Explore and Evaluate the ways in which M.R. James constructs a sense of fear and terror Essay Example

Explore and Evaluate the ways in which M.R. James constructs a sense of fear and terror Essay Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936), a scholar of high standard is considered by many to be the most effective writer of supernatural fiction that England has ever produced. At a very young age he took a special and unusual interest in antiquarian books which came to develop an intellectual interest with regards to the supernatural.Ramsey Campbell quotes, M.R. James was the most influential stylist in Britain of supernatural fiction.Oh, Whistle, and Ill Come to You, My Lad is about a professor called Parkins who is on holiday and he finds a whistle with Latin inscriptions on it outside a Templars church. He blows the whistle two times and starts to experience visions and other strange occurances.M.R. James begins to build up fear in the beginning of the story when he hints at the fact that Parkins is disturbed by the supernatural: I freely own that I do not like careless talk about what you call ghosts. This shows that Parkins is trying to hide his fear. M.R. James uses mystery, giving clues and at times withholds the information to build up feelings of suspense in his book a patch of the turf was gone-removed by some boy or other creature ferae naturae.He creates the use of imagery of darkness by making Parkins find this metal tube in the fading light near the beach which gives us the thought of unearthing ancient relics and the idea of awakening things. This taps into our fear of the ancient world. A first note of an eerie figure, a prospect of company on his walk, who seemed to be making great efforts to catch up with him. This figure is indistinct and we are not sure if it is friend or foe. This pursuit of the unknown is creating a sense of fear, of which lies the thought of an unknown evil emerging from the sea.The Latin inscriptions on the whistle translate as Who is this who is coming? which builds up a sense of mystery and tension. M.R. James creates fear of loneliness when Parkins sees a figure when he blows into the whistle a vision of a wide, dark exp anse at night in the midst a lonely figure. He would have seen more had not the picture been broken by the surge of a gust of wind. The gust of wind is like a force repelling Parkins away that he should not blow the whistle or something distasteful might happen.After the second blow of the whistle, there was a huge gust of wind from the window and the candles both went out. The gust means something more. It induces darkness creating a sense of terror especially when the candles go out which creates the image of unwanted closeness. That someone is too close for comfort.The author manifests Parkins fears and anxieties in his dreams, making it surreal and could happen in the future; A black shape bobbing up and down looking eagerly back and rapidly growing in larger, as a figure in pale, fluttering draperies, ill-defined. This is called atavistic which is primitive in human terms, an atavistic fear at night; something might get you at night.M.R. James creates humour with the choice of phonetic language for the lower classes: Ow, I seen it wive at me out of the window. The front winder it was, at the otel, said the boy. There are many clauses at the end to give more information; this also keeps the sentences to flow freely. Also when youre terrified, the reader is only concerned on what they are reading at that moment. He is careful to use descriptive words where necessary. Face of crumpled linen. This is very brief but not a detailed description, probably like this because Parkins related this to someone else who is telling us the story, we are hearing it second hand. M.R. James has taught us a terrifying lesson about the dangers of intellectual pride-Parkins was so happy with his intellect that he didnt seem to understand some things which made him feel scared.Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance is about a man who has inherited a house from his late uncle and there is a mysterious maze in the garden of the house which has been locked for a long time.Mr Humphreys n ever knew his relative so M.R. James constructs the sense of loneliness in him. He talks about ancient ruins in the story of Parkins but this is about ancient temples. Mr Humphreys has gained entrance to the maze that was covered by a wall and near the gate was a motto: My secret is for me and for the sons of my house.In the maze, a noise is heard and he thinks it was Cooper but he says it isnt the first odd thing. This is a fear of intrusion and that something might come back from the dead.It is a convenient thing for M.R. James to make Humphreys pick out a quarto(part) from a book of sermons. This recounts to his own childhood when he had an interest in old books and picked out dusty volumes. This is a major story of conventional writing and its a warning about curiosity. Often in the middle of the maze, there are treasures, but something obstructs it like the Minotaur. This is a warning to Humphreys to not be avaricious-greedy and desire to have things(e.g. desiring gold). The st range globe at the centre of the maze has now changed with inscriptions of prince of darkness and shadow of death. Latin etchings can be quite frightening because of their connection with religion and the medieval world.This is the idea of perception that M.R. James includes, telling us that we see the world differently and how Mr Cooper and Humphreys differentiate temperatures when they touch the globe.The trees and their surroundings create a shadow by the reflected moonlight. There is a vague suggestion that the woods are seducing Mr Humphreys like the belief in the god Pan. The god Pan seduced people into the woods like Selene, the moon goddess. M.R. James describes the weather to represent the emotions of the characters and peoples feelings however in this case how Humphreys is feeling; a dark ominous sign and a symbol of danger. This is called pathetic fallacy. He describes a small Irish yew, thin and black. The maze is using dark, featureless objects to defend itself, and it is getting closer to the house. My secret is for me and the sons of house (It seems that the maze is opening for Humphreys but not for the others like Lady Wardrop because hes a relative of the uncle.)Rationalising and interpreting the inexplicable in different ways, is a theme in M.R. James story. This is because science was still developing in the Edwardian period which certainly excited and attracted interest, but M.R James doesnt usually use science to explain the story. This is unusual but effective because in science one must test things empirically to prove them, but ghosts are not considered to be proven because they do not fit into the scientific world.The title of The Ash Tree is effective in creating the image in the readers mind of something huge and daunting. People tend to fear the trees and forests when they are alone and perhaps M.R. James had this perception upon writing his story. The magnitude of the tree is described in the story where it is almost touching the b uilding with its branches.Castringham Hall is playing on popular fears, the author describes the harrowing occurrences which took place at the Hall in 1690; a number of witch trials were conducted at the Hall, and these accused were feared to have been possessed by demonic powers. The authors ability to explain the inexplicable is evident in his description of Sir Matthews amazement at a moving creature which had more than four legs. Delving into the unknown is the authors way of keeping his readers apprehensive about what may happen next. There is an attempt by the characters to rationalise their experience, not making much of the momentary vision. Here the reader is able to sympathise to some degree at the naivety of the characters who brush off what will certainly affect them later.The author, through the use of powerful and emotive imagery in his depiction of the death of Sir Matthew Fell, describes in quite disgusting detail the sight of his corpse. This corpse however is frigh teningly unique in that those who come into contact with it are left to endure the pain of abnormal swellings. The funeral sermon of his death had been printed under the Malicious dealings of AntiChrist. This is very powerful as it means ESCHATOLOGICAL(APOCALYPTIC) which is coming to an end. This force of evil contrasts with biblical verses and antichrist.Again the author delves into the unknown and employs this technique to keep his readership engaged and so that they can search for the answers to these abnormal and suspicious occurances: two or three screams there were, his face struck with an incredulous terror and loathing before he cried out in a dreadful voice, remains of an enormous spider, veinous and seared as the fire burned lower down, more terrible bodies began to break out covered with greyish hair.The authors vivid descriptions of a decomposed body, in fact a skeleton with the skin dried upon the bones plays on our fear and distaste with the vulgar. The lady turns out to be that of Mrs Mothersole and the disgraceful scene is stomach turning for the weak hearted.Theres been a great deal of superstition surrounding the number 13: Many horror films have been screened in which the superstitious number has played a central role. A vivid construction of fear is found in Andersons arrival at door Number 13. The fact that the door would not open continued with the sound of nasty movements from inside the room sets the scene.The mention of the rumours surrounding the Bishops practise of secret and wicked arts is effective in introducing the dangers of anti-Christianity or anti religious forces since they deal with the unknown.The ceasing of footsteps and sound of hissing breathing outside number 13 works on the fear and apprehension of the readers. The almost ghostly appearance of a bearded man and shadowy figure at number 13 where Anderson unfamiliar with what is lurking in his surrounding, and the flickering of a convenient red light, draws the reader i nto a tense atmosphere. This plays with the idea of perception in Number 13 on how Anderson feels as if the room has shrunk and become narrowed.Andersons confusion about his locations creates the perception of a man touched by the secret and wicked arts introduced at the beginning of the story.Anderson has been placed in an unfamiliar setting where he finds himself delvinginto the unknown; mysterious voices and scenes, together with disturbing Latin inscriptions speaking of spirits become a horror for him, and his fear is felt by the reader.The use of very descriptive adjectives do much to emphasize and illustrate the setting that Anderson finds himself in the quiet is described as deadly.Andersons fears about number 13 come out when the door eventually opened, through which an arm emerged which clawed at Jensens shoulder.Jensens disgust a fright is a contrasted with the low laugh of whatever demonic powers reside within number 13.The characters are desperate for a refuge from what is described as the devils den which relates to anti-Christianity.The discovery of the document in the conclusion is an attempt to explain the inexplicable. Quite naturally deeply disturbed by the events in the hotel, Anderson and Jensen believed to have found the answers within the phenomena. To there dismay however, they are unfamiliar with the language whether it is upside down or written in two different languages. There is a degree of tension therefore, the reader is left uncertain and without explanation concerning the events at the hotel.M.R. James constructs a sense of fear and terror by using themes of loneliness and isolation. In his childhood, he liked to be alone, reading old books and he relates this to how he isolates Mr Humphreys and Parkins. Other themes are intrusion, revenge and justice, witchcraft, perception, the Uncanny, superstition and trying to explain the inexplicable.

Research Paper on Crowd Management Plan

Research Paper on Crowd Management Plan Crowd Management Plan for an Existing Outdoor Event research paper: Introduction Crowd management is a vital factor that needs profound consideration. This is because even an event that has a small attendance has the likelihood of becoming crowded depending on the venue/area’s capacity where such an event is being held compared to the individuals expected to attend (Premier Cabinet, 2011, Para 1). The concept of â€Å"Crowd management encompasses the operational planning and procedures employed to handle the process and facilitation of movement as it relates to crowd associated functions† (Avery Soo, 2003, p. 35). An effective management of a crowd calls for a thorough crowd behavior understanding as well as a coordinated effort for planning safe environments for accommodating all types of audiences in any kind of event. Thus, management of a facility, event participants and promoters, law enforcement and government personnel must cooperate in assurance of safety and successful management of individuals (Avery Soo, 2003, p. 35). A crowd has various faces as well as different responses towards similar stimuli. It could be hard to imagine someone within a crowd who is intending to cause serious injury or kill another person in an event in which crowds assemble. Basically, in majority of the instances, it has been established that people offer assistance to others incase of trouble, serious impairment, or in case one requires medical attention. Various task forces have been formed to look into the safety of crowds and the public in events. Through their reports, it has been shown clearly at an increasing rate that the principle factor in assurance of a comfortable and safe environment for huge crowds is effective planning for such crowd’s management. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the concept of crowd management with focus being on a crowd management plan for an existing outdoor event; the event under study is a sporting event. Event Details Overview of the Event: In planning of an event, it is important to come up with a fitting location depending on the type of event that is being carried out. Planning needs determination of a goal, visualization of a strategy for achievement of that goal, and development of a step by step process towards the achievement of the set goal (SEOH, 2005, p. 5). Location is agreed upon as per the requirements of the events and its goals. In selection of event’s date, there are some factors that should be put into consideration and they involve: the environmental conditions such as weather to avoid fixing the date during rainy seasons that may not favor the event; events should be free from national holidays to ensure there will be participants; and the availability of stakeholders in the event (SEOH, 2005, p.8). Tickets to facilitate participation should be produced according to the financial ability of the target participants. They should be sold in well known places and maximum publicity be given (SEOH, 2 005, p. 9). Profile of the Audience: In a sports event, it is important to note that some individuals who happen to be highly familiar with an environment or venue, such as regularly occurring crowds during football matches, have a higher likelihood of conducting themselves in the event in ways they are used to or even follow same route every time they get to such events. Thus, it is important to ensure that during the event, there is effective use of multiple modes of monitoring the crowd to ensure that the crowd and its behavior are assessed effectively from multiple perspectives. This could call for such actions as inclusion of officers on such grounds, use of undercover officers within the crowd, roof-top spotters, stewards, helicopters, CCTV cameras, and also some commanders who oversee the event from a centre of command (Challenger, Clegg Robinson, 2009, p. 21). In some situations, the crowd could be totally unfamiliar with the circumstances or surroundings of the event and thus they will behave differently, e.g. , they may stop and start more frequently, rely heavily on stewarding and signage, and move more slowly. Thus, event managers should ensure that the venue have plenty signage that is highly visible, accurate and easily comprehensible (Challenger, Clegg Robinson, 2009, p. 22). Entertainment: Sporting events are always considered as a place of work for some individuals while others consider them as places for leisure activity. Events range from a family day in a local park to the music festivals events, carnivals, firework displays, sporting events, crusades, etc. It is important for crowd managers to ensure that the people participating in an event are not subjected to boredom and so there must be safe and recommendable forms of entertainment to eliminate the problem of monotony in case of breaks during the event (Lubbe, 2003, p. 55). Attendance: Attendance of the event should be determined by the kind of sporting event being done. It is possible to estimate the potential number of participants in such an event by considering the proportion of the public that follows subsequent events. For instance, it is possible to determine that events involving some sports teams in football command a large audience and this could help in planning process (Billboard, 2002, p. 19). Running Schedule: In events like this, there must be a promoter who acts as the broker between a facility and the organizers; the promoter is considered as a player of a key role in contracts’ preparation. The promoter secures a desired facility for use, prepares effective contracts between the organizers and facility, arranges for promotion of the event and sale of tickets, and also pays requirements for security. Overall organization of the event is done by promoters who get paid by organizers and they most often tend to work freely from facilities. Promoters have the responsibility of coordinating all an event’s aspects with the facility and officials from the government to ensure that the event is in compliance with the local laws of safety. The promoters in most cases come up with their own management plan for the event, list the responsibilities of their personnel and timetable of the event, and usually share such material with other parties during the event (Mccloud, 2010, p. 21). Venue: Venues of a wide range can be effectively used in accommodating outdoor events. However, it is very important to consider some factors before settling on any venue. Such important factors that should be considered include: how the target group shall get to the venue; the planning issues involved in the desired venue; the arrangements needed in management of individuals outside the venue; the necessities of managing individuals inside the venue; the way in which the target people shall view the activities- concern should be whether they are to view them standing, sitting, or in a festival seating, or circulating from an activity to the other; the safe capacities in the venue- the whole venue or even for different sections; and whether a venue is already authorized for running the kind of event that is being organized (EMH, 2008, p. 9). Permits and Authorities There is need to ensure that event organizers contact the relevant agencies and bodies during planning stages of an event. Any activity that entails a concentration of individuals gathering in a specific locality will automatically have some effects on the local infrastructure and thus it is considered common courtesy for the event organizers to inform the relevant agencies or authorities, and the local residents to avoid inconveniences during the event. The significance of this is that there may be need for the event organizer to get into a process of formal consultation with statutory agencies in the society (EMH, 2008, p. 7). Licensing: Entertainment events vary greatly in character, size, and other factors like risk and hazard. Naturally, organizers of complex or large events could require seeking of more specialist advice from elsewhere and this creates the need for formalizing such events. Through licensing of events like these, organizers find it easy to secure security from government agencies such as the police or other administrators and this helps in reducing the chances of occurrence of some emergency problems. Licensing makes an event so formal in such a way that the organizers feel their security and crowd management boosted in a great way (EMH, 2008, p. 10). Noise management: Entertainment events tend to produce so much noise and this could land the organizers of such events into problems with authorities due to noise pollution. Many agencies have put measures in place to curb noise pollution especially at night and in residential areas. Thus, it is important for event organizers to ensure that they secure a noise license allowing them to carry out their activities peacefully as failure could lead to distractions that could lead to confrontation between the participants and law enforcement agencies such as the police (Fahy Walker, 2004, p. 184). Risk Analysis and Evaluation Risk registers (on crowd control only): A large number of events happen nationally and cases of trouble and problems are rarely reported. However, new, unquestionably and also unexpected difficulties and hardships have been arising from time to time. For instance, in major cities, some officers of police have estimated, though informally, that around 1 to 2% of sporting events’ spectators carries handguns at any given time. There are some conditions, which can lead to problems in management of crowds and these include: the problems that are created from within a crowd; those that are as a result of a crowd external to the facility; rumor; and environmental catastrophe (Avery Soo, 2003, p. 38). Action plans: In order to develop an effective plan for crowd management, there is need for the management of the facility to be aware of all the audience’s characteristics that is attracted by any particular event (Fahy Walker, 2004, p. 184). When the facility operator, event promoter, and the police commander understand their crowd, it becomes a must and easier for them to plan accordingly. The facility management happens to have great influence on safety of the crowd as well as on the actions of entertainers and promoters. It does not matter how a contract is written between the promoter and a facility, but local management of the facility should accept and acknowledge its obligation regarding the community it serves’ safety. The management of the facility holds the key responsibility of assuring safe conditions that are in compliance with statutes that are applicable as well as of reasonable standards. Such a responsibility also calls for cooperative efforts with the law enforce ment agents and also other event managers. However, such cooperation is not mean to relieve the management of the facility off its accountability in provision of resources for successful and safe events. Officials of law enforcement can of course take over control and direction in case of emergencies but this should not dilute the responsibility of the management for taking the necessary and reasonable steps for assurance that controllable emergencies do not happen in the course of the event (CD, 1997, Para 15). o What happens incase of an emergency? In any sporting event, there is need for setting up an emergency room with sufficient space and equipment for handling large crowd incidents and routine accidents. To cater for an emergency in an effective way, it is important for maintenance of effective communication with the local providers of emergency medical services who should respond appropriately; and must have the ability of handling a disaster faced by a mass crowd appropriately (Fruin, 2002, p. 9). Emergency Response Plan (ERP): In all major events, it is important to have readily available emergency medical as well as ambulance services to ensure that timely and effective treatment is easily available to the people who may need it. To assure such effectiveness, an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) should be developed and it could include such things as: inclusion of a section of medical emergency service in a plan for crowd management; there is need for public assembly areas for maintaining first aid rooms as well as setting up minimal standards for such rooms and the on-duty medical personnel; government authorities should adopt an effective ordinance for setting standards for the ambulance equipment and personnel; there is need for the location of such first aid rooms to be publicized to ensure event patrons know them; effective training should be offered to the medical personnel entrusted to offer emergency medical services in events (Fruin, 2002, p. 11). Site induction procedures: Every event must have attendant risks; the initial step in management of such risks includes examination of all the areas of an event in order to determine the positions in which losses could occur. Such an examination should not be limited to the safety issues only but should ensure the event is safely conducted in the most possible way and if there occurs an unfortunate thing, the organization is not further impacted by the loss either through adverse publicity or financially. The examination could further assist in making decision regarding hiring of event crew or event/crowd managers (Worksafe, 2007, p. 3). Crowd Controller’s Emergency Planning Processes: A crowd controller is an individual who is employed and retained with the principal aim being maintenance of order by ensuring that: behavior is effectively monitored and controlled; all attendants in an event are screened appropriately during entry to the venue; removing any individual; and also maintenance of order at a public place (Worksafe, 2007, p. 4). It is the responsibility of the facility owners to develop and communicate emergency evacuation plan. The empowerment of crowd controllers is agreed upon by the facility owners and the promoter (Worksafe, 2007, p. 25). Thus, the crowd controllers cannot do anything unless they are advised by their employers in public events. Communication Processes + Internal communication: This is the communication that occurs within the organization of event management and includes all the operations stakeholders. According to psychologists, a crowd could be likened to an intermeshing behavioral cells’ series in which each cell consists of a relatively small group of the surrounding people; who have limited communication between themselves. The cell members lack a broad view for the events taking place within a crowd. Thus, a dominant member of a cell can influence the cell’s collective behavior. This makes it possible for occurrence of communication in chains among chains of cells, often through spread of incorrect information and rumor, potentially inciting people into inappropriate behavior (Fruin, 2002, p.4). # External communication: This is communication occurring to the external of the organization or event scene. It includes the audience, attendees, guests, general public, delegates, and also the other external stakeholders. In a sporting event, focus is not only on the individuals in the venue but also those outside the venue. To ensure safety of those in the venues, there should be maintained a good communication with the law enforcement centers to ensure that there is a smooth flow of the event (Fruin, 2002, p.4). Conclusion and Recommendation In conclusion, this paper has established that considering crowd management is a key issue that should never be ignored. Any event can become crowded as this solely depends on a venue’s capacity in which an event is conducted. Thus, crowd management is required to both the small and large events especially in sporting events where turn out is sometimes predictable and many tragedies occur in them. This paper recommends that event organizers should seek advice of the landowner or venue manager concerning its capacity. There is also need to clarify who is charged with the responsibility of counting patrons, to ensure protective measures are effectively taken. In addition, the paper has found out that there is need for full time emergency medical provision services in areas known to hold public events such as football stadiums to ensure that emergencies could be dealt with promptly.

Sally Hemings & Thomas Jefferson - The Scandal Essay

Sally Hemings & Thomas Jefferson - The Scandal - Essay Example Each member relies on what each knows of human nature, using common sense and the ability to reason If the assumptions seem ridiculous, throw them out, if the reasons make sense, convict. Here Jefferson will be convicted, but free from scandal. Jefferson was a man of passion and conviction, like many a good leader, and it is just these characteristics upon which he will be judged as well as the elemental conditions of the evidence available. As with any fair trial we must first presume that Thomas Jefferson is innocent before we can bring evidence against him. This presumption will lie in the testimony of his statements and those of his contemporaries. Thomas Jefferson himself never commented publicly on the issue, though some of his remarks have been interpreted as indirect denials. For example, he publicly stated his opposition to miscegenation (a word not yet coined at the time): "Their [blacks] amalgamation with the other color," he wrote, "produces a degradation to which no lover of his country, no lover of excellence in the human character, can innocently consent."1 Why would a man with these opinions ever think to "consent" to relationships outside his own race? The Jefferson Family also vehemently denies any possible impropriety on Jefferson’s part equally sighting his high moral character and his veracity. The family also states as fact that Mr. Jefferson was never geographically present at the times in which Ms. Hemings would have conceived any of her children. â€Å"Thomas Jefferson Randolph [grandson of Thomas Jefferson], holds basically that Jefferson was not at Monticello when Sally Hemings children were conceived, and that they were fathered instead by one of his nephews, either Peter or Samuel Carr.†3 However, careful studies of Jefferson Farm Book and the detailed chronology of his public life record tend to reveal otherwise (see Timeline on page ten). Also the Author of Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History reveals

How did Ptolemy I come to adopt the title of king after Alexander the Essay

How did Ptolemy I come to adopt the title of king after Alexander the Great's death How did he come to adopt the title of 'Soter' meaning Saviour What controversial evidence surrounds these events - Essay Example Though Ptolemy became known to history initially as the â€Å"friend, confidant, and later general of Alexander† and later as his predecessor, there was no indication from any historical accounts that Alexander wanted Ptolemy to be his successor (Bingen and Bagnall, 2007, 15). But it has been clear from historical documents that Ptolemy was close to Alexander (Worthington, 2003, p.137). It was by the year, 330 that Ptolemy â€Å"succeeded Demetrius† and became the aide-in-hand of Ptolemy as he was already a senior leader in the â€Å"Macedonian army† (Ellis, 1994, p.10). Green (1990) has observed, â€Å"Ptolemy was one of the few to realize that limiting his ambition would actually get him farther in the long run† (p.9). But once Alexander died, he was not sitting idle as well. After taking over the responsibility of governance of Egypt, the first thing he did was to attack and conquer â€Å"the rich North African State of Cyrenaica† without attaining any permission from Perdiccas (Green, 1990, p.13). On the political front, Ptolemy is known for the first ever application in history â€Å"of a philosophy of monarchic power† once he succeeded Alexander as the king (15). But later historians (eg:- Bosworth, 1976) have also pointed out that Ptolemy manipulated the facts in his history of Alexander, a text from which supposedly the most authentic historian of Alexander, Arrian, drew his facts to retell the story (117). It has been observed that Ptolemy exaggerated his own achievements and downplayed his rivals’ ones in this text (Bosworth, 1976, 117). And the result was that whatever history that exists about Alexander, incorporates within it, the exaggerated self of Ptolemy also. Ptolemy himself had told the story of Alexander but this book is now lost somewhere in the quagmire of history (Ellis, 1994, 7). Hence, it is through the work of Arrian (1907), that now we know the story of Alexander, of course as told

Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) - Essay Example This is the Nepal and alternative energy promotion centre (WECS, 2011). This implies compliance and easy to access the funds that will develop the project. Among the steps within this stage include; This is one of the critical and complex steps in the implementation process. It involves requesting and evaluating all the proposals presented. It also involves assembling a team, determination of the financing mechanism, development of the scope of work, specifying the performance criteria, addressing all the possible emerging issues to ensure compliance (Dixit, A. 2010) and develop the required proposal to the financiers. The team selected will ensure that the required community participation and literacy provisions are met to facilitate the success of the project. This will be based on the traditional spirit of the members of the Sandikhola village. The team should emphasize the use of non skilled volunteer to provide the much needed labor but the skilled personnel should be acquired from outside. In the personnel acquisition stage, skilled personnel from the respective villages should be given priority. Beside the team should designate a project champion to who can get the projects over barriers through determination, authority or sheer excitement. Among the notable funding agencies include; DFID Australian Aid, EU/ECHO , Norway (Norad) , Denmark (Danida), British Embassy (UKM), Nepal, SDC, Canada (CIDA), World Bank , Finland , ADB, Austria, Japan, Netherlands (NET/SNV) , JICA, Sweden (SWI/SIDA), USAID and Central Queensland University (ADB ,2010 ) The scope of work defines what the community wants out of the project. This is adopted as the heart for the request of the proposal. This comprises of the type o renewable energy system, considered location of the system, site requirements and the specifications of system performance. This

Transnational Organized Crime

Transnational Organized Crime 1) Describe the role and function of the Transnational Organized Crime Convention and the Convention’s relationship to its Protocols. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (also known as the ‘Palermo Convention’) has attached to it the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air 2000, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime was adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000 and is â€Å"the main instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime†. It entered into force on 29 September 2003. States that ratify the instrument commit to taking a series of measures against transnational organized crime, including the creation of domestic criminal offences; the adoption of new and sweeping frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation; and the promotion of training and technical assistance for building or upgrading the necessary capacity of national authorities. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocols are not human rights instruments in themselves, but have instead been described as providing â€Å"treaty framework to help states unite to combat transnational organised crime†. One commentator views the Convention and its Protocols as a framework of guidance which needs â€Å"filling in†, particularly in the areas of the exchange of information, the registration of biodata and the building of common entrance policies. The Protocols are not binding upon signatories of the Convention itself unless the signatory also becomes a party to the Protocol. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime states itself that its purpose is â€Å"to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively†. Article 3 provides that the Convention applies to a range of offences that the Convention criminalizes when they are transnational in nature, and then spells out that such an offence is transnational in nature if: (a) It is committed in more than one State; (b) It is committed in one State but a substantial part of its preparation, planning, direction or control takes place in another State; (c) It is committed in one State but involves an organised criminal group that engages in criminal activities in more than one State; or (d) It is committed in one State but has substantial effects in another State. The Protocols then add to the list of crimes contained in the Convention. As Kofi Annan states in the foreword to the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, â€Å"Criminal groups have wasted no time in embracing today’s globalized economy and the sophisticated technology that goes with it. But our efforts to combat them have remained up to now very fragmented and our weapons almost obsolete. The Convention gives us a new tool to address the scourge of crime as a global problem. With enhanced international cooperation, we can have a real impact on the ability of international criminals to operate successfully and can help citizens everywhere in their often bitter struggle for safety and dignity in their homes and communities.† 2) What do we mean by the term ‘securitisation’ of transnational crime? Do you think policies that ‘securitise’ TNC are useful? In basic terms, the securitisation of transnational crime means the movement of legislative bodies from viewing crime in a cultural, social, economic and/or legal context to viewing transnational crime as a matter of national security. The Copenhagen School defines the concept of securitization: â€Å"Securitization refers to the process of presenting an issue in security terms, in other words as an existential threat†. Transnational crime may be presented as an existential threat to the security of nations through the discourse that political leaders utilise, but also through others. Transnational crime has been referred to as a security issue in the academic literature. McFarlane and McLennan claimed in 1996: â€Å"Transnational crime is now emerging as a serious threat in its own right to national and international security and stability†. In modern times, forms of transnational crime in the Asia Pacific have been securitized that is, represented by policy elites and security actors as crucial or existential threats to national and regional security. At the first summit of ASEAN heads of state and government held in Bali in 1976 President Suharto declared: â€Å"Our concept of security is inward looking, namely, to establish an orderly, peaceful and stable condition within each territory, free from any subversive elements and infiltration, wherever their origins may be†. Galeotti has recently indicated that â€Å"the struggle against organized and transnational crime will be the defining security concern of the twenty-first century†. As Emmers states â€Å"transnational crime poses a threat to states, national economies and civil societies.† He provides the example of non-state actors using terrorism to promote their political causes. In his opinion the groups are able to gain strength from their ability to forge links across national boundaries and in turn are able to threaten national sovereignty and the integrity of independent states with the result that they can effectively threaten the survival of the governments of those states. However, it is not just terrorism which may be ‘securitized’, other forms of transnational crime affect states and their societies. As Emmers again notes, â€Å"drug trafficking and money laundering reduce a government’s capacity to govern, weaken the credibility of financial institutions and undermine social order†. Nevertheless, Emmers has also expressed the opinion that the problem of transnational crime could be dealt with more effectively if it was approached primarily as a criminal matter rather than as a security issue. He notes that the concept of securitization of transnational crime can work better in some nations than others, depending on the commitment shown by those nations to tackle transnational crime in a security driven way. Comparing the US and the ASEAN states he says that in the US the securitization rather than the criminalization of terrorism has allowed the US to use more traditional security responses against al-Qaeda, with the obvious rhetoric being â€Å"War on terror†. It may therefore be argued that where a state is prepared to tackle transnational crime in traditional, often military, ways, policies that securitize transnational crime are indeed useful. However, it has been argued by Emmers that where states are not prepared or are unable to tackle transnational crime in a traditional security based way, criminalization rather than securitization, should take precedence. As Emmers states: â€Å"In the context of Southeast Asia, ASEAN may be advised to further rely on the criminalization of transnational crime, as it does not dispose over the collective will, joint political instruments and military capabilities to match its rhetorical claims about security†. He also argues that transnational crime being seen in a criminal context rather than a security one could lead to better results. In his 2002 paper he suggests that criminal activity cannot be solved by resorting to the traditional security means, such as army activation and concludes: â€Å"The US war on drugs in Columbia and its failure to reduce the supply of narcotics in America is testimony to that reality.† 3) Briefly describe the role of globalisation in modern TNC. In order to describe the role of globalisation in modern transnational crime, it is useful to consider what ‘globalization’ really means. As Gros states, â€Å"globalization does not mean the same thing to all people† and therefore there is â€Å"confusion around what it is and what it does†. Gros defines globalization as â€Å"the deregulation of national economies and financial markets, on the one hand, and their international integration under the aegis of free-market ideology on the other†. In policy terms, globalization often entails the deregulation of capital flows, eviction of the state from areas that concern production and the privatization of former state-owned enterprises, reduction in the size of government, trade liberalization and the creation of large trading blocs. Wright argues that the globalization of business serves to foster organized crime. He states that â€Å"In the case of organized crime (and arguably in the case of international business ethics) we should not be surprised at the failure of the invisible hand of the market to control malpractice.† Furthermore, he states that it is â€Å"for this reason, at least part of the solution to the problem of organized crime is not connected to law enforcement at all It is connected to the further development of the free associations of civil society which can influence government policy and eventually relegate organized crime to the status of a fringe activity.† The impact of globalization on transnational crime can be seen by looking at examples from previously communist and less capitalist regimes. As Sanz and Silverman explain, in the past 30 years or so Communist countries throughout Asia and the Pacific rim have moved toward a more capitalist economic system. These countries’ business communities have welcomed capitalism because it provides more entrepreneurs to achieve greater independence and a richer standard of living. This economic shift in turn receives support from foreign investors. Furthermore, the general population also embrace the capitalist system because it is able to provide new goods and services. As Sanz and Silverman conclude, â€Å"such changes bring us closer to a global economy which will open new markets and expand opportunities for both legitimate and criminal entrepreneurs†. This can be seen in Poland where, â€Å"many new kinds of economic and financial crimes appeared along with the free-market economic system – crimes that had been typical and known for decades in capitalist countries but which had not appeared in Poland for the past 45 years†. The voluntary relaxation or involuntary loss of state control domestically and at international borders coupled with the fact that mechanisms of state governance and incidents of sovereignty have been lost, altered, or sacrificed to produce domestic economic change and promote international trade mean an increase in the ease with which international criminals can operate. As Myers states: â€Å"while this is a gross simplification of the complex issues unique to each state individually, and to regional and global alignments generally, it points to salient factors, which have permitted criminal groups whose activities had domestic, regional or limited international impact to become transnational in scope.† 4) What role does technology play in modern TNC, both from the point of view of assisting TNC and assisting its interdiction? Following on from the impact of globalization on transnational crime is the impact of technological advances. As McFarlane comments, technology enables and increases the capacity of â€Å"transnational organised crime and terrorist groups to exploit advances in electronic banking, encryption, telecommunications, developments in global travel and commerce, and †¦ visa free regimes†. Furthermore, it may be difficult for law enforcement agencies to keep pace with the developing technologies which are capable of being exploited by criminal groups. As McFarlane states, â€Å"transnational organised crime and terrorist groups are usually small and flexible organisations capable of ‘buying the best brains’ to enable them to respond to new technologies more quickly than slow, bureaucratic government agencies†. One particular consideration is the technological advancement of travel (for example speed boats and aeroplanes). It is true that the technological advancement of transportation has had the effect of bringing Southeast Asia closer to Western markets with a quick and, relatively speaking, safe method of moving contraband. As Sanz and Silverman suggest, â€Å"global criminal ventures are now facilitated by the ease of catching a flight and quickly travelling to a country in which one is virtually unknown to the authorities†. As well as making contact between criminal organizations quicker and more accessible, allowing easily planned and accomplished transnational crimes, technological advancements also make the perpetration of certain crimes easier and has even brought new crimes into existence. Again, Sanz and Silverman comment â€Å"technological advancements†¦ make it easy to counterfeit nearly anything from currency to clothing to watches. Technology has also made it relatively easy to obtain a new identity. Medical advances have created a growing demand for human organs, while technological growth has created a market for trade secrets and information about new product research.† Since the break-up of the Soviet Union there has also been, of course, a development of a black market in high tech and nuclear weapons. In terms of transnational criminal finance, technology has had a very important role to play. As Glynn et al. (1997: 12) note, â€Å"the emergence of an electronic financial system markedly enhances opportunities for corruption, the difficulty of controlling it, and the potential damage it can inflict.† Indeed, Gros notes that anyone can move currency around the world, with at least some delay in being caught. He goes on to suggest that transnational criminal organizations are able to recognize opportunities not only in terms of transportation but also with regards the â€Å"fluidity of money markets† allowing for â€Å"movement of illicit profits in and out of countries that are at the epicentre of globalization.† However, technology is not all bad in the fight against transnational crime. For example, the tracing of transnational crime has been made easier by technology in that money can now be tracked across borders through the international banking system. See Dobinson for an interesting case study of how $40 million US dollars was traced across Australia and Hong Kong. Advances in technology also allow law enforcement agencies to update their national systems quicker, alert border control authorities and potentially enable the passing of information between states more efficiently, enabling transnational crime to be prevented, controlled and prosecuted more effectively. 5) What impact have the provisions for Mutual Legal Assistance and the Exchange of Information in the Transnational Organized Crime Convention had on the sharing of intelligence multi-laterally? As one commentator notes, â€Å"obtaining physical custody of fugitives means little absent the evidence needed to convict them at tria†l. MLATs provide assistance at all stages of criminal investigations and prosecutions. Available assistance under MLATs includes bank or other financial records, witness statements and testimony, search and seizure of people and things, and immobilization and forfeiture of the proceeds of criminal activity. As an example of how a MLAT has worked in practice, in 1997 the US made an MLAT request to Canada on behalf of prosecutors who were investigating a murder. Pursuant to the request, the US sought and obtained from the Canadian authorities the murder suspect’s car, copies of airline ticketing records, billing information and other evidence which was then used to secure a conviction. However, in the absence of a specific treaty provision, there is no mechanism whereby parties can be obliged to use formal mutual legal assistance provisions to obtain evidence abroad. In Re Sealed Case the US Court of Appeals rejected the argument that US law enforcement agencies were limited to obtaining evidence in accordance with the provisions set out in a mutual legal assistance treaty signed by the Swiss and US Governments. The appellant refused to comply with a subpoena to appear before a US court to produce documents relating to Swiss companies. Rejecting the argument that compliance with the request would be contrary to Swiss secrecy laws and in breach of international comity, the court held that it could ‘order any party within its jurisdiction to testify or produce documents regardless of a foreign sovereign’s view to the contrary. In Southeast Asia, the picture is complicated, with intelligence sharing and cooperation proving successful but only where the information is not of a nature that will challenge the political rulers of the states. As Emmers recently concluded, there has been success between Sinapore, Malaysia and the Philipines in the context of exchanged information, particularly leading to extradition proceedings. As recently as April 2007, Singapore and Indonesia signed an Extradition Treaty in order that terrorist suspects can be dealt with in the appropriate legal systems. However, despite these examples of bilateral cooperation, Southeast Asian states â€Å"resist sharing sensitive information on domestic matters that could embarrass or challenge the political positions of ruling elites†. Furthermore, difficulties in information sharing and mutual legal assistance may arise where there is a difference between the legal systems of the relevant states. For example, countries which have no mutual legal assistance treaties with Italy have tended to attract Mafia criminals, yet even where agreements have been in place other members of the Mafia have been able to live openly despite the existence of serious criminal charges outstanding against them. Jamieson provides an example of when the jurisdiction of the requested country does not acknowledge the Italian crime of membership of a mafia-type association or, as in the case of the Netherlands and Germany, where crimes of conspiracy do not exist there is a loophole created. The case of the camorra member Michele Zaza exemplified this: Zaza was wanted in Italy since 1984 on charges relating to his purported Mafia association, as well as murder and drug trafficking. His extradition was sought by Italy, however, he was allowed to live openly in France (apart from serving a two year sentence for cigarette smuggling). In fact it was not until 1993 that he was finally re-arrested and extradited to Italy, where he later died in jail. As well as the more ‘pure’ forms of mutual legal assistance provided for in modern times, training has also been an important part in collaboration. Peter Gastrow, a Special Adviser to the Minister of Safety and Security in South Africa identified the police force there as benefiting from international expertise in several areas including: detection and investigative methods; narcotics trafficking; motor vehicle thefts and smuggling; white collar crime, including money laundering and fraud; official corruption; and cross border arms smuggling. Bibliography Bantekas, I. Nash, S. (2007), International Criminal Law, Routledge-Cavendish, pg 401 Brolan, C. (2002), â€Å"An analysis of the human smuggling trade and the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea (2000) from a refugee protection perspective†, IJRL 14, 561 Callahan, T. (1997), â€Å"Transnational crime strikes South Africa†, Crime and Justice International, 13 (2) 9 â€Å"Denying safe haven to international criminals: international crime control strategy†, Trends in Organized Crime, 4 (1), 25 Dobinson, I. (1993), â€Å"Pinning a tail on the dragon: the Chinese and the international heroin trade†, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 39 (3), 373 Elliott, L. (2007), â€Å"Transnational environmental crime in the Asia Pacific: an ‘un(der)securitized’ security problem?†, Pacific Review 20 4, 499 Emmers, R. (2002), â€Å"The securitization of transnational crime in ASEAN†, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies Singapore, no. 39 Emmers, R. (2007), â€Å"Comprehensive security and resilience in Southeast Asia: ASEAN’s approach to terrorism and sea piracy†. Emmers, R. (2003), â€Å"ASEAN and the securitization of transnational crime in Southeast Asia†, Pacific Review 16 3, 419 Galeotti, M. â€Å"Underworld and Upperworld: Transnational Organized Crime and Global Society† in Josselin, D. Wallace, W. (eds) (2001), Non-State Actors in World Politics, London: Palgrave Publishers, pg 216 Glynn et al. (1997: 12) Gros, J.G. (2002), â€Å"Trouble in paradise: crime and collapsed states in the age of globalisation†, British Journal of Criminology, 63 Hansen, L. (2000), â€Å"The Little Mermaid’s silent security dilemma and the absence of gender in the Copenhagen School†, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 29(2), 288 Interview with Mr J. Bijen from the IAM (‘Information and Analysis Centre for Smuggling of Human Beings’), The Hague, the Netherlands, 17 July 2000 Jamieson, A. (1995), â€Å"The transnational dimension of Italian organized crime†, Transnational Organized Crime, 1 (2), 151 McFarlane, J. (2005), â€Å"Regional and international cooperation in tackling transnational crime, terrorism and the problems of disrupted states†, JFC 301 McFarlane, J. McLennan, K. (1996), Transnational Crime: The New Security Paradigm, Working Paper no. 294, Canberra: Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, pg 2 Myers, W. (1995), â€Å"Orb weavers – the global webs: the structure and activities of transnational ethnic Chinese criminal groups†, Transnational Organized Crime, 1 (4), 1 Plywaczewski, E. (1997), â€Å"Organized crime in Poland†, Transnational Organized Crime, 3 (3), 109 ‘Proposed Solutions to Trafficking’ (2000) 21 Refugee Reports (US Committee For Refugees) Sanz, K. Silverman, I. (1996), â€Å"The evolution and future direction of Southeast Asian criminal organizations†, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 12 (4), 285 Singh, S. (2001), â€Å"Framing ‘South Asia’: Whose imagined region?† United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime available at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/index.html Wright, A. (1996), â€Å"Organized crime in Hungary: the transition from state to civil society†, Transnational Organized Crime, 3 (1) 68

Lord of the Flies: Is There Hope for Man? :: Lord of the Flies Essays

One of the main themes in William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies is that without civilization, there is no law and order. The expression of Golding's unorthodox and complex views are embodied in the many varied characters in the novel. One of Golding's unorthodox views is that only one aspect of the modern world keeps people from reverting back to savagery and that is society. Golding shows the extreme situations of what could possibly happen in a society composed of people taken from a structured society then put into a structureless society in the blink of an eye. First there is a need for order until the people on the island realize that there are no rules to dictate their lives and take Daveers into their own hands. Golding is also a master of contrasting characterization. This can be seen in the conflicts between the characters of Jack, the savage; Simon, the savior; and Piggy, the one with all the ideas. Arguably, the most savage person on the island is Jack Merridew. The first image of Jack and his group is presented as "something dark" and a "creature" before Golding goes on to explain "the creature was a party of boys." Ironically, that is exactly what happens. The beast turns out to be the evil within the children themselves. Jack conflicts with most of the other major characters from the beginning. He calls Piggy "Fatty" repeatedly and opposes Jack almost every step of the way. As the novel progresses, Jack becomes more domineering and assertive, slowly losing all of his former morals and civility. The one point in the novel where this happens is when Jack paints his face: "He made one cheek and one eye socket white. . ." Then Jack proceeds to cover the other half of his face in red, foreshadowing his perpetual recruiting and takeover of the island. Jack ends up as the other authority figure on the island by force and by exploiting the other boys need for savagery. The need for savagery arises because of Golding's views of humans as being vicious by nature. Jack, being a leader in his own right, can not see the light of day again once he has seen the darkness of self indulgence and absolute power. Simon, on the other hand, is not wild at all and can easily differentiate the light from the darkness.