Affirmative Action Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Affirmative Action - Term Paper Example The following will explore job discrimination with an eye to how this form of discrimination affects certain groups of people in the labor market and how society has attempted to protect these people from discrimination. Taking a controversial approach to minority set aside programs, this essay will then persuasively argue that since these programs promote discrimination themselves, they are inherently defeatist and promote the same type of behavior that they try to eradicate. We now begin with an overview of the reasons for minority set aside programs – also called affirmative action – and this will follow with a concise rebuttal of the needs for such programs. We will explore the unintended consequences of affirmative action and begin with a concise exploration of the issue of discrimination in the work place. Discrimination in the workforce affects people from all walks of life. Accordingly, the employment opportunities of half of our population are hindered by latent and overt sexism in the offices of America. Affirmative action seeks to resolve issues of inequality and discrimination faced by select groups. The Civil Rights Act states emphatically that discrimination based on sex, race or religion is prohibited and the EEOC guidelines for affirmative action ensures that key groups are given specific advantages due to the challenges they will face in society. For example, it is well known that women in America earn substantially less than their male counterparts. The Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963 was established more than four decades ago to protect men and women who perform the same tasks from wage-based discrimination. Sexism is an unfortunate aspect of our modern society but the EPA seeks to combat it through positive legislation aimed at correcting the pay discrepancy between men and women in the labor force. Older workers also face a variety of impediments to their active inclusion in the labor force and the Age Discrimination in

The major problem or issue currently facing natural resource managers Assignment

The major problem or issue currently facing natural resource managers in agriculture - Assignment Example The resource based activities in which the rural poor are engaged in include petite extent farming, animal production, fishing, hunting, mining and logging. They therefore rely on returns from these activities as their most important sources of earnings. They therefore plummet back to innate wherewithal when these sources fail. For them the natural resources foster consistency and reinforce the net security of the entire community. Bell and Park (2006) explain that the above does not however mean that the rich live their lives independent of natural resources. They derive more ecological proceeds from natural resources because they are proficient to exercise stronger control over the resources due to their greater administrative influence they have as compared to the underprivileged. One of the major problems facing environmental managers is scheming and preventing environmental degradation. Its impact spread to all aspects of the economy and not just the surroundings. Environmental slump leads to loss of species that impact negatively on the environment and abridged agricultural productivity that lead to poor economic growth. Bates (2003) explained that those who rely on the environment should do so with resilience and little or no vulnerability. Therefore, the problem faced by natural resource managers is how to ensure that the resources are used with pliability or less susceptibility while at the same instance deriving benefits. The strain in the natural resources is caused by uninhibited increase in population growth, this increases dependency on grain imports, loss of biodiversity and neglect of conventional farming techniques. This is caused by the migration of people to the urban areas to look for employment (Bellamy, Meppem, Gorddard and Dawson 2005). The establishment, testing and continuation of adaptive capability of natural and societal systems is becoming of huge concern to the managers in agricultural sector because of unfavorable climate change, poor water use and management in Australia. The actions of human beings are of great concern because they impact on natural resources with greater implications on social and economic development, sustainable livelihoods and environmental management. Land use and greater pressure on social systems are caused by increase in bucolic non farm money-making activities and increased urban population. Emergence of the problem of environmental conservation is of great complexity due to the multiple causes, problem perspectives and solution approaches. The solution approaches are also faced with poor institutional settings. Part of the solution approaches to curb the problem of conservation therefore requires a shift from federalism to proper ascendancy. This leads to interrelations of processes, structures and tasks. Australia represents countries with accelerating levels of environmental degradation and the complexity of natural resource ascendancy. There are however frameworks within the A ustralian Federal System to address the accelerating periodic challenges of sustainable natural resource and social systems. Sustainable formation, testing and maintenance of opportunities therefore refer to the goal of nurturing capabilities and creating viable opportunities. New-fangled cohort of authority in Australia is experimented to deal with issues relating to vitality of varying

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay Example for Free

Bob Dylan Poetry Essay A comparison of recordings of Bob Dylans All along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix offers a vivid case study of what Samuel Floyd characterizes as the complementary oppositions of African- and European-derived musical processes and events. The song itself draws together elements of ballad and blues traditions; and the two recordings treat this synthesis in very different ways even as they share the common ground of late 1960s rock. Dylans is a spare, acoustic folk-rock rendition, while Hendrixs is an opulent electric spectacle whose sonic and syntactic conception npacks the latent drama only suggested by the original. In the process, Hendrix offers an alternative answer to the songs existential dilemma implied in its lyrics and emphasized in its musical setting. This paper examines the elements and the workings of the dialogic interaction represented first of all in Dylans song, and then in the transformation it undergoes in Hendrixs version. His use of language was unusual, and called attention to itself by Juxtaposing words and images not usually associated with each other. In contrast, All Along The Watchtower is spare and restrained. The song consists of only three verses, with no chorus. The language is simple. Yet the three verses are packed with meaning and drama. Lets see how it starts. There must be some kind of way out of here, OSaid the Joker to the thief. Notice how Dylan starts the song by throwing us into the middle of a conversation, and begins with an urgent statement. We dont know where the here is from which the speaker wants to escape, but we know he wants out. The sense of drama is immediate. We find out that the two people speaking are the joker and the thief. These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form r another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these fgures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters. The Joker, or Jester, can be seen in general to represent the artist: s omeone whose role is to amuse other members of the established order, but also to provoke them, to suggest alternate ways of looking at reality. And, of course, the Joker and the thief are both outsiders of sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society. Theres too much confusion, 01 cant get no relief. 0Businessmen, they drink my wine, OPIowmen dig my earth. ONone of them along the line 0Know what any of it is worth. The rest of the verse tells us why the Joker wants to escape: there is too much confusion. But what is confused? Others are benefiting from his labors, and working for him to help produce the results. But neither understands the worth of their efforts. So the confusion is about values: what is valuable and what is not. No reason to get xcited, 0The thief he kindly spoke. 0There are many here among us OWho feel that life is but a Joke. 0But you and l, weve been through that, OAnd this is not our fate. So let us not talk falsely now, 0The hour is getting late. The second verse begins with the thief speaking kindly to the Joker. This adverb lets us know that he is sympathetic and that he, perhaps, understands the worth of the Joker and his efforts. the thief and the Joker know better, having lived through that. So while others may still be confused, these two are not. Since they understand the value of life, it is mportant for them to be truthful with one another. Then the last line of the verse brings us back from exposition to a sense of drama and movement, and impending action: the hour is getting late. All along the watchtower, OPrinces kept the view, 0 While all the women came and went † 0Barefoot servants too. 00utside in the cold distance, OA wildcat did growl. 0Two riders were approaching, and 0The wind began to howl. The beginning of this final verse suddenly shifts the scene, without at first giving us any sense of how this new setting connects to the first one. In contrast to the first two verses, which were full of conversation, this verse unfolds almost cinematically, full of visual imagery. This new scene is populated with princes, women, and barefoot servants, establishing a time and place in the past, although again using enduring, archetypal fgures. These fgures guarding their castle seem to represent established society, and the existing power structure. But what are they guarding against? A wildcat growls from a distance, suggesting the savage, untamed power of nature lurking Just beyond the well-ordered lights of the castle. Then we see the two riders approaching. Suddenly, in only four words, the first two verses are connected with the last. With a sort of cinematic establishing shot, but used at the end of the story rather than the beginning, we see the thief and the Joker approaching the castle. We already know that they want to establish a different set of values, one based on the worth of human life. Their approach towards the guarded castle suggests an impending confrontation. And then the last line of the song strengthens this suggestion with imagery of a furious storm starting to build. Note how this last verse has made physical the relationships suggested in the previous lines. The thief, Joker and wildcat are all placed outside the castle, which is occupied by princes and servants. So we now have, in a very concrete sense, independent outsiders and a rigid power hierarchy. Dylans accomplishment here is nothing less than amazing. In the space of a few verses, in a song so spare it could almost be missed as a throw-away, Dylan manages to accomplish all of the following. Summarizes his own life to date. Given his earlier efforts to make pointed fun f almost everything around him, and his near-fatal motorcycle crash that marked a turning point in his career, it is hard not to see the Joker as Dylan himself. He has now learned that life is not a Joke, and distinguishes between artists and outsiders who understand the seriousness of life, versus the businessmen and fans who treat his art as simply a marketable commodity. Identifies the primary issue of our time as one of values. Modern thinkers such as Ken Wilber, with his image of our contemporary flatland, in which everything is seen as neutral, and devoid of value, are brought to mind. In earlier songs Dylan talked tirelessly of modern fgures misunderstanding the significance of issues such as war, freedom and poverty. Here Dylan stands back from these specific issues and reduces the confrontation to its essential element: human values against the established order. Propels his theme with a powerful dramatic structure. From a traditional dramatic viewpoint, almost nothing happens in this song: two riders talk to each play. Yet by repeatedly hinting at the intensity of a coming confrontation, and by identifying the two opposing forces, Dylan keeps us on the edges of our seats, ondering what will happen next. The effect at the end is comparable to the conclusion of William Butler Yeats famous poem, The Second Coming: And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? In both cases, there is a perceptible chill creeping up the spine, as the poet leaves his reader to contemplate the inevitability and intensity of the coming confrontation, and its consequences. Well, so much for the lyrics. Dylans original reading of the song is as spare and compact as his words, with the music adding little. Hendrix treatment is whole different matter, though. The first element to note is how the music here parallels the dramatic structure of the song. Listen to the opening drums and guitars, as one example. (Audio clip 44K. ) The beat starts, intensifies, and then stops. As in the lyrics, the power is hinted at, but not unleashed. The music, like the words, points towards some future action, presents the tension, but does not resolve it. This device is repeated throughout the song, with Hendrix mostly holding back, repeatedly returning the song to its basically quiet pace. The second element I want to note is Hendrix use of guitar to represent the confusion that the Joker is experiencing. This is a perfect role for Jimi, of course, since his guitar parts often defy our normal expectations for the instrument. He uses bent notes, a wah-wah pedal, and other devices to represent a disorienting, almost inhuman sonic landscape. Here is one example. (Audio clip 128K. ) The third musical element I want to comment on, and the one that really frames and defines the whole song, is Jimis repeated, gradually progressing ascents up the scale with blistering notes. Here is what I mean, the first ime it appears, at the beginning of the first guitar break, between the first and second verses. Audio clip 16K. ) Here is what it sounds like at the end of the second, and longer, guitar break, between the second and third verses. (Audio clip 40K. ) And here, finally, is the way it sounds at the end of the song. (Audio clip 220K. ) Notice how Jimi seems to be gradually reaching for a note that he only finally hits at the end of the song. And then when he gets there, he repeats it, over and over, making a high keening sound, representing not only the howling wind referred to in the last line, ut that coming conflict that the song so clearly prepares us for. And the music ends on this note, as do the lyrics, without resolution, but clearly pointing forwards to some anticipated future act of liberation. This is simply a brilliant collaboration between songwriter and musician, the accompaniment extending and reinforcing the meaning and drama of the lyrics, and showcasing the unique possibilities of the electric guitar along with nothing more than a bass, drum kit and acoustic guitar. Listening to this song is like trying to find your way through a washed-out desert at unset. Hes making some harsh criticisms of American society during the Vietnam era, but the music is so mellow and the lyrics so strange its like hes daring you not to pay attention. Aside from that, All Along the Watchtower is a song that defined the late 1960s, when the calm, disciplined protests of the early decade were degenerating into violence and confusion. No wonder Dylan ends the song with a howling wind. Hendrix got around to covering this song, it sealed the deal: the guitar solo at the end has come to embody the splitting apart of order into screeching, and possibly iberating, chaos. Hendrixs version has been used in countless movies and television shows, from the Spike Lee Joint Clockers to Forrest Gump to the episode in The Simpsons when Homers mother, an ex-hippie terrorist, returns to Springfield. And, if nothing else, its cool to think that Dylan has performed this song more than any other. Not many people are aware that Bob Dylan was the original writer and singer of All Along the Watchtower. Since Bob Dylan wrote the song, two other widely known artists have done their own version of this song: Jimi Hendrix and The Dave Matthews Band. Although it is the same song Just done by different singers, each song has its own characteristics which makes them appear as very different songs. In this paper, I will compare how each of these artists adds their own touch to the song by the use of their instruments. If you have ever heard any of Bob Dylans songs, you know that he as a very mellow tone to all of them. All Along the Watchtower is no different. Dylan uses only a very few instruments. At the very beginning of the song, you will hear a harmonica which immediately makes you want to hear the rest of the song. The only other instruments I can hear in Dylans version of the song are a guitar and drums. Throughout the song you hear Bob Dylan. An influential poet, writer, and musician who redefined American pop music. Dylan was able to use his skills to successfully reach an outstanding degree of accomplishments. Being able to take the term literature and give it a whole new meaning, Dylan has made a significant change in todays music listeners. Dylan was capable of taking his ability to write, his ability to perform, and putting them with the time he had to spare to become one of the most enigmatic, prolific performers in the world. In the time of Bob Dylans music, the world separated literature and music. Music included lyrics, beats, rhythms, and instruments. Literature, on the other hand, was strictly for poetry, ballads, letters, and stories. Never before had anyone considered the opportunity for song lyrics to be considered literature. People strongly thought of the two as being very different categories. With both literature and music being respected in their own unique way, Bob Dylan came along to add a new element. During his time, Dylan was known for his touching songs, however, many did not onsider him a poet. This thought was false. Dylan was a poet first aln meetings, Bob Dylan had raised an interesting question. Is it possible for a performance art to be considered literature (Marcus 119)? Bob Dylans music was unique; he was able to intertwine his lyrics through the life he had lived and through the events of the world around him. Some events in Dylans life were the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War. Dylan would come to be known for playing at concerts that were protesting the war at hand. Many young adults would flock to hear the man who new Just how to express the words. The words that expressed his deeper most feeling were the same words that comforted these many young adults by the mass. With people feeling the same sorrows as Dylan himself, it was his words that little significance. It was all in the words. l wanted Just a song to sing, and there came a point where I couldnt sing anything. I had to write what I wanted to sing cos what I wanted to sing, nobody else was writing (Spitz 407). Dylan shared this feeling with others everywhere. It is possible that him writing songs was the only way to say what needed to be said.

Should Juvenile Offenders Be Treated Like Adults?

Should Juvenile Offenders Be Treated Like Adults? This paper is intended to inform readers on the history behind the juvenile justice system, the severity of the juvenile offender problem, the pros and cons of trying juveniles as adults, and views on the death penalty concerning juveniles. This paper will also provide professional views as to why juveniles should not be tried as adults. Studies have shown that trying juveniles as adults is not only detrimental to their well being but can cause irreparable damage to them psychologically and physically. Statistics have been provided that state that a juvenile that enters an adult prison will be sexually or physically abused during the first week. For most of the twentieth century, the criminal process of juveniles has been separate from adults and intended to be informal and confidential. However, the reality was that in return for these benefits, juveniles would receive few legal rights and protections. In the 1960s, when constitutional due process rights were revised for adults, the issue of procedural due process for juvenile offenders became more prominent. As the juvenile crime rate has increased, there has been a vocal response to prosecute juveniles accused of serious crimes as adults. With the number of juvenile offenders growing so has the severity of their crimes. Regardless of their age, the public expresses that those guilty of serious crimes should receive a serious punishment. This paper will show that juveniles should not be tried as adults because of lack of maturity, exposure to negative home environments, improper adult supervision, and opportunities to rehabilitate. Evidence will demonstrate that there are multiple philosophies and measures being set into motion to help deter crime involving juveniles, first and foremost, and treatments, methods and psychological personnel put into place to help rehabilitate juveniles from committing offenses. The pros and cons of trying juveniles as adults will also be discussed, showing that the cons outweigh the pros drastically. When creating the outline of our countrys justice system, our founding fathers probably did not think about the consequences of crimes committed by juveniles. At that time, children were considered their parents property. When they committed a crime, their punishment was given at the discretion of their parents. It is realistic to say that our founding fathers would have never considered severe punishments for young people. They believed that children were vulnerable, fragile, innocent and in need of protection and understanding. Juvenile procedures in the United States have become more adult like for all offenders. The justice system has adopted more compelling guidelines for juveniles, such as, mandatory or decisive sentences and more frequent transfers of juvenile offenders to adult courts. The twenty-first century has brought more significant changes in the utilization of the United States Juvenile Justice Policy. Changes that are being referred to as the obvious increase in juvenile offenders being prosecuted and sentenced as if they were adults. From the start of the Juvenile Justice System, an important boundary has been set separating juveniles from criminal court. This boundary comes in the form of a justification that there are important psychological differences between juveniles and adults and these differences are incited by the normal process of mental development, age-relation, and legal relevance. Nevertheless, this boundary is only infringed in serious cases of disregard and when the juveniles age approaches the limit of the juvenile courts jurisdiction. Every state in the United States allows juveniles to be tried as adults in criminal court under certain conditions. There are three general components that are used to achieve these conditions; first, there is the Judicial Waiver, where a juvenile court judge may transfer the case to criminal court based on a variety of conditions, including the seriousness of the offense, the maturity of the juvenile, and the likeliness that the juvenile will be rehabilitated. This foundation exists in most states with minimal differences in respect to the age limit for transfers. In other states, a presumptive waiver process is followed, whereas, it is assumed appropriate to transfer a juvenile to criminal court unless the juvenile can prove that they have the ability to be rehabilitated. The final decision still is up to the judge but the burden of proof is on the juvenile. Second, there is Direct File often referred to as Prosecutorial Discretion. A prosecutor at his discretion can file charges in either juvenile or criminal court. Finally, there is the Statutory Exclusion, sometimes called Legislative Exclusion, Mandatory Transfer, or Automatic Transfer. In jurisdictions where this is recognized, certain categories of juveniles are automatically sent to criminal court. Age of the juvenile and the type of offense is the determination of these categories. Some states do allow what is called a reverse waiver, where a criminal court judge can transfer a case back to juvenile court based on characteristics of the offender and the offense. Similar to the cases of presumptive waiver within the juvenile court, the burden of proof in reverse waiver cases lies with the offender. The juvenile justice system in the United States has taken on a type of adjustment during the last several decades following the claim that juvenile offenders have received the same equal rights as adult offenders. In every jurisdiction of the United States, juvenile justice reforms have unevenly progressed with some jurisdictions being hesitant to change their juvenile codes and legal structures. Private interests have increasingly influenced the juvenile justice system. They are raising interest particularly in the correctional area. While this interest has shown to be helpful, provide constructive criticism, and also provide economical alternatives to public detention of juveniles, their interest has further made an already complicated juvenile justice system worse. Parens patriae has been described by some authors as the bedrock foundation of justifying the juvenile courts (Watkins, 1987). The juvenile justice system has proceeded largely according to the doctrine, parens patriae, as intervention in the lives of children violating certain statutory laws. Several interventions have gradually been done away with when trying to meet the real needs of children and helping toward criminal prosecutions. These include the intervention of due process, greater prosecutorial presence in juvenile court proceedings, and the courts functions that all together make the juvenile courts more criminalized. Cast in the context of parens patriae as the family model of juvenile justice, which is found to have promised more that it can deliver. Watkins (1987) observes that the original child savers failed to foresee the inevitable conflict between the rehabilitative dogmas of parens patriae and the social, political, and economic forces of todays culture that promo te just deserts. Thus, Watkins (1987) notes, juvenile laws and the authority of juvenile courts have not only failed, but have been, in turn, undermined by and then allied with political, social, and economic forces at war with the rehabilitative ideal characteristic of early juvenile jurisprudence. Despite the fact that juvenile court has for the most part been traditionally a civil proceeding, various types of court reforms, sentencing changes, evidentiary standards, and modifications of juvenile rights are moving it into a more criminal format. Proposals are being offered by different professionals to unite the United States Court Systems and combine juvenile and criminal actions into one process. Those that disagree with court unification argue that the juvenile justice system should be held in tact even though they too favor certain reforms. Often these reforms emphasize greater accountability for ones actions, regardless of age. The just deserts philosophy is well known in many juvenile courts. The rehabilitative treatment centered philosophy, that has dominated the criminal justice system for part of the twentieth century, has gradually given way to the justice philosophy. The justice philosophy is associated with harsher punishments and handing down penalties for offenders according to the seriousness of their crimes. While a broader range of rights are being given to juveniles in juvenile courts, repetitive and serious juveniles are being moved to adult courts by the way of transfers and waiver. Measures that are being used today within the juvenile justice system to crack down on juveniles include greater use of detention and the greater use of waivers to criminal courts. Overcrowding in juvenile detention centers should be a consideration even though it is expected and inevitable. The use of probation and parole is considered to be the first and last solution to this problem. Placing limits on population in detention facilities sets precedence in system adjustments and responses that impact in various ways the juvenile justice system as a whole. In all jurisdictions, pre-adjudication detention of juveniles is legally recognized. Those juveniles transferred to criminal courts are in an unpleasant position of being placed in jails, prisons, or detention centers with adults, where the risk of sexual assault is great and the exposure to criminal activity, even in a prison setting, is severe. In several jurisdictions, the changing of laws requires instant transfers of juveniles to adult criminal courts. One example is the Juvenile Offender Law of New York passed in 1978. This law provides instant transfers of juveniles to criminal court, when specific serious offenses are alleged. This law has also been passed in Illinois. Assessments of these instant transfer laws suggest that juveniles are held for longer periods of time while awaiting trial and that the services usually available to them in juvenile courts are nonexistent in adult proceedings. The loss of valuable services and the greater detention time while awaiting trail ca n be detrimental to juveniles and also show that the cost of transferring juveniles to adult courts far outweighs the potential financial and social benefits. Critics state that juvenile courts express that many current administrative expectations and operations are almost non-existent from those in adult criminal courts. Also, procedural screenings available in juvenile courts are less than satisfactory than those given to alleged adult offenders in criminal courts. Unquestionably, juveniles are considered to have the worst of both worlds. In most United States jurisdictions, there are currently many dispositional options available to juvenile judges. Several of these options include unofficial probation, referral to specific community agencies, warnings or case dismissals, waivers, detention hearings, and conditional punishments, such as community service and restitution. In Columbia County, Georgia, peer juries exist as an essential element of diversion programs, the program is design to hear charges against youths and adjudicate them according to the evidence presented. The peer juries consist of five jurors under the age of seventeen, who are trained by juvenile court staff. Jury selections are made available through a list of these eligible youths. These peer juries have been proven to be capable of giving appropriate punishments in both non-serious and serious cases. In past decades, a gradual disapproval with the criminal justice system has occurred. Citizens have received a strong degree of distrust with law enforcement, the courts, and corrections, and their abilities to process, punish, and manage offenders. The United States Supreme Court has required law enforcement officers to adhere to firmer standards in effectively making arrests of suspected criminals, as well as, in their procedures pertaining to seizing necessary evidence against these suspects. Ninety percent of all criminal convictions are obtained through plea bargains instead of going to trial and the use of probation as a sentence alternative is as high as seventy percent in several jurisdictions, also most offenders who are incarcerated serve only a portion of their sentences and are conditionally released on parole to relieve overcrowding. The public has voiced a concern of how lax our criminal justice system has become towards offenders, and also how ubiquitous the entire sys tem is. One reaction to this laxity has been the arrival of the get tough movement, brought about by modifications made to sentences imposed on adults convicted of serious crimes. These sentences may include longer prison terms, heavier fines and other monetary penalties. There has been a noticeable spillover of this movement into the juvenile justice system. Despite trends and estimates of juvenile offense patterns and inconsistencies and inconclusive statistics, juvenile court reform has been exasperated and continued into the 1990s. It also shows few signs of decreasing. Although the get tough policy toward juveniles is supported by most jurisdictions, greater detention times and incarceration of youths has not proven to be a remedy for rehabilitating them or reducing their regression. Because of inconsistencies in study findings and familiar outcomes of detention programs, such as, therapeutic juvenile interventions, many states are currently reexamining their detention policies for minors and reducing their reliance on detention as a form of punishment. Among the critical factors that have contributed to these inconsistencies and distinctive juvenile offense trends, there has been a disappointment with conventional juvenile treatments such as diversion, probation, short-term detention and parole, an apparent psychological collateral of juvenile violence that rests beyond the boundaries of conventional treatment methods, and a assortment of descriptive and reporting methods and the changing of laws within jurisdictions as consistent means of documenting deviating juveniles. Compared to adult courts, juvenile courts are somewhat limited to the types of sanctions they may impose for even the most violent juvenile offenders. Criminal courts in a majority of jurisdictions may impose the death penalty on adult offenders convicted of capital crimes. No United States Juvenile Court has this type of jurisdiction and sanctioning option available. Even detention sanctions that may be applied by juvenile judges have certain structural limitations. Once juveniles reach a certain age, eighteen in some states and twenty-one in others, they are no longer within the parameters of juvenile courts and in most instances leave the juvenile system. They also now have clean records as adults. Their juvenile records are not necessarily dismissed, but for all pragmatic purposes they begin their adult life with no criminal record. When decisions made by juvenile judges are examined, to determine the nature and types of punishments reviewed when juvenile offenders are adjudicated as a delinquent, these decisions often show a pattern of leniency. These leniencies may come from reluctance to contribute to labeling juvenile offenders as delinquent. However, it is often traced to additional factors such as prison overcrowding, excessive probation officer caseloads, the lack of adequate juvenile monitoring programs and methods to keep track of increasing numbers of youthful offenders. It also may be a simple matter of not being able to afford the imposition of costly punishments whenever they are demanded. The difficulty of these situations puts judges in a complicated position and they are left to have to deal with juveniles leniently, even the violent ones. Many of the same views are shared and raised concerning when juveniles are sent into adult courts and the differences about distinguishing their ages and that it may leave them inadequate to defend themselves in those courts. Current discussions about transfer policies are commonly not about the offenders attributes but about the gravity of the act and the juveniles harmfulness. These factors are based on the age or maturity of the offender. As the juvenile justice policy, which mainly focused on offenders has recently shifted to an offense based focus. Several issues have arisen as part of the transfer argument. These include moral, legal, political, and practical issues. It should also be stated and not forgotten that the fact that some crimes are committed by individuals are not developmentally mature. There should be a boundary between adults and adolescents when it comes to punishment. From a developmental psychology perspective, a fair punishment for an adult may not be fair when given to a juvenile who does not understand the consequences of their actions, severity of their crime or who was unable to gain control over their behavior. The ways that people interpret and apply laws should lawfully differ when the case involves a defendant who has limited understanding of the law because of intellectual immaturity or who has impaired judgment because of emotional immaturity. When the offender is of a young age, the presumptions and outcomes of administering a harsh punishment vary differently when the juvenile is an adult. Opinions of people may differ, but age should be considered in decisions concerning transfer, adjudication, and sentencing. This is to say that if one is willing to acknowledge that the age of the offender does matter, an un-biased developmental perspective is needed to make informed decisions about age should be taken into account (Steinberg, 2000). More emphasis should be placed on the age a juvenile should be before transferring to adult court. Juveniles younger than thirteen should remain in juvenile court regardless of the crime. It is a belief that regardless of the nature of their offense, individuals under the age of thirteen should be viewed as juveniles due to mental capacity and maturity. Also, it is appropriate to conclude that the majority of juveniles older than sixteen are not that much different from adults in ways that would prohibit fair adjudication within the criminal justice system. The difference among juveniles between the ages of thirteen and sixteen requires that some sort of individualized assessment be completed of the offender to determine competence to stand trial, blameworthiness, and admittance to treatment be made before reaching a transfer decision. If the justice system does not consider age as a factor, then boundaries are drawn. Research completed on juvenile developments strongly stands agains t transfer policies that are based on the offense rather than the offender and argues that policies based on the offender allows the justice system to exercise judgment about a juvenile offenders maturity level and eligibility for transfer. It is considered a bad policy legislatively from a developmental perspective to transfer cases based solely on the offense. Unfortunately, this undesirable policy is becoming increasingly common. The contradiction of utilizing a developmental perspective in the analysis of transfer policies is that the exercise makes known the characteristic inadequacies of the policies that draw obvious distinctions between adolescence and adulthood. An analysis of the developmental literature definitely shows that a difference among adolescents of a given chronological age is the rule rather than the exception. Steinberg (2000) calls for a fair transfer policy to accommodate such variability as recommendations from developmental perspectives. One way to do this is to make sure that judges, juries, and law personnel have solid and complete background information about a juvenile and their adolescent development and the flexibility of utilizing this information when making decisions about a juveniles fate that may have lifelong consequences. As for the flexibility, one can only rely on the wisdom of policymakers. Sitting next to a juvenile on trial in an adult courtroom provides numerous reminders that, regardless of what that juvenile has been involved in, they are still a child. Defendants are supposed to elect whether they want a jury or a judge trial, a serious decision that requires weighing many factors (Nakaya, 2005). Even though, defendants are generally required to assist with their defense and advised their attorneys in different aspects of their cases, a juvenile will probably decide on a jury member because of their dress color or because they may look like someone they know. The juvenile justice system is supposed to concentrate on reforming youth offenders not letting them rot behind bars (Nakaya, 2005). Rehabilitation is the key when it comes to juveniles. They do not have the maturity level, knowledge or self-control that we would see in an adult offender. It can be said that juveniles do not understand the consequences of their actions. When juveniles are sent to adult court, the background of why they may have committed these dramatic or dangerous acts needs to be evaluated to understand why they committed their crime. Often there are extenuating circumstances from a juveniles past that has contributed to the why. Juveniles are not adults by any means and trying them in a court of law does not make them one. When juveniles are tried in adult criminal court, it does not give them the privileges of voting or drinking. They are still minors. They are developmentally less mature and responsible, more impulsive, erratic and vulnerable to negative peer pressure. As human beings, they are still active works in progress. Across the country, the responses of lawmakers, in regards to the rise in violent juvenile crimes, have been to create stricter laws. Many states have passed laws making it easier to try and convict a juvenile as an adult and have also toughen penalties for juveniles with guns. Some states have also developed training prisons for young offenders and a new federal crime bill tries to deter juvenile crime by making it a federal crime for anyone under age eighteen to purchase, possess, or use a gun. Supporters of these laws voice that the punishment fit the crime, even if the crime is committed by a juvenile. On June 16th, 1944, South Carolina executed George Stinney. He was fourteen years old, the youngest person ever executed in the United States. Stinney, who was black, was convicted of murdering two white girls, Betty Binnicker, and Mary Emma Thames, with a railroad spike. His trial lasted only three hours, and the all white jury deliberated for only ten minutes before sentencing him to death by electric chair. At Stinneys execution, the prison guards had a difficult time strapping him into the chair. During the electrocution process, the electric jolt shook the mask off his head. Is this really the way juveniles should be treated. The death penalty is not an option when trying juveniles for serious crimes. It is not only immoral but also inhuman. When it comes to death penalty issues, scientists views are that a juveniles brain changes dramatically and this may be accountable for hasty and often irrational behavior of some juveniles demonstrating that adolescents are less liable than adults. This is strongly countered by victim advocacy groups claiming that it is just an effort by the community that opposes the death penalty to use science in debating their positions. Most juveniles who commit murder realize that their actions were fallacious because they often try to hide or destroy evidence in order to avoid getting caught. Additionally, most family members of murder victims do not think a persons age, at the time of the crime, should result in a lighter sentence. Focusing on the heinousness of the crime, many people have no regards to how old the offender is. Problems that occur within the family setting of juveniles that have an impact of crimes they commit include: divorce or separation, working single parents, single parent families, lack of adult supervision, parental rejection of the juvenile, juvenile rejection of the parent, and the different views between parents and teens increases the risk that the teen may try to distance themselves from the parents in order to establish their own self. Other problems that may occur and cause juveniles to become delinquent are: children spending more time with their friends than family, gangs or peer acceptance, drugs and weapons use have increased among juveniles as a way to solve their problems, illicit and explicit sexuality and violence in the media, and also the impact the media has influenced with the introduction of computers and violent video games. Who should be held liable for the negligent behavior a juvenile commits, the parents or society? It is believed that parents, who knowingly or recklessly allow their children to commit crimes of violent natures, should be held legally liable. Today without special educational programs in child development and parenting groups many of our future parents will contribute to juvenile delinquency by merely not knowing how to be parents. In order to take a stand on the subject, the pros and cons of the argument on whether juveniles should be punished the same way as adults are judicious and worth reviewing. Developmental research should be heard and considered even though policies on juvenile justice have become tougher against juvenile offenders. On the other hand, people pushing for tougher punishments on juveniles have already succeeded for the most part with most states in the United States adopting a more disciplinary response to juvenile offenders and their offenses. Studies have shown that harsher penalties and punishments for juveniles do not necessarily result in lower crime rates when the juveniles complete their sentences and are released back into the world. Trying juveniles as adults may be doing more harm than good. This research paper, on one hand, appreciates the progressive responses of the juvenile law on offenders despite the get tough policy that gathers resistance and argument. While many have argue that it is right for a juvenile to be punished as an adult, this author disagrees that the United States laws on juvenile justice has not provided an equal response to the growing concern of juvenile offenders. It is unconstitutional to include juveniles as adults in adult courts because children lack cognizance of the crimes in which they have committed. The population should be considerate and offender-focused at certain times about this juvenile justice argument. The author also found reasonable argument of recommending a uniform juvenile justice policy by specifying age limits for juvenile transfers. This is for the reason that there is an apparent unspecified offenders age homogeneous to all jurisdictions on this matter. Through specification of a juveniles age, the boundary that was once posted between juveniles and adults will be somehow redefined. In this way, we are taking stances from both sides of the argument with an aim of suggesting a better solution to this critical contemporary issue of juvenile offending.

Forensic Linguistics Assignment Essay -- Forensic Science

Speech analysis has a type called the voice stress analysis that detects stress in the form of micro tremors in the speech of a person. It is important to note that the voice stress analysis is equivalent to polygraph. Both polygraph and stress have a common problem of not being able to point out deception. This notwithstanding, the speech analysis is apparently being used by both the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States. The fact that each and every person possesses a unique voiceprint makes the identification of a speaker to be theoretically possible. This can be achieved through acoustic analysis of the intonation counters, pitch and vowel length. When the pairs of the spectrographs that show the suspect speaker and the known speaker uttering similar words are matched, the speaker can be easily identified (Olsson 2004, p. 71). The fact that voice stress analysis relies on eye comparison is a big problem. Another problem involves the variation that occurs in the same speaker. It is reported that the uttering of the same sentence a hundred times in quick succession does not produce any two identical uttering. Some countries like the United Kingdom, however, prefer auditory analysis as opposed to the acoustic method. In auditory analysis, the speech samples are phonetically transcribed. This analysis is important as it allows the analysts to identify such features that are idiosyncratic like the speech impediments and the unusual realization of phonemes. Besides, the analysts might find the need to profile the social and regional identity of the speaker. Speech analysis nowadays accepts the mixed method as the most accurate and reliable. It can found its application in situat... ... and textual analysis (Gibbons 2003, p. 26). Works Cited Coulthard, M, & Johnson, A 2007, an introduction to forensic linguistics: language in evidence, Routledge, New York. Gibbons, J 2003, Forensic linguistics: an introduction to language in the justice system, Blackwell Pub, Malden. Gibbons, J, & Turell, TM 2008, Dimensions of forensic linguistics, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam. Jordan, SN 2002, Forensic linguistics: the linguistic analyst and expert witness of language evidence in criminal trials, Biola University, La Mirada. McMenamin, GR, & Choi, D 2002 Forensic linguistics: advances in forensic stylistics, Crc Press, Boca Raton. Olsson, J 2008, Forensic linguistics, Continuum, London. Olsson, J 2004, Forensic linguistics: an introduction to language, crime, and the law, Continuum International Publishing Group, London .

Storm Fear Essay -- Literary Analysis, Robert Frost

The poem â€Å"Storm Fear† by Robert Frost describes a scene in which â€Å"the wind works against us in the dark.† Throughout the poem, the frozen landscape acts as an antagonist fighting against man. In the classic novella Ethan Frome, author Edith Wharton also personifies the landscape. The village of Starkfield, New England during the harsh winters is also an antagonist, prohibiting the characters from communicating with each other effectively. Throughout both works the environment causes Ethan and the speaker of the poem to suppress their feelings until it is too late to act. Both authors use vivid and detailed imagery to portray a dark winter storm. Frost starts the poem by describing the chilled atmosphere. In the second line, the author denotes a harsh winter storm that â€Å"pelts with snow.† This statement, along with the line mentioned earlier, indicates that the scene is working against the characters. The word â€Å"pelt† is a key word in this sentence. Pelt may mean to attack or assault, but it can also be another word for the hide of a dead animal. This implies that the snow is so harsh that it can be classified as deadly. The title â€Å"Storm Fear† doesn’t give off a positive connotation. . Rather than mentioning the beauty of a snowflake, or describing a â€Å"winter wonderland†, the author chooses to describe the winter as if it is looking to bring an end to something (or someone). It is referred to as a â€Å"storm†, not a snowfall. â€Å"Fear† also is not positive, as it can be defined as à ¢â‚¬Å"an unpleasant emotion†. In Ethan Frome, Wharton’s dark description of the winters in New England is prevalent throughout the work. She refers to the winter as a â€Å"sunless cold.† (pg. 8). Harmon Gow even claims that â€Å"Most of the smart ones get away [from the winte... ...than could have gone over to Mattie when he alone with her by the fire, but instead he has her move into Zeena’s chair. Wharton indicates that he is to â€Å"indolent† and â€Å"lazy† (pg. 77) to move over to her. Neither character can make the change and overcome the influence of the storm unless they put in the effort, and do so â€Å"unaided†. In both â€Å"Storm Fear† by Robert Frost and Edith Wharton’s great novella Ethan Frome, the landscape is personified to fight against the characters. Frost and the characters in the novella are challenged by brutal winter storms that do not allow them to communicate with each other effectively. Only when it is to late do they say what must be said and do what must be done. In the end, the landscape leaves Mattie and Ethan crippled, and Frost snowed in. If they were able to articulate, things would have been different.

Banyan Tree Essay

Minimal advertising, still high level of brand awareness through company’s public relations and global marketing programs. Faced the challenge of translating and maintaining the success of a niche Asian hospitality brand into various market segments on a global scale ‘Innovative niche product that could also bridge the price gap in this market’ Building a resort comprising individual villas with locally inspired architectural design and positioned as a romantic and intimate escapade for guests; ‘Sanctuary for the senses’. Banyan Tree Gallery: ‘local culture and heritage and promoting cottage Crafts, retail outlet showcasing indigenous crafts, works closely with village cooperatives and not-for-profit craft marketing agents. Marketing: high-end travel magazines in key markets – public relations – global marketing programs (increase editorial coverage) – few key wholesalers in each targeted market – agents specializing in exlusive luxury holidays targeted at wealthy customers – membership in the Small Luxury Hotels and Leading Hotels of the World – GDS cose ‘BY’ (own global distribution system used by travel providers to process airline, hotel, car rental and other distribution partners around the world. Actively caring for the natural and human environment, revitalizing local communities, worked actively to preserve, protect, and promote the natural and human environments in which BYT resorts where located. Minimizing the impact on the environment Green Communities = planted trees, engage local communities, associates, guests to share the causes of climate change and actions that can reduce our collected carbon footprint. Green Imperative Fund to further support community-based and environmental initiatives in the regions where it has a presence. The company believed in building profitable resorts that would benefit the surrounding environment and contribute to local economies through the creation of employment and community development projects. Businesses with local farmers and traders by making it a point to purchase fresh produce from them. Community Relations Department was set up to develop and manage community outreach programs. Seedling: BTHR’s formalized program which aimed to help  young adults from local communities and motivate them and provide the means for completing their education to successfully enter the labor force as adults. Future: openening city hotels and angsana hotels in Dubai and London (angsana brand in response to the demand for hotel operators in Asia that were keen to introduce spa services in their hotel, it is more contemporary and affordable brand. Musem Shop by banyan tree: joint partnetship with Singapor’s national heritage board to showcase Asi’a rich and diverse cultural heritage through unique museum-inspired merchandise. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is an investment holding company involved in managing and developing premium resorts, hotels and spas in the Asia Pacific. To date, the Banyan Tree Group manages and/or has ownership interests in close to 36 hotels and resorts, around 73 spas, 91 galleries  and 3 golf courses in 28 countries The company operates in Asia, Mexico and Morocco, New Zealand, Africa, Dubai, and the UK. Banyan Tree operates through three business segments: hotel investment, property sales, and fee-based. 1: The hotel investments segment relates to hotel and restaurant operations. The property sales segment comprises hotel residences, Laguna property sales and development project/site sales. Hotel residences business relates to the sale of hotel villas or suites which are part of hotel operations, to investors under a compulsory leaseback scheme. Laguna property sales business relates to the development and sale of properties which are standalone vacation homes in Laguna Phuket. Development project/site sales relates to pure development land sales or development land sales which are fully or partially developed with infrastructure. The fee-based segment comprises the management of hotels and resorts, the management of an asset-backed destination club, the management of private-equity funds, the management and operation of spas, the sales of merchandise, the provision of architectural and design services, the management and ownership of golf courses, and rental of retail outlets and offices. The company’s subsidiaries (dochterbedrijf) include Banyan Tree Spa Bangkok, Banyan Tree Spa Bintan, Banyan Tree Spa Ringha, Banyan Tree Spa Phuket, Banyan Tree Sanya, and Banyan Tree Macau, among others. Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) is engaged in the management and development of premium resorts, hotels and spas. The company’s key services include the following. Hotel and restaurant operations Sale of hotel villas or suites – Development and sale of properties – Pure development land sales – Management of hotels and resorts – Management of an asset-backed destination club – Management of private-equity funds -Management and operation of spas – Architectural and design services – Management and ownership of golf courses – Rental of retail outlets and offices. The following companies are the major competitors of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited: Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited – Four Seasons Hotels Inc – Associated International Hotels Ltd In the past few years, such events risks as the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, bird flu, floods and riots in Thailand have been hard on our industry, causing tourism as a whole to dry up in their wake. By comparison, economic recessions are part and parcel of the business cycle, which we are able to take in our stride and counter with a variety of measures. During the year, the world remained mired in the European sovereign debt crisis and American economic weakness. Although these conditions affected our arrivals primarily from Europe, we were able to capitalise on the flourishing Chinese market. At our four resorts in the Maldives, for example, the number of Chinese guests surpassed those from Europe. In our continuing efforts to rebalance the Group’s assets, we made the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles which gave rise to a net gain. We also sold and leased back Angsana Velavaru in January 2013. The hybrid structure of this deal is a first for Banyan Tree, and we are pleased with how it allows us to rebalance our portfolio while still participating in the profits from the operations of Angsana Velavaru. 2012: with overall revenue growing 3% to S$338. 4 million. Due to improved results from our hotel investments and fee-based businesses, as well as a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. Group EBITDA was S$74. 5 million, up 51% on the back of higher revenue and a gain on the bargain purchase of Banyan Tree Seychelles. This in turn resulted in PATMI increasing by 856% (S$14.9 million), tempered by higher finance costs and income tax expenses. HOTEL INVESTMENTS Our hotel investments delivered a stronger performance in 2012, with Group-owned hotels posting total revenue of S$187. 7 million, up 15% from the previous year. This was due to the higher contribution from our Thai properties and the consolidation of revenue from Banyan Tree Seychelles from 2Q12 onwards. These gains were partially offset by lower revenue from our Maldives properties as Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru were temporarily closed for refurbishment. As a result of the increase in revenue, EBITDA for this segment grew by a healthy 69% to S$36. 6 million. PROPERTY SALES Revenue from property sales was S$42. 7 million. The 36% decrease was due to the sale of development sites in Lijiang, Yangshuo and Huangshan to our China Fund in 2011. Excluding those transactions, revenue and EBITDA from property sales saw growth of 43% and 74% respectively, thanks to a higher contribution from completed sales of property units. FEE-BASED Total revenue from our fee-based businesses registered growth of 9% to reach S$108. This was attributable to an increase in fees from hotel management and architectural and interior design and other services. Accordingly, EBITDA for our fee-based businesses grew by 23%. 2013 appears to be another challenging year for the global economy. We anticipate continued weakness in our European target markets. In Asia, which has been the world’s economic engine these past four years, growth is likely to moderate. Despite the cooling of China’s economy, the tourism market both inbound and outbound is expected to continue to grow. The Chinese government is aggressively promoting domestic tourism as part of its strategy to increase domestic consumption, thereby cushioning the slowdown in export manufacturing. Banyan Tree’s strong branding and rapidly expanding footprint in China will position us to take advantage of this trend. Our seven regional marketing offices in China will be invaluable in enabling us to tap the vast potential of this market and to enhance awareness of our hotels with key accounts in China. Our strategy going forward will include continuing with our asset rebalancing to unlock value and deploy capital to more promising markets. At the same time, we are exploring the possibility of extending the successful Fund model into other areas. In terms of growing particular segments, we will be focusing on increasing income from our fee-based and property sales businesses. We have built the fee-based segment to a point where it now has an impetus of its own. On the property sales front, we plan to move into selling more primary and serviced residences. Primary residences under the Banyan Tree brand, â€Å"We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. † Rather than compete with local property developers, we will leverage our branding and design skills to market to a niche audience in China. We will also be going forward with the establishment of a third brand of residences to be wholly sold and managed by us. Catering to an entirely new market of price-conscious buyers, these properties will be smaller in size yet deliver the quality and innovation that are hallmarks of Banyan Tree. Strongly associated with our brand is the concept of a triple bottom line. In our pursuit of economic, social and environmental success, we made major investments in resource conservation, training and benchmarking, greening and community efforts in 2012. Under the EarthCheck system of sustainability certification, we also planted in six-year a total to over 220,000 trees. Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts offer an intimate retreat experience featuring its signature blend of romance, rejuvenation and exotic sensuality. Our philosophy is based on providing a place for rejuvenation of the body, mind and soul – a Sanctuary for the Senses. Placing special emphasis on providing guests with a sense of place, each Banyan Tree property is designed to fit into its natural surroundings, using indigenous materials as far as possible and reflecting the landscape and architecture of the destination. Pioneering  the tropical garden spa concept with Asian health and beauty remedies passed down from generations, Banyan Tree Spa was created as the signature experience in all Banyan Tree resorts, to complement the â€Å"Sanctuary for the Senses† wellness concept. With the emphasis on high service standards and consistency, therapists are professionally trained at Banyan Tree Spa Academies in Phuket, Thailand, and Lijiang, China. The Banyan Tree Gallery supports local communities by exhibiting and retailing indigenous handicrafts, which are also found in the resorts. A quintessential highlight of the Banyan Tree experience, Banyan Tree Gallery aspires to recreate the unique Banyan Tree experience with  its extensive selection of  Asian-style furnishings, Banyan Tree Spa collection, eco-friendly products, indigenous village handicrafts, ethnic apparel and accessories, and objects d’art. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited is a leading, international hospitality brand that manages and develops premium resorts, hotels and spas. Its innovative business model is based on seven business segments generating multiple income streams that is unique in itself within the hospitality industry. This formula of developing and managing complementary product offerings with in-house talent makes it difficult for competitors to duplicate with the same level of success. Banyan Tree’s vertically integrated business model comprises: Hotel investment– Banyan Tree owns and manages luxury hotels under its brands, as well as hotels that are managed by other world-class operators. Hotel management– Banyan Tree additionally manages properties under the Banyan Tree and Angsana brands for other owners. Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd – A company wholly owned by Banyan Tree Services, Canopy Marketing Group Pte Ltd provides high-level strategic insights on various global niche markets to drive top line performance of our diverse range of lifestyle products including hotels, resorts, spas, gallery, destination club and residential ownership. It has a full-suite of marketing capabilities specializing in the branding, marketing and promotion. Spa operations– Banyan Tree Spa pioneered the tropical garden spa concept, and has since grown to over 60 outlets worldwide. Gallery operations– The retail arm is consolidated under Banyan Tree Gallery, which comprises five brand segments located in over 70 stores worldwide. Hotel residences – Hotel inventory are primarily sold under the brand name Banyan Tree Residences. Property sales – Properties that are not part of hotel operations are sold by our subsidiary company, Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and its subsidiaries, in Laguna Phuket. Design and other services – Revenue from design services is earned by Architrave, Banyan Tree’s in-house architectural arm. Other service fees include income from operating golf clubs. Real Estate Hospitality Funds – Banyan Tree Capital was set upto tap private equity and other sources of investments in order to provide a cost efficient structure to fund the Group’s future developments. With about 8,000 associates of over 50 nationalities, the diversity of its workforce is a key feature of the Group and helps to inspire its international outlook. To address its talent development needs, Banyan Tree launched Banyan Tree Management Academy (BTMA) in 2008. This centralised training facility located in Phuket, Thailand will train future Banyan Tree leaders needed to sustain organisational effectiveness and to meet the demands of its rapid global growth. Part of Banyan Tree’s vision has always been to grow into a global business, with a portfolio of properties strategically placed around the world. The Group’s mission is inextricably intertwined with its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainable growth, as it continues to expand globally. The launch of Banyan Tree Residences, which allows investors to buy their own signature villa, townhouse or apartment in Banyan Tree resorts. Banyan Tree Private Collection was launched to cater to the growing niche for destination club membership 2005: Marking the group’s long awaited foray into China is Banyan Tree Ringha, in Yunnan. 2001: Banyan Tree established the Green Imperative Fund to formalise its corporate social responsibility efforts. The Banyan Tree Spa Academy was set up to provide training for new therapists as well as research new treatment recipes and techniques. Banyan Tree Capital is a real estate fund management company established by the Banyan Tree group, a renowned luxury hospitality company listed in Singapore, to focus on hospitality-based real estate investment. Banyan Tree Capital raises, develops and manages branded hospitality funds in key development markets of the Banyan Tree group. With a combination of fund management and asset development capabilities, Banyan Tree Capital leverages on the group’s expertise in premium hospitality real estate development and management to generate attractive investment returns for its investors. Banyan Tree Capital is headquartered in Singapore with offices in China and Vietnam. We have successfully achieved higher room rates than the existing market in locations such as Lijiang, the Maldives and Seychelles. We have also found that our iconic brands also help raise the value of the surrounding land. Our innovative city products combine all the iconic elements of our brand and differentiate developers within established, high cost city markets. We have the flexibility and capabilities to adapt our model to various locations so as to maximize returns for the developer As part of our strategy of enlarging our footprint in China, we will also be launching two more hotels in Shanghai and one in Tianjin, adding to our ever growing presence in various gateway cities. We are also employing our capabilities all across China, where large tracts of land are being developed into gated residences and luxury hotels offered to the Chinese elite. One of Banyan Tree’s prime concerns is its associates. We pride ourselves in providing high levels of service excellence and providing tailor made training and career development programmes for our employees. No stone is left unturned in regards to training and proper introduction before a Banyan Tree is put into operation. Trained to the basic standards of 5 star hotels. Employees were empowered to exercise creativity and sensitivity although the strict administrative rules of the management. Employees were taken to and from work in air-conditioned buses, access to various amenities (good-quality canteens, medical services, childcare facilities). Banyan Tree is one of the world’s biggest and well known spa operators. Our levels of quality and service are unparalleled and uncompromised. We are the only vertically integrated hospitality company with strong capabilities to tackle and anticipate the challenges of master planning and developing an integrated resort. We are able to take a property from inception to delivery with efficiencies that is entirely brand specific. Our  in-house design team, Architrave, and project services team are extremely involved in all phases of the development – master planning, designing, developing and coordinating, to ensure developers a timely delivery of their asset. Being experienced developers, we are able to ensure that efficiencies and economies of scale are maximized along with guest experiences. Bintan, the Maldives and Phuket where the Angsana resort is positioned next to a Banyan Tree resort with shared back of house facilities. This model has allowed us to lower costs without cannibalizing rates, thereby boosting returns for our developers.