Friday, December 27, 2019

Hotel Financial Analysis - 989 Words

Waterfront Mactan Casino Hotel, Inc. (WMCHI) ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Profitability Analysis 2008 0.084266313 0.046495453 0.009816935 0.027953925 2007 0.115098173 0.042234313 0.018062622 0.054801237 Profitability Analysis Return on sales Return On Assets Return On Equity WMCHI’s net income for 2008 improved by .004 points, but reflected a 50% decline on its ability to use its assets as a source of revenue. Moreover, because of the company’s heavy reliance on borrowings from financial institutions to support its expansion, the return on their stockholder’s equity also went down by more than 50% of 2007’s figures. We can surmise that the company’s operating profit is not sufficient to give its shareholders a satisfying level†¦show more content†¦Leverage (Solvency) Analysis 2008 16.14179017 1.67463848 0.597143809 0.373882305 0.626117695 2.020035627 0.755255577 9.807110321 0.287606355 2007 17.42714207 2.033957962 0.491652246 0.329602457 0.670397543 2.24505446 0.739975467 10.33676611 0.57973583 Solvency Analysis Debt / Equity Ratio Equity / Debt Ratio Propriety (Equity) Ratio Debt Ratio Fixed Assets To Owners Equity Fixed Assets To Total Equity Total Long-term Liabilities Coverage Plant Turnover Assessing WMCHI’s ability to handle maturing debts or loan obligations through their internal financial strength, we notice a strong reliance on borrowed money rather on operating income. Although the margin of safety which provides creditors peace of mind only increased by 11 points in 2008, we can deduce that this improvement will somehow affect the level of shareholder income, i.e., the cash generated from operations might be spent for debt payment. Loans from creditors of WMCHI cover more than 60% of the company’s total assets. Though the exposure of shareholder equity on the company’s total assets continue to be less than 40% of the value of the company’s total assets, we notice a 4% increase in 2008 figures. Remember that we earlier remarked that theShow MoreRelatedA financial analysis on NH-hotels2469 Words   |  10 PagesEXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is a financial analysis of the NH Hoteles hotel company from the viewpoint of financial analysts wishing to purchase shares in the hospitability-leisure business. 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Thursday, December 19, 2019

Obesity A Social Problem Or A Epidemic - 1671 Words

I will be responding to Task 3: OBESITY A SOCIAL PROBLEM OR A EPIDEMIC. In the research that I performed on this topic, I learned many things, including that the problem of obesity is not one or the other it is both. Meaning that it is not just a social problem, or just an epidemic it is both of them depending on the environment or situation that the particular person or people are in at the time. It is also not just a problem in the United States, but it is a problem on a global scale. I plan to present what could solve the epidemic in the United States I believe that this epidemic can be solve by doing three simple things with our children or youth of our society . By teaching our children how to cook, promoting or introducing a fitness†¦show more content†¦In addition, the children of higher income families where more of a risk of becoming obesity since they never learned to cook in the home. That dose make sense from our society today since a lot of people with higher in come today would either go out to dinner or get take out all of the time instead of cooking a meal. The only problem with this is that you do not know what is in the food that you are receiving. We could also introduce a cooking course in the schools so that our children will learn how to cook and then take that knowledge home and teach their parents how to cook healthy meals. Therefore, you can see how the smallest things could make a difference and if not solve an epidemic it could help prevent it, or at least some aspects of it. By introducing fitness program in all of the schools in the United States can possibly could be another solution to this huge epidemic. Like anything else, exercise should be performed daily and it is recommended that for an ideal fitness routine to be at least 45 minutes a day for four to five days a week. (Fornicola, n,d) in this article it listed many different ways to prevent obesity including getting enough fitness activity. As adults, we all know how important it is to get plenty of physical exercise is so we should be teaching this to our youth either in the home or in the schools if not both. It has been stated many times in countless publications on the subject of obesity and childhood

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Business Research Public and Private Organisations

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Research for Public and Private Organisations. Answer: Introduction In both public and private organisations, outsourcing is one of the most common practices as it is key aspect in the business strategies. Perhaps, now there is outsourcing of few of the functions of the organisations, which earlier the companies used to execute themselves. Because of the vast outsourcing practices, outsourcing has become a recurrent subject in the literature. The researchers have identified several reasons behind the decision of outsourcing taken by the organisations (Oshri, Kotlarsky and Willcocks, 2015). With successful outsourcing, the organisations may forecast to attain numerous advantages, although there also presents several risks which shows that acceptance of outsourcing is not a good option. There is available widespread literature on outsourcing where there presents various decision factors, motivators, risks and benefits, although the disparity, commonalities, gaps and association among the content of the researches have not examined (Mukherjee, Gaur and Datta, 2013). The key aim of the study is twofold. They former part is ten review of the literature on outsourcing with the aim of recognizing those references which can offer guidance to the researchers and the managers. The later part is the analysis of the studies based upon the contents provided. The purpose is to identify the key advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing to the business organisations. Literature Review on Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing Business Functions According to Strassmann, 2006, Outsourcing is a renowned practice under which an organisation or individual manufacture products, perform functions or offer services for another organisation- those functions or tasks that could usually perform in-house. The organisations take use of outsourcing strategy for saving the costs and expenses. (Source: Kremic, Icmeli Tukel and Rom, 2006) As per this outsourcing decision framework, there are several motivation factors which emphasis the business organisations to either have outsourcing operations or not to have outsourcing activities in the organisation. These motivation factors are the benefits which motivates the organisation to have outsourcing operations. The benefits include augmented staff, improved quality, cost savings etc. On the other hand, there are risk factors which restrict the organisation to have outsourcing activities. The risk factors comprises of low morale of the employees, increased cost, insufficient knowledge, etc. Because of the risk factors, the outsourcing is considered as an unproductive option. Whereas by analysing the motivation factors, the outsourcing is recognized as a good option and there are several factors which helps in guiding the outsourcing function. The next part in the process is selection of supplier or outsource partner and once a supplier partner has been selected, the outs ourcing contract takes place and the operations carry on (Kremic, Icmeli Tukel and Rom, 2006). Expected and Anticipated Advantages of Outsourcing The increasing growth of outsourcing proposes that both private as well as public organisations forecast advantages from outsourcing functions. Logically diverse set of organisations in diverse circumstances will anticipate diverse advantages. For instance, all the companies may forecast higher cost savings although in the public or government outsourcing, the distinctive cost savings are just around half of what the private organisations attains (Kremic, Icmeli Tukel and Rom, 2006). It is not possible to comprehensively talk about each and every advantage gained by the organisations but most of the desired advantages are common enough which are shared in almost all the organisations taking use of outsourcing function. The shared advantages which the organisations attained through outsourcing includes higher cost savings, declined capital expenses, capital infusion, transferring of the foxed costs into the variable costs, improvement in the quality, higher speed, increased flexibility, greater access to innovative and latest infrastructure and technology (Dinu, 2015). Other advantages includes easy access to talented and skilled human resource, augmented staff, upsurge focus on the core activities and functions, getting rid of problematic and complex functions, easy to copy competitors, declined scrutiny and politic pressures, favourable legal compliance and improved management and accountability (Grimpe and Kaiser, 2010). Outsourcing is of several factors that includes outsourcing of technology, human resource outsourcing, service outsourcing, labour outsourcing, etc. There are distinctive benefits of human resource outsourcing (HRO) such as HRO gives access to competent and efficient human resources which were not able access because of geographic and demographic barriers. But outsourcing functions help the organisation to take use of the competence, skills and knowledge of the individuals residing miles away (iek and Ozer, 2011). The other advantages of human resource outsourcing include increased organisational productivity, enhanced employee efficiency, higher employee development and minimization of risks associated with attrition rate of the in-house employees (Butler and Callahan, 2014). Technological development and technology integration are the two core advantages of outsourcing business operations. Tayauova critically analyse the benefits and challenges of outsourcing operations and have the arguments that the depth of the advantages are much in comparison with the intensity of the risks and challenges (Tayauova, 2012). The researcher explains the technological advantage of outsourcing as with technological integration there develops innovative solution for the business operations as well as there is development of synergy if the supplier partner has access to pioneering technology. There is faster accomplishment of the tasks and operations through outsourcing as with the improved technology there is less time consumed for the operations performed. There are several under-developed and developing nations which have high availability of low cost labour. This is also one of the primary reasons because of which multinational companies and business organisations of developed nations outsource their business operations to these countries because of high availability of labour at very low costs (Sparrow, 2012). This offers the advantage of cost saving to these organisations. With increased globalisation and industrialisation, the organisations now have an easy and flexible access to the low cost labours of these developing nations by the means of outsourcing operations. The organisations many a times do not possess all kind of competencies and efficiencies fie carrying out the non-core activities. But as a sustainability factor, the organisations have dynamic business operations. The outsourcing offers the advantage of developing efficiency and focus on n on0core activities of the business organisations (Troac? and Bodislav, 2012). This offers diverse set of competitive benefits to the organisation involving in the outsourcing function. There are researches which show that outsourcing offers access to high quality services, professionals and competent workforce which can carry out the non-core activities of the organisation in an efficient and effective manner (Contractor, et al., 2010). Possible Risks of Outsourcing Function The literature also talks about various risks which are linked with outsourcing function. For many of the organisations and the business associations, outsourcing is a new tool for managers, therefore, they do not have complete knowledge of the tool and its associated costs, and this itself is a great risk for the organisations (Tho, 2012). The literature notifies that there is a primary propensity to overemphasize the advantages and that the in the beginning there is improved performance of the suppliers to have good impressions at the initial phase (Ackermann, et al., 2011). But the deficiency of methodology and research results in outsourcing failures. The same philosophy is supported by Philip, Wende and Schwabe, who suggest that the failures in the outsourcing operations is not because of the inherent issues but because of the insufficient guiding methodology for the executives (Philip, Wende and Schwabe, 2013). Another issue or challenge encountered in the outsourcing functions, primarily in the United States, is the insufficient competence within the public sector companies to control monitors and manage the outsourced functions (Massini and Miozzo, 2012). There are numerous risks within outsourcing out of which some are known and some are still not recognized. The challenges, risks and issues shared by most of the organisations dealing in outsourcing operations comprises of risks related to hidden costs and unrealized savings, less amount of flexibility is there is outsourcing operations, poor selection of the outsource partner or poor contract (Jimmy Gandhi, Gorod and Sauser, 2012). There are other threats in outsourcing related to shifting of power to the supplier, problems associated with suppliers such as restricted access to best technology and talent, opportunistic behaviour, awful association and poor performance. As per the views of Nassimbeni, the major risk in outsourcing is of security. There is sharing of organisational data and all the legal aspects including process information, etc. with the outsource partner. There is a potential risk that this information can be further passed on to the competitors (Nassimbeni, Sartor and Dus, 2012). Innovation risk is also a threatening challenge for the companies indulging in outsourcing. Lowman argues that the organisations are highly prone to the innovation risks as due to sharing of data with the suppliers, there is a certain risk of having innovations through development of synergy by having integration of individual competencies and the process innovations of the company providing outsourcing tasks to the supplier (Lowman, et al., 2012). There are other researchers which had their discussion on other several disadvantages of outsourcing such as losing the brand reputation, opportunities and customers of the organisation, increased employee related issues of poor morale due to supply of task to the outsourced partners (Oshri, Kotlarsky and Willcocks, 2015). It also results in skill erosion, legal obstacles, false sense of recklessness and irresponsibility, conflict of interest, increase competitors and loss of synergy (So, 2011). Conclusion The analysis of the literature is influential in recognizing gaps, patterns and commonalities in the literature on outsourcing. In broader perspective, the studies of outsourcing are majorly theoretical type, discussing the motivators for the profits, risks and benefits. Numerous studies have their emphasis and focus upon the risks associated with the outsourcing function in the organisations. The studies address the deficiency in the knowledge of outsourcing business and partner which results in several disadvantages of outsourcing in the later phase of the outsourcing operations. The study demonstrates that the more of public as well as private organisations are involved in the outsourcing operations for the common objective of cost saving. Thus, the organisations which do not have the purpose of cost saving are not involved in the outsourcing practices. The analysis of the discussion states that there are numerous advantages of outsourcing operations that offers competitive benefi ts and increased sustainability to the organisations. Numerous researchers also supports the arguments by providing further analysis to the advantages offered by outsourcing practices. It has also been critically analysed that some of the theorists argues the benefits statement by focusing more upon the negative implication of outsourcing business operations. The framework developed by the researchers argues that the motivators i.e. the benefits and the risks guides the organisation in making outsourcing decisions. There has been identified various gaps in the literature i.e. first, the non-profit organisations are not much involved in outsourcing operations because their key purpose is to serve society instead of saving costs, second, without adequate knowledge, the initial phase shows benefits and the later phase of the outsourcing operations is damaging for the organisations and third, there is lack of objective metrics for the evaluation of the outsourcing results, there is mystification because of presence of advantages and disadvantages both in the outsourcing practice. The literature has potential discussion on the pros and cons of outsourcing but there is l ack in terms of the decision making support and therefore there is a need of additional study. References Ackermann, T., Miede, A., Buxmann, P. and Steinmetz, R., 2011. Taxonomy of technological IT outsourcing risks: Support for risk identification and quantification. Butler, M.G. and Callahan, C.M., 2014. Human resource outsourcing: Market and operating performance effects of administrative HR functions.Journal of Business Research,67(2), pp.218-224. iek, I. and Ozer, B., 2011. The effect of outsourcing human resource on organizational performance: the role of organizational culture.International journal of business and management studies,3(2), pp.131-144. Contractor, F.J., Kumar, V., Kundu, S.K. and Pedersen, T., 2010. Reconceptualizing the firm in a world of outsourcing and offshoring: The organizational and geographical relocation of high?value company functions.Journal of Management Studies,47(8), pp.1417-1433. Dinu, A.M., 2015. The risks and benefits of outsourcing.Knowledge Horizons. Economics,7(2), p.103. Grimpe, C. and Kaiser, U., 2010. Balancing internal and external knowledge acquisition: the gains and pains from RD outsourcing.Journal of management studies,47(8), pp.1483-1509. Jimmy Gandhi, S., Gorod, A. and Sauser, B., 2012. Prioritization of outsourcing risks from a systemic perspective.Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal,5(1), pp.39-71. Kremic, T., Icmeli Tukel, O. and Rom, W.O., 2006. Outsourcing decision support: a survey of benefits, risks, and decision factors.Supply Chain Management: an international journal,11(6), pp.467-482. Lowman, M., Trott, P., Hoecht, A. and Sellam, Z., 2012. Innovation risks of outsourcing in pharmaceutical new product development.Technovation,32(2), pp.99-109. Massini, S. and Miozzo, M., 2012. Outsourcing and offshoring of business services: challenges to theory, management and geography of innovation.Regional Studies,46(9), pp.1219-1242. Mukherjee, D., Gaur, A.S. and Datta, A., 2013. Creating value through offshore outsourcing: An integrative framework.Journal of International Management,19(4), pp.377-389. Nassimbeni, G., Sartor, M. and Dus, D., 2012. Security risks in service offshoring and outsourcing.Industrial Management Data Systems,112(3), pp.405-440. Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J. and Willcocks, L.P., 2015.The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring 3rd edition. Springer. Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J. and Willcocks, L.P., 2015.The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring 3rd edition. Springer. Philip, T., Wende, E. and Schwabe, G., 2013, June. Why Project Managers Fail To Act Upon Early Warning Signs: Evidence From Failed Offshore-Outsourced Software Projects. InECIS(p. 197). So, K., 2011. Cloud computing security issues and challenges.International Journal of Computer Networks,3(5), pp.247-55. Sparrow, E., 2012.Successful IT outsourcing: from choosing a provider to managing the project. Springer Science Business Media. Strassmann, P.A., 2006. Is outsourcing profitable.Lecture at George Mason University. Tayauova, G., 2012. Advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing: analysis of outsourcing practices of Kazakhstan banks.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,41, pp.188-195. Tho, I., 2012.Managing the risks of IT outsourcing. Routledge. Troac?, V.A. and Bodislav, D.A., 2012. Outsourcing. The Concept.Theoretical and Applied Economics,6(6), p.51.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Strategy for Resolution free essay sample

In the last few decades Nigeria has experienced violent conflicts and antagonism rooted in religion, ethnicity, and economics. communal conflicts in Tiv land area of the Middle Belt region of Nigeria are not an exception. This paper (1) examines the causes of communal conflict in Tivland (2),challenges,as well as the(3) strategies of resolving and managing conflicts in Tivland and society in general. Introduction The African continent has been, and continues to be engulfed in one conflict after another. Over the last 40 years, nearly 20 African countries, or about 40% of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), have experienced at least one period of civil war (Elbadawi amp; Sambanis, 2000). They further estimate that 20% of SSAs population now lives in communities which are constantly at war. As the most populated African nation with over 140 million people, Nigeria has not been spared its share of violent conflicts, particularly communal conflicts. Some of these conflicts have been characterized as crises of identity (Isa, 2001), or competition for control of the political space whatever its form and nature, Egwu (1998), reveal that communal conflict pose a fundamental threat and challenge to the state, and erode current attempts at institutionalizing virile and durable democracies in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategy for Resolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Since conflict prevention has not taken sufficient root in Nigeria, communal conflicts have now become pervasive. As Isa (2001), aptly notes thus: â€Å"communal conflicts in Nigeria have attained a situation of pervasive phenomenon; it has turned Nigerias rural communities into battlefields and killing grounds†. The sheer number and challenges as well as the attendant socio-economic challenges of communal clashes, have attracted a number of study into the phenomenon with the aim of identifying the causes and ways of preventing them. Alubo (2005), thus provide us with some examples of communal conflicts. The Ife-Modakeke communal conflicts of Oyo/Osun States 1999, Hausa/Fulani and Kataf of Zangon Kataf in Kaduna State, 1999; Ijaw and Istekiris of Warri in Delta State, 1999; Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba ethnic conflicts in Oyo and Lagos States respectively, 1999/2000; Jukun/Chamba and Kuteb, Jukun and Tiv in Taraba State, 1998/1999; Igbakwu-Omor, Aguleri and Umuleri communal conflicts of Anambra State, 1999 (Isa, 2001). In Tivland, some of the most notable conflicts include the following: The 1947 chieftaincy riots in Makurdi, Ushongo-Iharev, Isherev-Utyondu, Tiv-Jukun, Tiv-Udam. According to Ayua (2006), currently there are low-grade conflicts within Tivland that have not received any media attention. Key questions with profound policy implications could therefore be asked: (1) what are the causes of the high incidence in communal conflict in Tivland? (2) What are the challenges that these conflicts pose to development? (3)what are the strategies that can be used to reduce the incidence of conflict in order to sustain peace in Tivland? Conceptual Considerations Communal conflict: communal conflict is a conflict in which groups that define themselves using ethnic, national or religious criteria make claim against each other, the state or other political actors. (Utsaha et al 2000). According to Horowitz, (2000) communal conflict refers to the situation where violence is perpetrated across ethnic lines and victims are based on ethnic group’s membership. To Horowitz communal violence may also be called ethnic violence. To Tadjoeddin, (2002) communal violence may be defined as a violence that occurs between different communal groups. Groupings in the community based on religion, tribes, sect race and others. In his own contribution, Varshney, (2002) argue that all communal violence are based on ascription (birth based) group identities including race, language, religion, tribe or caste therefore can be called ethnic conflict. According to this understanding, communal violence ranges from Muslim-Christian conflict in Northern Nigeria, Black and White conflict in United State and apartheid struggle in South-Africa, Anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia, Tiv-Jukun crisis in Nigeria and Shia-Sunni troubles in Pakistan. The Tiv people The name Tiv according to Makar, (1994) has a dual meaning. Tiv is a cultural group of a people,who by 1963 census numbered one and half million. Tiv is also a name of the father of all Tiv people. The Tiv people are said to have migrated from central Africa to where they are now found in what is generally described as the Middle Belt of Nigeria, but specifically some 150 miles east of the confluence of River Benue with River Niger. They settled on both sides of the River Benue, also known as the Upper and the Lower Benue River Valley. Other accounts trace Tiv origin to the Bantu tribe (Bohannan amp; Bohannan, 1953). The Tiv are mainly subsistence farmers, dispersed in seven states of Federal Republic of Nigeria-Benue, Taraba, Nassarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, and Kaduna States. The Tiv can also be found in the Republic of Cameroon, Nigeria’s neighbor to the east. The population of the Tiv people, according to census figure 2006, is 3,687,000and continues to grow. (Ethnologue 2010). Thoerical Framework Marxist Theory The Marxist theory has its roots from the works of Karl Mark and his friend Frederick Engels. The starting point for their analysis of the society is determined mainly by social production. i. e what is produced, how it is produced and how the product is shared. The theory therefore insists that society is composed of contradictions and conflicts over scarce resources by the various competing groups. These contradictions are as a result of the competition and struggle for power and economic resources. This competition and struggle over resources have made conflict inevitable in the society. Marxist theory emphasizes interest rather than norms and values as been central in the eruption of conflict in society. This conflict is seen by marxists as normal aspect of society . Competition over resources is often the source of conflict. Three levels of theory are (a) society is composed of different groups that compete for resource (b) There is continual power struggle between social groups and they pursue their own interest. (c) Social groups will use their resources to their own advantage in pursuit of their goals. The perspective therefore sees communal conflicts as resulting from the contradictions inherent in the course of material production. To understand communal conflicts, Magubane (1996) stressed the role of social structure and urges for special consideration to: The material basis of the society, the social relations of production. ie who owns what, who determines what is produced,and how much if it. The nature of the social system, the political organization, the structure of social consciousness, the ideological and socio-psychological orientation of the members of the society, is determine by members of the ruling class. It is the contention of the Marxists approach that conflicts results when the bourgeois appropriate surplus as profit while paying workers peanuts for their labour. To the Marxists, ethnic formation is a historical entity which encompasses and penetrates all social formation including class structures. According to Engels in Idyorough (2008). The final causes of all social change and conflict and political revolution are to be sought not in men’s brain, not in men’s better insight into eternal truth and justice, both in changes in the mode of exchange. It is therefore misleading to assume that communal conflicts operate independently. It is the product of social structure fueled by economic, political, religious variables. Keen (1997), asserts that economic motives are primary factor behind warfare and violence. To him, economic goals are central and conflict may be highly effective way of pursuing them. Drawing from above, communal conflict is cause by economic competition between ethnically or socially differentiated segments of working class or ethnically differentiated traders, cattle rearers, or farmers. Horowitz (1998), asserts that elite competition and action of ethnic group entrepreneur who wishes to pursue their economic or political interest can also trigger communal conflict. Elites manipulate ethnic identities in their quest for power through construction of ethnic conflict. Causes of Communal Conflict Struggle over farming/grazing land: Ayua, (2006) asserts that farming as a major occupation of most tribes who inhabits Benue State has witnessed a number of conflicts relating to who controls which portion. To him, the need to acquire and use land for farming purposes has therefore been at the root of several communal conflicts in Tiv land. The Fulani herdsmen who occasionally come into Tivland in search of grazing land have also added a twist to the nature and extent of communal conflict in Tivland. Ajiir, (2006) also added that, the Tiv are predominantly farmers and their survival depends largely on the utilization of agricultural products for consumption. The Tiv people are obviously agrarian in nature and as such go at lengths to carve out virgin areas for the development of farmland which they till using rudimentary implements on a small holding. The peasant life therefore depends essentially on ownership of a piece of land. Again, he argued further that since the peasant farming does not involve improved methods of conserving soil fertility, the peasant resort to the use of fallowing as a method of farming which requires that each peasant farmer should have a fairly large piece of land at his disposal to accommodates this practice. Ayua (2006) also maintained that communal conflicts take two forms, either with other agrarian tribes or as a consequence of competition with the Fulani who practice cattle grazing. Similarly, the Opene commission found out as a matter of fact that, the 2001 communal conflict in Wukari Area of Taraba state between the Tiv and Jukun/Fulani was sparked off by the action of Fulani herdsmen who led their cattle into the Beni-seed farm belonging to Mr. Iortim Unande on 13th May, 2001 and subsequently killed him following his protest of the invasion (Ayua, 2006). The problem of land as a causative factor of communal conflicts in Tiv land appears to have been exacerbated by the ineffective nature of the land use Act in which the people are expect to hold all lands in the state in trust for the government. While the Act provides that all land and its resources belong to the government, the reality is that, traditional forms of land ownership, traditional forms of land ownership are still more recognize among the rural populace, thereby leading to often bitter and bloody conflicts between people in the bid to retain ownership and control of lands (Ayua, 2006). Poor boundary delineation. The issue of land has been earlier identified as a cause of conflict in Tivland. The competition for land has been aggravated by the inadequate position of boundary and states. The boundary between Nasarawa and Benue State offers a good example of the fluidity which has attended the movement of persons between both states due to the lack of precise boundary delineation which has consequently led to the increase in tribal tension and violence particularly in the last decades (Alubo, 2005). In respect of the problems arising along the boundary between Benue and Taraba State, the Opene commission revealed that: The adoption of the policy of circumvention in the delineation of the border line between Benue State and Taraba States has aggravated the indigenedship questions between the people of the two states and created a high level of disaffection which has boiled over into intermillent spates of violence. (Alubo2005)_ Explaining further, Ajiir, ( 2006), argued that another factor that ccelerates communal dispute is the use of outdated survey maps and data to verify land claims. In many cases, the survey maps use dates many decades back that the landmarks like rivers, trees, settlements, identified as boundaries may no longer be in existent. Chieftaincy disputes. This has also been identified as a dimension of conflict in Benue State and other parts of Nigeria. According to Ayua, (2006), disputes over chieftaincy have form a very significant proportion of conflict in Ben ue valley. Disputes of this nature to Ayua, (2006), come in two broad categories. The first of which is disputes between contenders from the same ethnic group, while the second usually involves inter ethnic wrangling over chieftaincy issues. Ayua, (2006), for instance observed that, one of the grievances of the Tiv people in Nasarawa state is the denial of their fundamental human rights to have their chieftaincy institution. This denial of cultural and political rights is also a distinctive trigger of violent conflicts. In addition chieftaincy related issues arise often due to the traditional linkage between chieftaincy stool and suzerainty over land, political patronage, economic benefits and cultural identity respectively. The quest to access these benefits therefore leads to competition and ultimately conflict when not properly managed Religion has also being identified as another source of communal conflict. According to Alubo, (2005), Nassarawa State offers the best example of the role religion has played in throwing up social conflict in the Benue valley. The communal conflict in Nassarawa state, are known to have being fueled by this factor. Best (2006), say most conflicts in the Benue valley always have a religious undertone to them with attendant emotional backlashes. In explaining the phenomenon, Ayua (2006) quoted the IOCE report (2003) as thus: The North central is religiously as well as ethnically diverse. However, religious differences in themselves do not appear to be central to conflicts rather, religious differences in some cases (e. g Jos) can reinforce ethnic divisions particularly once a conflict has begun. Relatedly, at the time the Opene commission sat between 2002 and 2003 in consideration of the situation in Jos Plateau state, it found that no single mosque was standing in Lantang North and South, and no church remained in Wase either, due to the destruction carried out by both sides (Best 2006). This is a clear indication that religion is a strong factor that fuels conflicts in Nigeria. Communal dispute can also arise from political considerations. Its a well known fact that some highly placed politicians use political leverage to obtain titles to land which was not theirs. Ajiir (2006), submits that, when such people subsequently attempt to utilize such land ,they always face popular resistance from the rightful owners of the land . Utsaha J et al (2000), put it succinctly that political difference between individual or group may undermine the cooperation and understanding in the utilization of communal land and hence exacerbate crises. They argue further that in Tivland, elites have and continue to play a central role in fuelling conflicts. They are often motivated by opportunities for private accumulation and use shared ethnic/clannish ties and discrimination primarily for their own achievement of power. In some cases, ethnicity and ideology have been used as instruments by leaders to pursue political goals. Additionally, others who profit from conflict (e. g. , business opportunists or criminals) may prefer continued conflict to peace, thus erecting obstacles to, or spoiling attempts towards resolution. Prevention or resolution of conflict must address private incentives of leaders and followers in order to be effective, as well as remove potential spoilers from the equation. Utsaha et al (2000). The challenges of Communal Conflicts to Development Communal conflicts have serious challenges in relation to access and availability of food. Since agriculture is the main preoccupation of rural population, the production of crops and rearing of livestock becomes the main economic activity of the people. Communal conflicts thus pose a serious challenge on food security. Often, warring communities or parties tactically resort to manipulating access to food and livestock. Thus, food security is threatened during communal conflict (Messer, Cohen, 2004). There is also reduction in production and income hence income of farmers. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (2004) communal violence costs Africa over $120 billion worth of agricultural production during the last decade of the 20th century. In conflict prone areas of Africa not only has communal conflicts limit production of food, it has the propensity to deny people access to food and availability of food supply. According to the Food Research Policy Institute (2004), most conflicts and post conflict zones in sub-Saharan Africa are home to substantial numbers of mal-nourished people. Communal conflicts have the propensity to directly and indirectly negatively influence the socio-economic activities among communities in the warring camps. Osinubi and Osinubi (2006) assert that in Kenya, communal conflicts related to multi party elections resulted to 1,500 deaths between late 1991 and late 1993. Additional deaths had occurred in connection with the elections in 1997 including the post election recriminations against non-government voting areas in early January 1998. Similarly, South Africa lost 14,000 people due to racial and communal violence which was part of the transition to majority rule between 1990 and 1994. In Sudan, civil conflict stretching back to four decades has pitted the Arab-Muslim North against the non-Arab Christian in the south. The most current phase which began in 1993 resulted in the deaths of about one million people either directly due to the war or indirectly due to starvation. (World Food Forum 2001). According to Yeicho, (2005), schools are burnt, hospital vandalized, markets are closed, commercial activities grounded for days. Sources of water for humans and livestock are blocked or destroyed. Similarly, Alubo, (2005), submitted that communal conflict could also have negative implication on the health of the people. Apart from the refugees situation which communal conflict creates, there is also the danger of life threatening disesases like HIV being transmitted and other air and water borne diseases. To feed themselves and their family members, young women sometimes offer their body for sex in exchange for food and protection. (Alubo, 2001). Similarly, there is constant sexual harassment and incidences of rape and criminal activities in refugee camps. Furthermore, the major challenge pose by communal conflict is that of reconciliation, reconstruction and rehabilitation. According to Samber, (2013) no community goes into communal conflict and come out the same. The mutual suspicion and distrust that is inflicted on the people makes rebuilding very difficult. Strategies for Prevention and Resolving Communal Conflict Most strategies particularly, formal mechanisms to prevent and resolve conflict have often failed to address the roots of the problems, and hence fail in maintaining and restoring durable social concord. Inter-communal tensions have frequently become protracted, and the response to violence has often focused on short-term solutions. The response is mostly being at the security and legal level (World Bank Report 2000). This has proven inadequate at preventing further occurrence of conflicts. Prevention through the police has not been successful, partly because it suffers from poor coordination and gathering and use of intelligence. The formal response to the eruption of violence has often been slow, even though the government can call on an additional mobile police force and the army to restore law and order. Thus, violence has time to escalate (Best, 2011: 72). In some instances, such as in Benue state in 2001, the involvement of the military and the police has had disastrous consequences. In retaliation to the killing of several military, the forces attacked ten villages and towns, reportedly killing hundreds of civilians and destroying homes, shops, public buildings and other property. In other cases, such as in Jos, in 2001, the military played a positive role in preventing the conflict from degenerating further (Okpeh, 2008: p. 64-65). In their study on the role of traditional authorities in conflict prevention and mediation in Nigeria, Blench et al, (2006) recall that during colonial era, the response to riots and civil disturbances was usually military. Responses to civil disorder leading to losses of lives and properties in the years that followed independence have been different: in several instances, a Commission of Enquiry would established to find out causes and effects of communal violence, worked for a few months and produced recommendations that are not realistic. From 1995, conflict resolution became a popular topic and the Government was encouraged to create an Institute for Peace and Conflict resolution, which has been made ineffective due inter-communal political disputes (Blench et al, 2006: 9). The mass killing of people in Zaki Biam in Benue and Udi in Akwa Ibom state among other example is a clear indication that using law enforcement agencies and other formal strategies to resolve conflict is counterproductive. Conclusion In some parts of the country, traditional authorities/rulers play a significant role in community coherence and traditional justice systems. In some areas, especially in the North and Middle Belt, they have been more effective in conflict resolution than official mechanisms. Due to their familiarity with different sections of the community, they have also been able to take pre-emptive action, while the government has a tendency to be reactive (Blench et al, 2006: i). Their role is most prominent in settling family matters, cases of witchcraft, land disputes and religious disputes, notably because taking such cases to the courts and the police is more expensive and can turn them into protracted disputes with no greater chances that a fair judgment will be reached in the end. However, the creation of new chieftaincies to reinforce ethnic agendas or reward political donors in most communities have undermined the power and legitimacy of traditional rulers and councils, Despite this, they are still better at communal conflict resolution than any other group. It is the submission of this paper therefore, that the use of traditional institution in resolving communal conflict in Tiv land and by extension, Nigeria remains the most realistic and workable strategy.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Humes View of Miracles

In order to understand Hume’s critique of the belief in miracles, it is crucial to begin by defining what a miracle means. Pojman and Rea (2008) define a miracle as a supernatural event that work beyond human control. This is made clear by several instances in the Bible where miracles are said to have taken place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Hume’s View of Miracles specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One such is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is strongly believed that no human being can rise from the dead meaning that it was a miraculous act for Jesus to resurrect. In this regard, it is apparent that a miracle is based on one’s own reality and faith. However, Hume being a critic of miracles provides his own interpretation of what miracles means. According to Hume, a miracle is an infringement of the laws of nature, an occurrence, which is abnormal to a majority of humanki nd (Hume, 1985). Hume makes his point clear when he asserted, â€Å"Nothing is esteemed in a miracle if it has ever occurred in the common course of nature†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hume, 1985, p.888). He proceeds to state that it is not a miracle when an individual in good health dies a sudden death. Hume claims that despite this death appearing peculiar it is natural. According to his understanding of miracle, he could only define it as a true miracle in case the deceased were to rise from dead the same way Jesus is claimed to have arisen. Hume (1985) argues that this will be considered a miracle because no such event has ever been witnessed. Therefore, Hume’s critique of miracle is purely based on his belief that miracles goes against the laws of nature. Van Inwagen’s problem with Hume’s understanding of miracles Peter Ivan Inwagen criticizes Hume’s understanding of miracles when Hume states that a miracle pertains to events, which run contrary to the experience of humankind. Inwagen criticizes this idea arguing that seeing what this idea amounts to is not easy. Therefore, by failing to find any other meaning of ‘contrary to experience’ capable of proving Hume’s assertions, Inwagen concludes that Hume’s understanding of miracles is a fallacy (Pojman and Rea, 2008). Hume’s four reasons in proof that miracles does not happen In defending his philosophy of what a true miracle means Hume provides four reasons to prove his claims. In his first criticism of miracles, Homes argue that there has never been a witness of a miraculous event throughout history to prove that a miracle has ever happened. Secondly, Hume disputes the existence of a miracle arguing that all that people chose to accept or believe in are based on experience and history. Hume’s third reason contradicting the belief in a miracle is based on testimony versus reality. In his argument, he states that what used to be considered miracles in the past can no longer be considered so in the present world or future. He claims that what somebody might have considered a miracle in the past must have been based on the individual’s perceptions and beliefs at that given time, which is bound to change with time.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly, Hume discredits the belief in miracles arguing that for miracles to be said to have happened, there must be several witnesses to prove the miracle. In fact, Hume narrates several incidences that are claimed to have been miraculous while criticizing them using his four reasoning against miracles (Hume, 1985). Of all his reasons discrediting the belief in a miracle, I find the fourth point to be the most plausible. This is because, for us to belief that a questionable event like a miracle has happened witnesses must be present to prove the event otherwise the happening would not amount to a miracle. References Hume, D. (1985). Of miracles. New York, NY: Open Court. Pojman, L.P., Rea, M.C. (2008). Philosophy of religion: an anthology. Manson, OH: Cengage Learning. This essay on Hume’s View of Miracles was written and submitted by user Timothy Gomez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Three Types of Exceptions in Java

Three Types of Exceptions in Java Errors are the bane of users and programmers alike. Developers obviously dont want their programs falling over at every turn and users are now so used to having errors in programs that they grudgingly accept to pay the price for software that will almost certainly have at least one error in it. Java is designed to give the programmer a sporting chance in designing an error-free application. There are exceptions that the programmer will know are a possibility when an application interacts with a resource or a user and these exceptions can be handled. Unfortunately, there are exceptions the programmer cant control or simply overlooks. In short, all exceptions are not created equal and therefore there are several types for a programmer to think about. An exception is an event which causes the program to be unable to flow in its intended execution. There are three types of exception- the checked exception, the error and the runtime exception. The Checked Exception Checked exceptions are exceptions that a Java application should be able to cope with. For example, If an application reads data from a file it should be able to handle the FileNotFoundException . After all, there is no guarantee that the expected file is going to be where it is supposed to be. Anything could happen on the file system, which an application would have no clue about. To take this example one step further. Lets say we are using the FileReader class to read a character file. If you have a look at the FileReader constructor definition in the Java api you will see its method signature: public FileReader(String fileName) throws FileNotFoundException As you can see the constructor specifically states that the FileReader constructor can throw a FileNotFoundException. This makes sense as its highly likely that the fileName String will be wrong from time to time. Look at the following code: public static void main(String[] args){ FileReader fileInput null; //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } Syntactically the statements are correct but this code will never compile. The compiler knows the FileReader constructor can throw a FileNotFoundException and its up to the calling code to handle this exception. There are two choices - firstly we can pass the exception on from our method by specifying a throws clause too: public static void main(String[] args) throws FileNotFoundException{ FileReader fileInput null; //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } Or we can actually handle with the exception: public static void main(String[] args){ FileReader fileInput null; try { //Open the input file fileInput new FileReader(Untitled.txt); } catch(FileNotFoundException ex) { //tell the user to go and find the file } } Well-written Java applications should be able to cope with checked exceptions. Errors The second kind of exception is known as the error. When an exception occurs the JVM will create an exception object. These objects all derive from the Throwable class. The Throwable class has two main subclasses- Error and Exception. The Error class denotes an exception that an application is not likely to be able to deal with.   These exceptions are considered rare. For example, the JVM might run out of resources due to the hardware not being able to cope with all the processes it is having to deal with. Its possible for the application to catch the error to notify the user but typically the application is going to have to close until the underlying problem is dealt with. Runtime Exceptions A runtime exception occurs simply because the programmer has made a mistake. Youve written the code, it all looks good to the compiler and when you go to run the code, it falls over because it tried to access an element of an array that does not exist or a logic error caused a method to be called with a null value. Or any number of mistakes a programmer can make. But thats okay, we spot these exceptions by exhaustive testing, right? Errors and Runtime Exceptions fall into the category of unchecked exceptions.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Islame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Islame - Essay Example The Holy Quran addresses the concept of leadership and gives an Islamic view about how God sees human beings. One of the critical characteristics of good leadership emphasized by the Holy Quran is the issue of teamwork. â€Å"Bring me blocks of iron.† At length when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountainsides he said â€Å"Blow (with your bellows).† Then when he had made it (red) as fire, he said, â€Å"Bring me that I may pour over it molten lead.† (Quran, 18:96). On the other hand, one of the most important Hadiths about leadership is when the Prophet opined, â€Å"Each of you is a shepherd, and all of you are responsible for your flocks.† (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim) The verse and the Hadith have critical significance and relevance for Muslims in contemporary context. With the current global political, social and economic challenges, one will ask what Islam’s position is on leadership. From the verse and the Hadith, it is clear than teamwork forms an important characteristic of good leadership. According to the verse teamwork create unity of purpose and makes people