Evo Morales Bolivia Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evo Morales Bolivia - Case Study Example Many refer to El Alto as La Paz's shanty town. The majority population in Bolivia is Aymaras or Quechuas Indian from the "original nations of the Andes" (Brea, 2007). The majority in Bolivia are poor indigenous peoples. He visited many nations who have established socialist agendas within their countries. Those visited include Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro. The goal of those visits was to align Bolivia's government with other successful socialist states. A result of those visits was economic aid from Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Morales' political party (Movement for Socialism) rejects the neo-liberal policies and capitalism of the United States in favor of a socialist government that focuses on improving the welfare of all Bolivians. The focus of Morales' political campaign had been in support of indigenous rights. In his inaugural address Morales stated: "The 500 years of Indian resistance have not been in vain. ... 2. Economic Policies and Nationalization One of Morales' first moves was the nationalization of Bolivia's hydrocarbons. Prior to nationalization foreign companies took the majority of profits and left the Bolivians with a mere 18% of the profits. Bolivia's "Gas War" began with the people's protesting against privatization of Bolivia's natural resources. Although past presidents had declared Bolivia's natural resources as property of the State (Martinez, 2007) Bolivia's leaders continued to bow down to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) mandated reforms. Thus, Bolivia's resources were sold with profits going to foreign corporations in the oil and gas business (82%) (Martinez, 2007). 89% of Bolivian voters requested that the government take control of Bolivia's natural resources (Martinez, 2007). Many believe that Evo Morales nationalized Bolivia's natural resources by following Venezuela's Hugo Chavez's lead. In fact Morales actually followed Norway's lead in nationalizing their oil resources. Norway's government receives 90% of the revenue generated by the sale of oil (Martinez, 2007). In addition, Norway's government owns the most shares of the State's oil company. Despite nationalization, private companies that received the 82% of profits prior to nationalization continue to operate within Bolivia receiving lower profits (including Exxon-Mobile, a U.S. Corporation). The Bolivian government did not seize assets of companies working within Bolivia, just the higher cut of the profits generated by the sale of oil and natural gas by these companies. The profits from oil and gas sales have been used by the Bolivian government to improve the educational system within Bolivia and make available low/no interest loans to the poor to

Violence in Prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence in Prisons - Research Paper Example Their situation is made worse by the fact that they are placed in confined environments in their hundreds while the manpower to watch over them is hugely outnumbered. Within the inmate population there is therefore high prevalence of violence incidences. Inmates also experience violence from the guards and vice versa. Prison violence therefore is not a surprising phenomenon not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world. This paper shall therefore elaborate on the different types of prison violence, reasons for this violence and the various solutions to solving prison violence menace. Byrne et al. (2008) state that prison violence comes in various forms namely violence of a prisoner towards another prisoner, prisoner violence on officers and officers violating prisoners. Prisoners in the United States have for a long time developed a gang rule culture which is attributed to be the biggest cause of prisoner violence on a fellow prisoner. Gangs have been seen have a form of territorial control in prisons where members of gangs have better access to facilities and inherent protection rights from gang members. These gangs recruit people to join them where there are rituals while joining which are not necessarily as rosy considering the privileges that accompany their membership in the harsh prison environment. Incidences of sexual harassment and rape have been reported as quite common during recruitment (Jones and Pratt, 2008). It also important to note that in a single prison there can be a number of gangs which obviously compete for the available privileges and res ources, for example the cells to occupy and the kind of chores to engage in. This competition breeds violent acts towards members of other gang members. This escalates the prevalence of prisoner to prisoner violence. In cases of extreme violent conducts prisoners even murder

The NHS Role in Tackling Health Inequalities

The NHS Role in Tackling Health Inequalities At the turn of the 21st century, social health inequalities remain to be the key public health problems in advanced European countries. There is strong variation in life expectancy between and within the countries, which has accumulated over the past 3 or 4 decades (Fox, 1989; Drever Whitehead, 1997; Kunst, 1997; Marmot Wilkinson, 1999; Elstad, 2000; Mackenbach Bakker, 2002). NHS targeted health inequalities with infant mortality and life expectancy at the core to reduce them by 10 % by the end of 2010. These two health inequalities were announced in February 2001, with the other complementary targets, the areas of smoking and teenage pregnancy. These targets were set to reduce the broad spectrum of inequalities covering the general strategy to address all of the major health inequalities including gender, race, age, etc. (DH, 2001). The secretary of state, nationally announced a comprehensive strategy to reduce health inequalities, challenging the NHS as a key player to live up to its founding and enduring values of universality and fairness to shut the unjustified gaps between individuals with any background, fair NHS services with high quality and good outcomes to everyone (Darzi L., 2007). The independent scientific review of the national health inequalities was published in 1998. This report suggested policy developments to tackle health inequalities. This report showed the increasing gap between the different social groups. This resulted in the consideration of these increasing gaps needed action upstream as well as downstream (Acheson Inquiry, 1998). As the NHS and Department of Health continuously poured efforts to reduce the health inequalities. The overall performance can be defined as much achieved more to do (DH, 2009). This review will analyze the role of NHS in tackling health inequalities, as targets were set to reduce infant mortality and to increase the life expectancy in men and women across UK, faster than elsewhere in world. 2.0 Aims: To understand health inequalities To briefly review of the Acheson Inquiry recommendations To study the role of the NHS as a key player in tackling health inequalities in UK. 3.0 Material Methods: Study will review reports and documents published by the Department of Health and the NHS. Review of literature will be done from the data available on the websites of the Department of Health, the NHS and other government websites. Discussion of role of NHS as key player in tackling health inequalities in UK and a comment on the target achieved over a decade. 4.0 Review of Literature: In 1980, the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security published a report of the Working Group on Inequalities in Health, also known as Black Report. This report showed great extent of of which ill-health and death are unequally distributed among the population of Britain, and suggested that these inequalities have been widening rather than diminishing since the establishment of the NHS in 1948(Gray AM. 1982). The Black report identified four types of explanations of health inequalities: artefact, selection, cultural or behavioural, and materialist (Blane D., 1985). Since then there were many studies contributed to broader understanding of the health inequalities (Smith et al 1990). After 1997 NHS had made clear progress, as in 1997 NHS was in relatively poor health, due to this low investment hampered proper planning. In regards with different health inequalities NHS was not simply big enough or capable enough to meet the expectations of the patients (Darzi L., 2007). The steepest inequalities health is observed at two stages of the life course: early childhood and midlife. Less inequality is observed in adolescence and in older age (Kuh Ben Shlomo, 1997). Actual health inequalities were considered and taken note by the scientific independent inquiry called as Acheson Report in November 1998, which reviewed the evidence of health inequalities in UK. Acheson report suggested that, there is convincing evidence that, provided an appropriate agenda of policies can be defined and given priority, many of these inequalities are remediable (Acheson Inquiry, 1998). The Acheson report is supposed to be the cornerstone for the policy development over the last 11 years informing action on the national target and the cross-government strategy, the programme of action. The report focused on socio-economic inequalities which showed the increasing gap between different social groups. It suggested almost 39 recommendations (Appendix I). After considering the all the facts and recommendations, the NHS announced the two national health inequalities targets in February 2001, one relating to the infant mortality and the other to life expectancy. These targets were considered to reflect the efforts taken to reduce the broad spectrum of inequalities at national level across UK. These targets can be formulated under the specific terms socio-economic groups and geographical areas so that they can cover more general strategy to address all of the major health inequalities including gender, race, age as well as health in specific disadvantaged groups such as lone parents and the homeless (DH, 2001). Englands new health strategy, like this across the UK, represents a major advance in the vision and remit of public health policy. Protecting and improving aggregate levels of health no longer provide a sufficient justification for investment in public health; this investment must also yield a more equal distribution of health between socioeconomic groups. As a result, public health goals which were previously expressed only in terms of population averages now include a concern with how health is distributed across society. It is a concern summed up in the goal of tackling health inequality (Hilary G., 2004). 5.0 Understanding Health Inequalities: Inequalities are a matter of life and death, of health and sickness, of well-being and misery. The fact that in UK today people in different social circumstances experience avoidable differences in health, well-being and length of life is, quite simply, unfair. Inequalities in health arise because of inequalities in society in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. So close is the link between particular social and economic features of society and the distribution of health among the population, that the magnitude of health inequalities is a good marker of progress towards creating a fairer society (Marmot, 2010). The documents on plans, actions and performance standards are designed to spell out what it means to tackle socioeconomic inequalities in health. Their descriptions suggest that it has a variety of meanings. At some points, tackling health inequalities is described as a commitment to break the link between poverty and ill health and to improve the health of the worst off (Milburn, 2001 as Cited in Hilary G., 2004). Health inequalities can be stated as the disparity in health status between rich and poor and the health gap between the worst off in society and the better off (Wanless D., 2001). At other points, health inequality is a concept which covers the whole population. Health inequality exists between social classes and right across the spectrum of advantage and disadvantage (Hilary G., 2004). 6.0 Review of Acheson Report: The Acheson report was published in 1998 from then it has been considered as the corner stone for tackling health inequalities. This independent scientific review considered the developments over the 20 years and identified some possible policy developments to address health inequalities. The report showed the data with increasing gap between social groups, in early 1970s, the mortality rate among the men of the working age was almost twice as high as for those working in social class V (unskilled) as for those in social class I (professional). By the earlier 1990s, it was almost three times higher. This resulted in the consideration of this increasing gap needed action upstream as well as downstream in other words from outside the NHS, as well as within it. The report also addressed that social determinants affect peoples health across their lives; the early years are a particularly important stage of life, where poor socio-economic circumstances have long lasting effects. Consequently, it gave priority to policies and interventions with the potential to reduce inequalities in access to the determinants of good health among parents, particularly present and future mothers, and children. It suggested almost 39 recommendations (Appendix I) which focus around the 4 major themes: The social determinants of health, such as poverty and income, education, employment, environment and housing The life course, including lifestyle factors such as smoking, nutrition and alcohol consumption Other dimensions of health inequalities beyond socio-economic status namely ethnicity, gender and age Measures to improve the effectiveness of the NHSs systems of care, not least in terms of resources and access to services. The report gave high priority to mothers, children and families. Tackling health inequalities is a complex and long-term challenge, requiring action across the layers which influence the health. The relationship between these layers is shown below in Fig. 1 (an updated version of the Dahlgren and Whitehead diagram that appeared in the Acheson report). Fig. 1 The main determinants of health: Source: Barton and Grant (2006) adaptation of Dahlgren and Whitehead (1991) from UN Economic Commission for Europe (2007) Resource Manual to Support Application of the Protocol on Strategic Environment Assessment. 7.0 National Health Inequalities Strategy, Programme for Action: The national health inequalities target was set in 2001 the aim was to reduce the health outcomes in infant and the overall increase in life expectancy by 2010. The national health inequalities strategy programme for action was built on the board front set out in Acheson, which focused on the importance of the working across government and in partnership both with other service providers and with the local communities (DH, 2003). Four themes of the programme for action: supporting families, mothers and children reflecting the high priority given to them in the Acheson report engaging communities and individuals strengthening capacity to tackle local problems and pools of deprivation, alongside national programmes to address the needs of local communities and socially excluded groups preventing illness and providing effective treatment and care by means of tobacco policies, improvements in primary care and tackling the big killers coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer addressing the underlying social determinants of health emphasising the need for concerted action across government at national and local levels up to and beyond the 2010 target date. Annual status report has to be published throughout the lifetime of strategy, these developments were monitored against the NHS to the wider determinants of health (reflecting Achesons proposal for action on broad front), and 82 departmental commitments (DH, 2003) These Annual status reports showed the improvement in health in real terms across all social groups, against a range of indicators including life expectancy, infant mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer, and reported on developments against the cross-departmental commitments (DH, 2010). 8.0 Role of the NHS in tackling health inequalities: As NHS is the key player in tackling health inequalities target set in 2001- By 2010 to reduce the inequalities in health outcomes by 10% as measured by the infant mortality and life expectancy at birth. 8.1 Life expectancy- The life expectancy gap between the areas with lowest life expectancy and the national average is caused principally by premature deaths from cancer, circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases with smaller effects from suicide and violence in men. The over 50s contribute 79% of the gap in women and 70% of the gap in men. It follows that the priorities for NHS action which will have the greatest impact on narrowing the gap are: addressing cancer and circulatory diseases within manual social groups because these major killers exhibit strong social class gradients. Improving the life expectancy of the over 50s high quality care in disadvantaged areas, especially primary care. Key areas of interventions to narrow the gap in life expectancy are: reducing smoking, prevention and effective management of other risk factors in primary care, targeting over-50s, and working pro-actively with partners on issues affecting life expectancy. 8.2 Infant mortality- Deaths under one year of age total about 3,000 per year. The two major causes of neonatal deaths are immaturity related conditions and congenital malformations and both show a strong social class gradient. The social class gradient is greater for post-neonatal deaths. Just under 50% of all post-neonatal deaths are accounted for by two causes: signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions (predominantly SIDS) and congenital anomalies. The underlying determinants of mortality and ill-health in infants include: low birth weight maternal smoking (smoking during pregnancy) paternal smoking maternal anthropometry/nutritional status failure to breast feed quality and quantity of health care maternal age the physical environment (housing condition) the family and social environment Key areas for interventions to narrow the gap in infant mortality are: reducing smoking in pregnancy, improving nutrition in women, reducing teenage pregnancy, increasing breast-feeding, effective ante-natal care, improving the quality of midwifery, obstetric and neonatal services and high quality family support. The NHS set to improve the action to address health inequalities (Appendix II): Raise the profile of health inequalities and focusing on results Making it clear it is not good enough to achieve top line targets at the expense of widening inequalities Make health inequalities an integral part of planning, commissioning and delivery Promote Health Equity Audit, Local Delivery Plan and its impact on the health inequalities. Partnership working and influencing partners to tackle the wider determinants of health and health inequalities Progress must be measured Use of the Health Care Standards and their underpinning criteria. The WHO guiding principle, that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, was reiterated in the 1998 World Health Declaration (Hilary G., 2004). The report on health profile of England 2009 states there are improvements in number of critical areas eg. Decrease in mortality rates, increase in life expectancy and further reduction in infant and perinatal mortality (DH, 2010). These achievements can be defined as much achieved more to do'(DH, 2009). Now the NHS is focusing to be the World Class NHS whom services will be (Darzi L., 2007)- Fair Personalized Effective Safe Over recent years health inequalities have increasingly featured as an NHS priority. This has been evident in their incorporation into other Public Service Agreement health targets, and the findings of the Wanless report noted the association between lower socio-economic status and poor health outcomes, and the cost consequences for the NHS (Wanless D., 2004). The contribution of the NHS to the 2010 target was recognized in the Treasury-led cross cutting review (DH, 2002). This review considered the implications of the Acheson report for departments across government and the NHS. It identified NHS interventions as more likely than other interventions to help deliver the short-term target through reducing smoking in manual groups and preventing and managing other risk factors for coronary heart disease and cancer, but it recognised that the social determinants were crucial for a long-term sustainable reduction in health inequalities. 9.0 Discussion: The Black Report concluded that inequalities in early 1980s were not mainly attributable to failings in the NHS, but rather to many other social inequalities influencing health: income, education, housing, diet, employment, and conditions of work. Then Black Report recommended a wide strategy of social policy measures to combat inequalities in health. After 10 years of Black report the social class differences in mortality were still increasing, after this there were many studies undertaken addressing inequalities in health'(Smith et al 1990). Then Acheson report was published in 1998 an independent scientific review of the inequalities in health, and in 2001 the national targets for tackling inequalities in health were set in which Department of Health and NHS played a key role the success can be stated as the much achieved more to do (DH, 2009). The Marmot review recommends action on health inequalities requires action across all the social determinants of health and needs to invol ve all central and local government departments as well as the third and private sectors. Action taken by the Department of Health and the NHS alone will not reduce health inequalities (Marmot, 2010). 10.0 Conclusion: The above study shows the NHS had played a key role in tackling health inequalities along with the Department of Health over the past decade. This resulted in the highest life expectancy ever in UK and gradual decrease in the infant mortality. Overall development in past decade is shown in Appendix III, which shows factors such as employment, housing conditions, educational achievement, crime and child poverty without which the overall improvement in the health inequalities is not possible. The role of NHS in tackling health inequalities have also improved the overall performance of the NHS itself in and made the NHS a World Class NHS visioning fair, personalized, effective and safe services ahead.

Colonial Times :: American America History

Colonial Times The colonial period was A time of much change, as is the modern period. Many people viewed things differently in the colonial period than they do today. The people of the colonial period had much more traditional values than the people of today. The people of the colonial period thought of religion much more sternly than I do. John Winthrop believed in a very stern God. John Winthrop writes, "Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath he ratified this Covenant and sealed our Commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the Articles contained in it" (43). He believes that God acts completely as he wishes, without any thought for man. Samuel Sewall used religion to help him when he needed help. In his diary, Samuell Sewall writes, "...My Son, the minister, came to me p.m. by appointment and we pray one for another in the Old Chamber; more especially respecting my Courtship"(63). Sewall only acted religious when it was convenient for him. I personally believe in a God much more caring than that Winthrop believed in. I also believe that God is always around, not just when I need him. Different people have many different religious beliefs. Throughout history, views of love have changed. Anne Bradstreet valued love as a strong romantic bond. In Bradstreet's poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband" she writes, "I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, Or all the ritches that Earth doth hold"(51). In this excerpt, Bradstreet is speaking to her Husband. John Winthrop viewed love as a religious bond between all men. He writes, "Love is the bond of perfection" (39). Winthrop gives few references to romantic love. I personally think of love as something that people feel for each other just because they are both people. I believe there is an element of love between all people. Love is viewed differently by different people, but these beliefs have little to do with what time period these people lived in. It appears that as time goes by, people view marriage more romantically, and less economically. Samuell Sewell viewed marriage as a way to advance monetarily. In his diary he writes, "I said 'twould cost L100. per annum: she said twould cost but L40"(63). This is just one example of him carefully calculating the costs of marriage.

The Tulsa Race Riot and Floridas Rosewood Massacre

The Tulsa Race Riot and Florida’s Rosewoood Massacre In about the 75 years following the Tulsa Race Riot, there has been investigation on what has happened in Tulsa on the date May 31 and June 1, 1921. The Tulsa Race Riot was a devastating event in history where many had lost their lives, around 300 with recent investigations, and the Greenwood District of Tulsa was destroyed. The riot started over a racial dispute, involving a group of black men trying to prevent a lynching of another black man after he was arrested, that escalated in the worst way leaving over a thousand homeless.Afterwards this horrific event was hid from the public for many years and is just being brought to attention within the past 10 years. The community that was destroyed from fire and destruction from the riot has since been rebuilt and is a completely changed area. But it is known there are still harsh feelings about what happened those many years ago and what little has been done to make up for it. No reparations have been made so far those who have suffered through the riot and survived and for the ones who didn’t and their descendents.No one was convicted for his or her participation in the riot and no compensation has been given for the many destroyed homes leaving many people homeless. The survivors of the riot are telling their stories and it is understood that they are trying to get the knowledge of this disaster to spread to other places outside of Tulsa to hopefully get something positive out of it weather it be knowledge for others or something to cope with the grief.This event is not in history books and has not even been really talked about within and outside the community until recently. Nothing effective has been done to make up for what wrong has been done to the victims. Which should immediately be changed, especially for the survivors of the incident who are still alive to their tragic story and share the truth that has been under wraps for so many years . Schools around Tulsa are now starting to talk about what happened but still no where in history books or anywhere else is it being taught.Florida’s Rosewood Massacre of 1923 was an event that occurred because of a rumor of a white woman being sexually assaulted by a black man, resulting in at least 10 men killed and most of the African American community of Rosewood devastatingly being burned down except for 2 buildings. In earlier years it was sufficient if there wasn’t much questioning of the woman or the others that were around during the attack. Instead they just took the woman’s word for it and ignored any other allegations of what happened.The evidence of what happened spread around the area of Rosewood setting off a group of white man searching for an escaped convict they assumed was to blame, resulting in the massacre. After many years of this massacre occurring and not being exposed, 50 thousand dollars has been put to the investigation to find out an y more information by looking through areas that which it has occurred. This, just like the Tulsa Race Riot, was a horrible act of racial violence that responsibility needs to be taken by the state it occurred in.But unlike Tulsa something has been done; 7 million dollars has been assigned to the remaining living victims and the families of those who are no longer alive to try and make right for what has happened. This Compensation was effective enough but the one of the only ways to completely make up for what happened is if it was brought to light much sooner, and something was done about what happened many years ago when most of the people were still alive instead of waiting until now when everyone is dying off.Its understood that people believe waiting until most of the survivors have passed away and then tell the events of what has happened is going to be to late. The very few survivors that are left from this event are telling their story because if they don’t know one would have known the truth as to what happened during that duration of time the massacre occurred. So far both reconciliations have not been effective enough especially for the Tulsa Race Riot. That is why everything is going to be done to bring justice to those who have suffered through these events in history.To make up for what wrong has happened to the people that suffered through the Tulsa race Riot an amount of 8 million dollars is going to go to the victims and their families. This is more money than the Rosewood victims received only because the Tulsa Riot involved a great deal more of people. This amount is going to be given because of the grief they had to experience from death of the people around them, being homeless, the amount of time it took to get this event any recognition, and having to start their lives over from scratch since their property was destroyed and burned down. thousand dollars will be given to any further research that needs to be conducted for the Tul sa Race Riot so that all information is gathered. Both events will be written about by professional historians to put in to textbooks of all over the country when all investigations are complete over time starting where it occurred and then spreading to different states due to the costs of new textbooks. What is being done is to restore the social peace between the state and the victims of these gruesome of events that were not accounted for many years so there is no hatred or anything negative between the two. MLA Citation

Why I Am in College

Channy Dr. Broussard 02/19/2013 The reason why I’m in college is for to better myself by obtaining a degree in Elementary Education, to show my family that I can achieve a degree and for my children. I been out of school for twelve years so this was a big step for me. Trying to juggle college and working full-time is going to be a challenge. I am in college because it is the best way for me to get a high paying job.By going to school and obtaining a bachelor’s degree in education I will be doing what it takes to accomplish my goals. Pie- In order to become a teacher, I’ll have to go to a four year university, pass the Praxis, and the state board. Illustration- The information one learns in college classes will prepare them to teach because it provides the framework for future knowledge and growth. Explanation- Getting a degree is important to me because it allows me to follow in my mother footsteps and teach young children.In order to become a teacher, I’l l have to go to a four-year university, pass the Praxis, and the state board. The information one learns in college classes prepare them to teach because it provides the framework for future knowledge and growth. If I do not acquire this information I will be unfit to teach in a classroom setting. Getting a degree is important to me because it allows me to follow in my mother footsteps and teach young children.