Benin :: essays research papers

Benin, independent nation of W Africa, formerly called Dahomey. Once a French protectorate, it is a country of 40 ethnic tribal groups and a low-level economy.Land and EconomyLocated in the bulge on the S side of W Africa, Benin is bordered by Nigeria, Toga, Berkina Faso, and Niger, with 75 mi (121km) on the Gulf of Guinea. The coast is hot and humid, and there are two rainy and two dry seasons; average annual rainfall is 32in (813mm). Benin has three plateaus, one fertile, another of bare rocks, and a third with streams flowing to the Volta and Niger rivers and including the Atakora range. The E section is a plain. Subsistence agriculture is the economic base. Palm products and cotton account for half of export revenues.PeopleThe leading class in Benin is composed of male-line descendants of the Aja (Fons, or Dahomey) who had established the early kingdom. Trained for civil service by the French, they are the best educated; literacy is 25% among school-age children. In the N are the nomadic Fulani and the Somba tribe, hunters with no political organization; E are Baribas. 90% of the population is rural, and 65% practices animist religion. French is the common language.GovernmentBenin has been under military rule since 1970. The constitution of 1977 instituted a national assembly, whose members belong to the sole legal political party, the Benin People's Revolutionary Party.HistoryBenin's history dates back to three principalities-Allada, Porto-Novo, and Dahomey-in the S area who were being pushed by the N Kingdom of Abomey in the 16th century. Dahomey was the most aggressive, pushing N and selling slaves. In 1863 the king of Porto-Novo sought French protection. By 1892 France had subjugated all groups and made them protectorates as part of French West Africa. In 1960 the country became independent as Dahomey. The official name was changed to Benin in 1976. Economic and regional rivalries have caused numerous military coup d'‚tats and changes of government since 1960. The Marxist-Leninist military government in power since 1972, led by Brig. Gen. Mathieu Kerekou, relaxed its authority somewhat during the late 1970s and improved relations with France.

Health Care Operations Essay

In a healthcare organization, there are issues, like any other organization. The difference is that in this type of organization, peoples’ health or even their lives can be at stake. Therefore, there is little room for error and all issues must be addressed as soon as possible so that the impact can be controlled and minimized. One such issue can be the overcrowding of the emergency department at hospitals. Many hospitals face this problem especially at the time of disasters and calamities. At times of emergencies, injured people can be flowing in. At times like these, there is always a shortage of space, doctors, supplies and medical attention. Such a problem can have a great negative impact. To analyze the root cause of this problem, following is a ‘five whys’ section aimed at getting to the root of the problem. Why-1 Why is the emergency department being overcrowded? There is not enough space to accommodate the incoming patients. There is mostly a lack of beds, rooms, doctors, medical supplies and treatment. At times of emergencies, the patients coming in are severely injured and need medical attention. With limited resources, these patients do not get enough attention and the delays can cause complications in their medical conditions. Injuries and illnesses can be worsened and lives can be lost because of this lack of space and resources. Why-2 Why is there a lack of space and resources in the hospital? Â  The lack of space can be a design flaw or a problem during the planning phase when the operations scale were being mapped out and discussed. The lack of resources can have the same cause as well i.e. the planned scale of operations was underestimated. Why-3 Why was the scale of operations underestimated? The medical facilities needed in the surrounding environment or locality were underestimated; the planning team did not realize that the locality would need emergency medical facilities on a larger scale. Why-4 Why were the emergency medical needs of the locality underestimated? The survey and requirements analysis done before planning out the operations of the hospital were either done poorly or not at all. This can have several causes too like unskilled researchers and lack of expertise. Failure to look at all social aspects and the lack research backing the healthcare facility plan can be the root causes of the problem. Thus, all projects need to be started off after thorough research and planning so that future issues can be looked after.

Communicate in a business environment Essay

1.1 – The purpose of communication can be given by any means, it could be talking, email, text message, phone call, meeting as a group and notes. But all of these are done for the same reason to resolve a problem, to communicate a problem to others to resolve it or to organize or explain the problem to help other understand the agenda of what you are speaking about or working on. Every person has their own skills and knowledge so by communicating we can help each other learn or explain things to each other by all of the forms of communications mentioned above. There would be no understanding or routine without communication. 1.2 – The reasons for knowing the audience to whom you are speaking to is that if you know them then you can quickly figure out or should already know what way, language or style of writing which should or could be used. The aim is always to get your point, problem or query understood by whomever may be listening, reading or watching. So if it is an individual, group or team or people you know that you may know personally this makes the task at hand so much easier because they will believe you in what you are saying or trying to communicate across in which ever manner which is chosen. They will also understand the language, emotion or attitude you will be using towards them compared to if it was a complete stranger trying to understand you. I will always use whichever way of talking, writing or body language which I think will be the easiest for my selected audience at hand. Read more:  Different reasons why people communicate  essay 1.3 – The different methods of communication are Verbal, Written and non-verbal (Body language). Verbal would be communicating by using my voice to say and tell whatever I may be trying to communicate across to my audience. Written communication would be, sending an email, letter, text message to explain, tell or inform my audience. Non-verbal communication using body language, would be showing with my hands,  eyes or face by using gestures to show and tell. 1.4 – You should always use different methods of communication, for example if you was in a management meeting you would always communicate verbally in a formal manner. For just having a general talk between our editorial team in our desk area we would use informal for talking about the plans for the social media sites for the company, what products should be selected to show up on the company’s daily Facebook updates. Non-verbal would or could be used by sending an emails to someone to add facts, figures or statistic’s or even in a form as a written note. Body language is always used even without us know we are doing it, in any form of communication except sending emails, texts etc.†¦ Body language can tell or show a lot more from the way you hold your self during a public speaking or when at an informal or formal meetings.

CBS news program Essay Example for Free

CBS news program Essay The broadcast news source that I watched was the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, which was a half hour evening broadcast. Couric sat behind a desk, facing the viewer the entire time. The top stories on this broadcast were the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Kansas City tornadoes, and the â€Å"Make or Break† mission in Afghanistan. Each story received about five minutes of airtime. Couric narrated statistics of how much oil has leaked and the length of coastline that has been affected in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico while live footage showed clean-up efforts taking place along the coast. The story was made relatable for the viewer by explaining that the amount of oil spilled is enough to cover all of New York City. It was lent credibility by an on-site reporter and correspondent that interviewed both local residents involved in the clean-up and with experts working to stop the oil leak. There was no attention paid to the source of the leak or to anyone being held responsible for the accident. The story about the tornadoes in Kansas City featured footage from a resident’s video camera of the funnel cloud approaching, along with local news footage of the damage to local homes and businesses. Couric, the on-site correspondent and a representative from the National Weather Service delivered their news in professional, almost formal tones. This gave the program the feel of being informed, but somewhat impersonal. The only statistics given were the death rate numbers, and the story ended by stating that more tornadoes were headed toward the area. Couric’s coverage of the â€Å"Make or Break† mission taking place in Afghanistan was the third top story. It discussed the efforts to reclaim the city of Khandahar from the Taliban and gave background information into previous operations in the war between the United States and the Taliban. In-depth explanations were given of where the US troops will go and what they will do. A correspondent reporting from the Pentagon made the story seem more credible, even as he explained President Obama’s reasoning behind the troop surge. The cable news source that I viewed was Fox News on the Fox News Network. It was hosted by Shepard Smith. This was also a half hour evening news broadcast. The top three stories on the show were the Kansas City tornadoes, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the theft of a memorial cross for World War I veterans from a Mojave Desert monument. Air time for each top story was about five minutes, similar to Couric’s program. Shepard Smith delivered all of his dialogue standing and was positioned at various spots throughout the broadcast, as opposed to Couric who stayed seated. There were fast graphics, upbeat background music, and a news wire line across the bottom of the screen delivering more headlines during the top stories, all features not included in the CBS broadcast. The story about the Kansas City tornadoes lasted about five minutes. In included local news footage shot by a Kansas City news program, an in-studio commentator and weather expert that discussed the tornado system with Smith, and footage of local survivors describing what they had seen and heard and detailing the damage to their personal property. Statistics about deaths and injuries were given, and the segment ended with Smith saying that another storm system was on its way. When discussing the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Smith delved deeper into the Capital Hill investigation of BP, Transocean, and Halliburton in the attempt to determine which company was responsible for the accident. There was also more attention given to the tanker explosion that caused the accident and there was mention of the crew that died in the explosion, information that was not included in the CBS news program. This made the Fox coverage of the oil spill seem more informed and more personable. It was made more personable by Smith’s opinion that someone should be held accountable. The story about the World War I monument being stolen seemed more of a human interest story, and it was interesting that this was made a top story on the program. In discussing the theft of the monument that had stood in the Mojave Desert since 1934, Smith talked with a veteran that was coordinating an effort to have the monument recovered along with a legal correspondent that explained the ongoing debate over whether the monument should be allowed to be erected in the spot in the first place. Overall, the basic layout of the programs was the same. Each top story was given about five minutes of air time and each featured on-site correspondents, experts, video footage, and interviews. The Fox News broadcast was made more engaging with more music, a host that moved around and stood while he spoke, offered jokes and offhanded opinions about the news stories, and in-studio correspondents to discuss them. The CBS broadcast was more serious and toned-down, with Couric being the only correspondent in the studio, tamer graphics, and no news wire. I feel that both proved ample credibility with their straightforward delivery of the facts. But I feel that the Fox News broadcast was more personable and relatable because instead of just showing footage of what’s happening right now like the CBS program did, Fox’s program gave more background information and opinions from more individuals to help the viewer understand the issues and the stories better. Similarities were evident for the basic purpose of news delivery, but the differences occurred because of a different attitude towards the viewer. CBS news program. (2016, Sep 11).

Peer pressure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Peer pressure - Essay Example In most cases, a young person’s personal values  are altered  and shaped by his peer group so as to increase his  similarity  with the other group members. Peer groups are usually well established in most high schools, workplaces and members of the  group  exert pressure to the new members joining the group. Friendship among teenagers is one of the most  important  factors during development. Friendship gives them  secure  venue to discover their identity and experience a sense of belonging. It also cultivates their social skills  relevant  for their future success. On the contrary,  friendship  can  influence  them negatively or positively whereby they end up submitting to negative or positive peer  influence. Young people  become  influenced because of their self-image and self esteem. This serves as a  motive  for them to  identify  with groups that they  fit  or groups that will  accept  them. Those dimensions of the  self  that  are valued  by one’s own peer group become  very  outstanding  in each young person’s self-assessment.   Some peer pressure can be  good. This  is measured  by their outcome whereby positive  influence  of friends  is seen  to play  important  roles among the lives of peers. Positive peers  set  good  examples among themselves, and they tend  to become  good  role models for each other. They can influence each other on goal oriented activities such as working together in  school  work, discussing problems and personal issues together that can help one to make  good  decisions, listening to each other, offering  good  advice and developing a positive  culture  among others. Positive peer pressure can be used to encourage and promote social behavior, because as observed peers can have a  powerful  effect  on self-esteem. Well accepted children can  display  positive  academic skills, social behavior and even

Christian Church in the Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Christian Church in the Middle Ages - Essay Example The church influenced the way people think. The advent of the church began upon the fall of the Roman Empire. The Catholic Church was the only source of moral authority during the middle ages. The head of the Catholic Church at the time was, just like today, the Pope. Members of the church believed that the Pope represented Jesus spiritually on earth. Under the Pope were cardinals, archbishops, bishops and local priests who were in direct contact with the populace. The pope and the archbishops only presided in important occasions. Normal services were the obligations of the local priest under instructions from the Bishops. The major role of the church during the middle ages was to fulfill the spiritual need s of the followers. Priests gave instructions to peasants and the people living in towns in the faith. They also served important purposes in comforting the members when they are in trouble. When members of the church lost a loved one, the priests would be there to console with the families and ensure an organized send off. According to the church, everybody is a sinner, whether male or female and Christian s could escape the wrath from God by believing in Jesus. They would receive eternal life in heaven through doing good and fully participating in the sacraments. Apart from the spiritual leadership role, the church performed many secular roles. The church owned land and Christians contributed to the wealth creation of the church through tithes. Tithes were a portion of the members’ earnings that they gave to the church. Through canon laws, the church had its court to matters relating to justice. Except the monarchs, the church had authority over the secular leaders. The pope had the power to excommunicate kings and other secular rulers who attempted to challenge him. Some members of the Christian community during the middle ages dedicated their lives to serving God and they became Monks and Nuns.

Australian Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Australian Gas - Essay Example Dividends during that time have grown from 52 cents per share to 63 cents per share (93 cents per share in 2005 which includes a special 30 cent dividend). That is approximately 5% dividend growth per year. Earnings per share (excluding extraordinary items) during the last three years has grown from 73 cents per share in 2003 to 79 in 2004 and 84 cents per share in 2005 (the last year full figures are available), which is an average growth rate of just over 7% per year. Underlying profit (excluding significant items) grew from $351 million to $386 million just over 6% growth for the year. EBIT remained steady at approximately 13.6% of funds employed. Total liabilities dropped from $3.4 billion to $2.6 billion a 22% drop. The debt to equity ratio dropped significantly dropping from over 40% in 2004 to approximately 27% in 2005. The price to earnings ratio during the last three years has remained relatively stable as well. In February 2003 the stock was trading at about 10.00 per share and had earnings of 73 cents that gave it a P/E of approximately 14. In February 2004 the stock was trading at just over 11.00 per share and had earnings of 79 which kept the P/E very close to 14 and in February of 2005 the stock was trading at approximately 13.25 per share and had earnings of 84 cents. This caused the P/E to jump slightly to approximately 16 which was still well within the average P/E of other gas and electric companies. RISKSThere are a myriad of risk factors for this company, including (but not limited to): rates being set by the regulatory board that are not in line with company expectations, a vote by shareholders that halts the planned divestiture of AGL energy and AGL infrastructure into two separate entities, the ongoing environmental investigations and standards that need to be met and of course a more consistent weather pattern that lowers the demand for electricity or natural gas.The rates that are currently being considered are in line with industry standards and though there are a number of rate revisions being considered by the regulatory commission the company feels that the recent trend has been for the governing board to take a light approach, not a heavy handed approach to rate increases. This bodes well for the company.The divestiture of AGL energy into a separate entity is viewed by most experts to be a good decision and profitable for the shareholders. Recent surveys show that the majority of shareholders are planning to vote for the divestiture and subsequent merger at the shareholders meeting in October 2006. The company is committed to a clean environment and recently began to draw up plans for the