identified: serious harm may occur through neglect, such as inadequate supervision, failure to attend to medical needs and failure to nurture; Previous history of abuse or neglect: if a person with parental responsibility has previously harmed a child or young person, there is a greater likelihood of re-occurrence; The use of past history in assessing current functioning is critical. Factors relating to the child or young person Physical harm to a child under 12 months: very young children are more vulnerable due to their age and dependency. Any physical harm to a child under 12 months should be considered serious and the risk assessment should not focus solely on the action and any resultant harm, but rather that the parent has used physical action against a very young child. This could be as a result of parenting skill deficits or high stress levels. Child is unprotected: the risk assessment must consider parental willingness and ability to protect the young child. Children aged 0-5 years are unable to protect themselves, as are children with certain learning disabilities and physical impairments. Children, who are premature, have low birth weight, learning disability, physical or sensory disability and display behavioural problems are more liable to abuse and neglect. The child/young person presents as fearful of the parent or care-giver or other member of the household: a child/young person presenting as fearful, withdrawn or distressed can indicate harm or likely harm. The child/young person is engaging in self-harm, substance misuse, dangerous sexual behaviour or other at risk behaviours: such behaviour can be indicators of past or current abuse or harm. Factors relating to the parent or care-giver The parent or care-giver has caused significant harm to any child/young person in the past through physical or sexual abuse: once a person has been a perpetrator of an incident of maltreatment there is an increased likelihood that this behaviour will re-occur. The parent or care-givers explanation of the current harm/injury is inconsistent or the harm is minimised: this may indicate denial or minimisation. Where a parent or care-giver fails to accept their contribution to the problem, there is a higher likelihood of future significant harm. The parent or care-givers behaviour is violent or out of control: people who resort to violence in any context are more likely to use violent means with a child or young person. The parent or care-giver is unable or unwilling to protect the child/young person: ability to protect the child/young person may be significantly impaired due to mental illness, physical or learning disability, domestic violence, attachment to, or dependence on (psychological or financial) the perpetrator. The parent or care-giver is experiencing a high degree of stress: the greater the stress for a parent or care-giver, the greater the likelihood of future harm to the child or young person. Stress factors include poverty and other financial issues, physical or emotional isolation, health issues, disability, the behaviour of the child/young person, death of a child or other family member, divorce/separation, and large numbers of children. The parent or care-giver has unrealistic expectations of the child/young person and acts in a negative way towards the child/young person: this can be linked to a lack of knowledge of child development and poor parenting skills. Parents or care-givers who do not understand normal developmental milestones may make demands which do not match the child/young persons cognitive, developmental or physical ability. The parent or care-giver has poor care-giving relationship with the child/young person: a care-giver who is insensitive to the child or young person may demonstrate little interest in the child/young persons wellbeing and may not meet their emotional needs. Indicators of poor care-giving include repeated requests for substitute placement for the child/young person. The parent or care-giver has a substance misuse problem. Parental substance misuse can lead to poor supervision, chronic neglect and inability to meet basic needs through lack of money, harmful responses to the child/young person through altered consciousness, risk of harm from others through inability to protect the child/young person. The parent or care-giver refuses access to the child/young person: in these circumstances it is possible that the parent or care-giver wishes to avoid further appraisal of the well-being of the child. Highly mobile families decrease the opportunity for effective intervention, which may increase the likelihood of further harm to the child/young person. The parent or care-giver is young: a parent or care-giver under 21 years may be more likely to harm the child through immaturity, lack of parenting knowledge, poor judgement and inability to tolerate stress. The parents or care-givers themselves experienced childhood neglect or abuse: however caution has to be exercised here; parenting skills are frequently learned/modelled but later positive experiences can counteract an individuals own childhood experiences. Factors relating to the Environment The physical and social environment is chaotic, hazardous and unsafe: a chaotic, unhygienic and non-safe environment can pose a risk to the child/young person through exposure to bacteria/disease or through exposure to hazards such as drug paraphernalia, unsecured chemicals, medication or alcohol. Conversely, an environment with overly sanitised conditions, where the childs needs are not recognised or prioritised is also harmful. 4. Assessing the likely recurrence of harm. When assessing how safe a child is consideration must be given to likelihood of recurrence of any previous harm. Factors for consideration: The severity of the harm (How serious was it? How long did it continue? How often?) In what form was the abuse / harm? Did the abuse have any accompanying neglect or psychological maltreatment? Sadistic acts? Was there any denial? This could include absence of acknowledgement, lack of co-operation, inability to form a partnership and absence of outreach. Are there issues with parental mental health? This could include personality disorder, learning disabilities associated with mental illness, psychosis, and substance/alcohol misuse. These also link to consideration of additional family stress factors, the degree of social support available to the family, the age of the children and number of children and the parents own history of abuse. Other agencies may be able to add additional knowledge and expertise to inform an effective risk assessment. Looking at immediate and long-term risks in the context of the My World triangle. The Assessment Triangle Being healthy Everyday care and help Learning and achieving Keeping me safe Being able to communicate Being there for me Confidence in who I am Play, encouragement and fun Learning to be responsible Guidance, supporting me to make the right choices Becoming independent, looking after myself Knowing what is going to happen and when Enjoying family and Friends Understanding my familys background and beliefs Support from School Work opportunities family, friends and for my family other people Enough money Local resources Belonging Comfortable and safe housing An important principle underpinning the evidence-based planning in Getting it Right for Every Child is that there are many positive and negative influences in the world each child experiences. Each child is unique and will react differently to these influences but all children will react to what is going on in different parts of the family and the wider world in which they are growing up. This is why recent thinking in child development urges that we take a look at all the different influences in a childs whole world when assessing childrens development. This is called a childs ecology and is encapsulated in the My World triangle. Each domain of the My World triangle provides a source of evidence that enable a full developmental holistic assessment of any individual child. The domains can be used to identify strengths and pressures, which balance risk and protective factors. 6. Using the Resilience Matrix to analyse the risks, strengths, protective factors and vulnerabilities. The Resilience Vulnerablity Matrix As defined by Daniel and Wassell, (2002). RESILIENCE Normal development under difficult conditions eg.secure attachment, outgoing temperament, sociability, problem solving skills. High Support / Low Concern PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENT Factors in the childs environment acting as buffer to the negative effects of adverse experience. ADVERSITY Life events / circumstances posing a threat to healthy development eg. loss, abuse, neglect. Low Support / High Concern VULNERABILITY Those characteristics of the child, their family circle and wider community which might threaten or challenge healthy development eg. disability, racism, lack of or poor attachment. Low Support / High Concern Families assessed to be in this category are the most worrying. Low Concern / High Support. Families in this group have a network of support and are generally more able to cope with advice and guidance from standard services. Resilience includes the protective factors that are features of the child or their world that might counteract identified risks or a predisposition to risk such as: Emotional maturity and social awareness. Evidenced personal safety skills (including knowledge of sources of help). Strong self esteem. Evidence of strong attachment. Evidence of protective adults. Evidence of support networks (supportive peers / relationships). Demonstrable capacity for change by caregivers and the sustained acceptance of the need to change to protect their child. Evidence of openness and willingness to co-operate and accept professional intervention. Protective factors do not in themselves negate high risks, so these need to be cross-referred with individually identified high risks and vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities are any known characteristic or factors in respect of the child that might predispose them to risk of harm. Examples of these include: Age. Prematurity. Learning difficulties or additional support needs. Physical disability. Communication difficulties / impairment. Isolation. Frequent episodes in public or substitute care. Frequent episodes of running away. Conduct disorder. Mental health problems. Substance dependence / misuse. Self-harm and suicide attempts. Other high risk behaviours. The more vulnerabilities present (or the more serious one single vulnerability is) then the greater the predisposition to risk of harm. The presence of vulnerability in itself is neither conclusive nor predictive. These must be set alongside identified risk factors to be properly understood as part of an assessment process. 7.Weighing the balance of that evidence and making decisions. Decisions now need to be made about what to do to address the needs relating to the childs safety. These decisions lead to a plan to protect the child. This plan should also address the childs broader developmental needs. Stages of decision-making: Data gathering Weigh relative significance Assessment of current situation Circumstances which may alter childs welfare Prospects for change Criteria for gauging effectiveness Timescale proposed Childs plan (child in need plan, child protection plan or care plan, depending on the status of the child). What Factors Reduce the Effectiveness of Risk Assessment? Poor integrated working practices between agencies and individuals. Lack of holistic assessment. Inadequate knowledge of signs, symptoms and child protection processes. Information that has not been shared. Difficulty in interpreting, or understanding, the information that is available. Difficulty in identifying what is significant. Difficulty in distinguishing fact from opinion. Difficulty in establishing linkage across available evidence. Working from assumptions rather than evidence. Over confidence in the certainty of an assessment. A loss of objectivity. Making Effective Risk Assessments Assess all areas of potential risk Define the concern, abuse or neglect Grade the risks Identify factors that may increase risk of harm Consider the nature of the risk its duration / severity Set out and agree time scales for the assessment to be carried out Specifically document the identified risk factors Gather key information and evidence Has all the required information been gathered? Assess the strengths in the situation Check if any risk reducing factors exist? Build a detailed family history and chronology of key events/concerns Assess the motivation, capacity and prospects for change? What risk is associated with intervention? Be aware of potential sources of error Identify the need for specialist supports Plan your key interventions. Constructing a plan and taking appropriate action. Constructing the childs plan is a fundamental part of the Getting it Right for Every Child (Scottish Executive, 2005) initiative. This specifies that there will be a plan for a child in any case where it is thought to be helpful. This can be in both a single agency and a multi-agency context. The assessment of risk and the management of risk is incorporated into the childs plan. This also includes an analysis of the child or young persons circumstances based on the My World triangle and should cover: How the child or young person is growing and developing (including their health, education, physical and mental development, behaviour and social skills). What the child or young person needs from the people who look after him / her, including the strengths and risks involved; The strengths and pressures of the child or young persons wider world of family friends and community; and Assessment of risk, detailing: The kind of risk involved; What is likely to trigger harmful behaviour; and In what circumstances the behaviour is most likely to happen. The plan should note risk low, medium or high as well as the impact of the child or young person on others. (Guidance on the Child or Young Persons Plan, Scottish Executive. 2007, page 13). The plan should address key questions: What is to be done? Who is to do it? How will we know if there are improvements? The Childs Plan should be monitored and reviewed and amended as need, circumstances and risks change. (Scottish Executive, 2007). Child Protection Case Conferences play a key role in the management of risk. A Child Protection Case Conference will be arranged, where it appears that there may be risk of significant harm to children within a household and there is a need to share and assess information to decide whether the childs name needs to be placed on the Child Protection Register and be subject to a Child Protection Plan. (Link to Part 4 NESCPC guidelines) 9. Principles for Risk Management There is a need to ensure that the ongoing shared plan: Manages the risk Puts the decisions into a recorded form that clearly shows how and why decisions were reached. Makes the risk management an ongoing process that links with all areas of agreed and informed professional practice and expertise. Ensures that the decisions made have actions with named persons, clear timescales and review dates. Ensures that any agreed timescales can be reduced if new risks / needs become apparent. Ensures that new risk assessments and analysis inform reviews. Lessons from Significant Case Reviews. Significant Case Reviews repeatedly describe warning signs that agencies have failed to react to which have should acted as indicators that children and young people at risk of serious harm. Examples include: Children and young people who may be hidden from view; are unavailable when professionals visit the family or are prevented from attending school or nursery. Parents who do not co-operate with services; fail to take their children to routine health appointments and discourage professionals from visiting. Parents who are consistently hostile and aggressive to professionals and may threaten violence. Children and young people, who are in emotional or physical distress, but may be unable to verbalise this. Children and young people who are in physical pain (from an injury) may be told to sit or stand in a certain way when professionals visit the family or may hide injuries from view. Children and young people who have gone missing / run away (with or without their families). Workers should adopt an enquiring and investigative approach to risk assessment and not rely on parents or carers statements alone. Further corroboration of statements and challenging of parental views and perceptions is essential if to effectively determine the risk to the child or young person. Interventions should not be delayed until the completion of an assessment, but they have to be carried out in accordance with what is required to ensure the child or young persons safety, taking account of any indications of accelerated risks and warning signs. The type and level of intervention, irrespective of when it is made, must always be proportionate to the circumstances and risks faced by the child. Workers should pay particular concern to the rule of optimism. Many significant case reviews have illustrated that practitioners views can be strongly influenced by factors such as seeing indicators of progress or apparent compliance and co-operation. This does not, however, always mean that the child or young person is safe and such factors need to be balanced against the overall balance of evidence and actual risks. It is essential that those exercising professional judgement in relation to child protection take account of all multi-agency skills and expertise. This is of particular importance in relation to understanding of child development and the impact of child abuse and/or neglect on children and young people, both in the immediate and long term. Thus whilst immediate safety provisions have to be put in place, consideration must also be given to the longer term outcomes as a result of abuse or neglect. Significant case reviews highlight the importance of communication between all agencies that work either directly, or indirectly with children and/or their families. Thus it is imperative that: Adult services MUST ALWAYS consider any potential risks for any child linked to their adult clients. Childrens services MUST ALWAYS ascertain whether any adult services may be involved with their child clients. All services MUST ALWAYS ensure there is effective communication where there are concerns about the protection of a child. Concerns relating to actual or potential harm should never be ignored and are an indication that immediate intervention might be needed to ensure the protection of the child from future harm. Decisions to protect children and young people should never be delayed and where applicable, emergency measures should be considered. (see Part 3 of NESCPC Guidelines).