Friday, September 6, 2019

Bancassurance Financial Project Essay Example for Free

Bancassurance Financial Project Essay ABSTRACT The business world and specifically financial industry has become challenging and of uncertain business environment in terms of new technology, political dynamics, government policies and advanced human resources. This therefore calls for dynamic leadership that needs to be creative and innovative in creating their competitive strategies. To mitigate these challenges, some firms’ managements have designed management strategies to sustain growth, acquire new businesses or merely mitigate risk facing the business. This proposal considers strategic alliances in financial industry commonly referred to as bancassurance as a business strategy adopted by commercial banks, SACCOs and insurance companies as one of the pursuit of their diverse organizational objectives and challenges. The purpose of this research was to establish if financial organizations such as banks, SACCOs, and insurance companies can mitigate some of management problems such as high loan default leading to high credit risks, switching of customers due to dissatisfaction, declining profits, resistance to buy new insurance products hence minimum market growth among others. To achieve the mentioned objectives, the study used structured questionnaires and personal interviews on a randomly sampled target of 48 participants from banks, SACCOs, and insurance staff within Nyeri County to investigate the effect of this strategy on performance in the current turbulent financial markets. The data was collected and analyzed using content analysis, descriptive measures and correlation analysis. The study found out that, Bancassurance model was a good source of revenues, customer acquisition, and retention and as one of the factors that investors consider before taking the risk of investing in commercial industry. The study also revealed that Bancassurance has very minimal influence on determining the success and speed of compensating business losses, death of insured applicants among others regardless of the existence of the strategic alliances. The study will be of significance to law makers, policy makers, business entrepreneurs, scholars among others.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay

Compensation System For Multinational Corporations Economics Essay Global compensation managers that is, everyone involved at any level in pay-related decisions increasingly deal with two areas of focus. They must manage highly complex and turbulent local details while concurrently building and maintaining a unified, strategic pattern of compensation policies, practices and values. For multinationals successfully to manage compensation and benefits requires knowledge of employment and taxation law, customs, environment and employment practices of many foreign countries, familiarity with currency fluctuations and the effect of inflation on compensation and an understanding of why and when special allowances must be supplied and which allowances are necessary in what countries all within the context of shifting political, economic and social conditions. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MULTI NATIONAL CORPORATION (MNC) AND TRANS NATIONAL CORPORATION (TNC) The both multinationals corporations and transnational corporations operate internationally and their compensation or reward system is also similar, but some differences exist between two, which are: MNCs operate in several different countries while transnational implies just across the border as in the US and Canada. Obviously, both operate internationally A MNC has a centralized headquarters is a corporation with extensive ties international operations in more than one foreign country. Examples are Coke, Pepsi, General Electric, Exxon, Wal-Mart, and Mitsubishi. A transnational company has no head office and moves whatever base of operations it has fluidly between its national offices. It is a MNC that operates worldwide without being identified with a national home base i.e. it is said to operate on a borderless basis. Examples are Daewoo, Saint Gobain, Sony, Samsung Group, Shell Oil etc. OBJECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION When developing international compensation policies, a firm seeks to satisfy several objectives. The policy should be consistent with the overall strategy, structure and business needs of the multinational. The policy must work to attract and retain staff in the areas where the multinational has the greatest needs and opportunities. Hence the policy must be competitive and recognize factors such as incentive for Foreign Service, tax equalization and reimbursement for reasonable costs. The policy should facilitate the transfer of international employees in the most cost-effective manner for the firm. The policy must give due consideration to equity and ease of administration. The international employee will also have a number of objectives that need to be achieved from the firms compensation policy. First, the employee will expect the policy to offer financial protection in terms of benefits, social security and living costs in the foreign location. Second, the employee will expect a foreign assignment to offer opportunities for financial advancement through income and/or savings. Third, the employee will expect issues such as housing, education of children and recreation to be addressed in the policy. If we contrast the objectives of the multinational and the employee, we see, of course, the potential for many complexities and possible problems, as some of these objectives cannot be maximized on both sides. Firms must rethink the traditional view that local conditions dominate international compensation strategy. COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT OR SYSTEM The type and amount of compensation necessary to attract technically and culturally qualified international managers and technical professionals to the three nationals or country categories involved international human resource management activities from which employees are selected whether the people are: PCNs (parent country nationals) TCNs (third country nationals) HCNs (host country nationals) An expatriate is an employee working in a country other than their country of origin. PCNs (Parent Country Nationals) Those personnel who are of the same nationality as the contracting government or personnel from headquarters They come from the home country of the operation. The policy of using PCNs is usually employed when one or more of the following situations exist: (1) the host country cannot readily supply desired managerial personnel, (2) efficient communication with headquarters is required, and (3) the company adopts a centralized approach to globalization. TCNs (Third Country Nationals) Those personnel of a separate nationality to both the contracting government and the area of operations i.e. whose nation of residence is neither the host country nor the home country. Such an employee normally is recruited from outside the host country and relocated from the point of recruitment to the host country. HCNs (Host Country Nationals) These are Indigs (Indigenous Personnel) / Nationals / Locals those personnel who are indigenous to the area of operations Whose basic residence or home is the host nation. Local colleagues of the expatriate, they are valuable socializing agents, sources of social support, assistance, and friendship to expatriates. Expatriates are more likely to adjust when HCNs engage in this behavior. HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities. The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan. KEY COMPONENTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION PROGRAM The area of international compensation is complex primarily because multinationals must cater to three categories of employees: PCNs, TCNs and HCNs. Key components of international compensation are as follows: COMPONENTS OF MNCS COMPENSATION BASIC SALARY ALLOWANCES OTHER BENEFITS 1. Base Salary In a domestic context, base salary denotes the amount of cash compensation serving as a benchmark for other compensation elements (such as bonuses and benefits). For expatriates, it is the primary component of a package of allowances, many of which are directly related to base salary (e.g. Foreign Service premium, cost-of-living allowance, housing allowance) and also the basis for in-service benefits and pension contributions. It may be paid in home or local-country currency. The base salary is the foundation block for international compensation whether the employee is a PCN or TCN. Major differences can occur in the employees package depending on whether the base salary is linked to the home country of the PCN or TCN, or whether an international rate is paid. Foreign Service inducement/hardship premium Parent-country nationals often receive a salary premium as an inducement to accept a foreign assignment or as compensation for any hardship caused by the transfer. The definition of hardship, eligibility for the premium and amount and timing of payment must be addressed. In cases in which hardship is determined, US firms often refer to the US Department of States Hardship Post Differentials Guidelines to determine an appropriate level of payment. Making international comparisons of the cost of living is problematic. These payments are more commonly paid to PCNs than TCNs. Foreign service inducements, if used, are usually made in the form of a percentage of salary, usually 5-40 per cent of base pay. Such payments vary, depending upon the assignment, actual hardship, tax consequences and length of assignment. 2. Allowances Issues concerning allowances can be very challenging to a firm establishing an overall compensation policy, partly because of the various forms of allowances that exist. (a)The cost-of-living allowance (COLA), which typically receives the most attention, involves a payment to compensate for differences in expenditures between the home country and the foreign country (to account for inflation differentials, for example). The COLA may also include payments for housing and utilities, personal income tax or discretionary items. (b)The provision of a housing allowance implies that employees should be entitled to maintain their home-country living standards (or, in some cases, receive accommodation that is equivalent to that provided for similar foreign employees and peers). Other alternatives include company-provided housing, either mandatory or optional, a fixed housing allowance or assessment of a portion of income, out of which actual housing costs are paid. As a firm internationalizes, formal policies become more necessary and efficient. (c)There is also a provision for home leave allowances. Many employers cover the expense of one or more trips back to the home country each year. Firms allowing use of home leave allowances for foreign travel need to be aware that expatriate employees with limited international experience who opt for foreign travel rather than returning home may become more homesick than other expatriates who return home for a reality check with fellow employees and friends. (d)Education allowances for expatriates children are also an integral part of any international compensation policy. Allowances for education can cover items such as tuition, language class tuition, enrolment fees, books and supplies, transportation, room and board and uniforms. PCNs and TCNs usually receive the same treatment concerning educational expenses. (e)Relocation allowances usually cover moving, shipping and storage charges, temporary living expenses, subsidies regarding appliance or car purchases (or sales) and down payments or lease-related charges. Allowances regarding perquisites (cars, club memberships, servants10 and so on) may also need to be considered (usually for more senior positions, but this varies according to location). These allowances are often contingent upon tax-equalization policies and practices in both the home and the host countries. (f)Spouse assistance to help guard against or offset income lost by an expatriates spouse as a result of relocating abroad. Although some firms may pay an allowance to make up for a spouses lost income, US firms are beginning to focus on providing spouses with employment opportunities abroad, either by offering job-search assistance or employment in the firms foreign office (subject to a work visa being available). (g)Multinationals generally pay allowances in order to encourage employees to take international assignments and to keep employees whole relative to home standards. In terms of housing, companies usually pay a tax-equalized housing allowance in order to discourage the purchase of housing and/or to compensate for higher housing costs. This allowance is adjusted periodically based on estimates of both local and foreign housing costs. 3. Benefits The complexity inherent in international benefits often brings more difficulties than when dealing with compensation. Pension plans are very difficult to deal with country-to-country, as national practices vary considerably. Transportability of pension plans, medical coverage and social security benefits are very difficult to normalize. Firms need to address many issues when considering benefits, including: Whether or not to maintain expatriates in home-country programs, particularly if the firm does not receive a tax deduction for it. Whether firms have the option of enrolling expatriates in host-country benefit programs and/or making up any difference in coverage. Whether expatriates should receive home-country or host-country social security benefits. In some countries, expatriates cannot opt out of local social security programs. In such circumstances, the firm normally pays for these additional costs. Laws governing private benefit practices differ from country to country, and firm practices also vary. Multinationals have generally done a good job of planning for the retirement needs of their PCN employees, but this is generally less the case for TCNs. TCNs may have little or no home-country social security coverage; They may have spent many years in countries that do not permit currency transfers of accrued benefit payments; Or they may spend their final year or two of employment in a country where final average salary is in a currency that relates unfavourably to their home-country currency. In addition to the already discussed benefits, multinationals also provide vacations and special leave. Included as part of the employees regular vacation, annual home leave usually provides airfares for families to return to their home countries. Rest and rehabilitation leave, based on the conditions of the host country, also provides the employees family with free airfares to a more comfortable location near the host country. Emergency provisions are available in case of a death or illness in the family. Employees in hardship locations often receive additional leave expense payments and rest and rehabilitation periods. ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS AND SERVICES Lifestyle enhancement services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provision for employee family to learn the local language à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Education training of employee family on local culture, customs and social expectations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Counseling services for employee family à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in finding a home at the foreign work site / school suitable education programmes for children dependents à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Company car, driver, domestic staff, and child care à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Use of Fitness facilities / subsidized health care services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assistance in joining local civic, social, professional organizations Allowances Premiums à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Foreign Service premium tax equalization allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Temporary living allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Currency protection à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mobility premium à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stopover allowance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Completion of assignment bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assignment extension bonus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emergency loan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Extended work-week payment APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION There are two main approaches in the area of international compensation The Going Rate Approach (also referred to as the Market Rate Approach) The Balance Sheet Approach (also known as the Build-up Approach). (a)The Going Rate Approach With this approach, the base salary for international transfer is linked to the salary structure in the host country. The multinational usually obtains information from local compensation surveys and must decide whether local nationals (HCNs), expatriates of the same nationality or expatriates of all nationalities will be the reference point in terms of benchmarking. For example, a Japanese bank operating in New York would need to decide whether its reference point would be local US salaries, other Japanese competitors in New York or all foreign banks operating in New York. With the Going Rate Approach, if the location is in a low-pay county, the multinational usually supplements base pay with additional benefits and payments. The Balance Sheet Approach The basic objective is to keep the expatriate whole (that is, maintaining relativity to PCN colleagues and compensating for the costs of an international assignment) through maintenance of home-country living standard plus a financial inducement to make the package attractive. The approach links the base salary for PCNs and TCNs to the salary structure of the relevant home country. For example, a US executive taking up an international position would have his or her compensation package built upon the US base-salary level rather than that applicable to the host country. The key assumption of this approach is that foreign assignees should not suffer a material loss due to their transfer, and this is accomplished through the utilization of what is generally referred to as the Balance-sheet Approach. COMPENSATION ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO Incentives provided to stimulate movement or expatriation to a foreign location/ host country Allowances for repatriation to home country Additional tax burdens placed on employees working in a foreign location Labour regulations in home and host country Cost-of-living allowances in the host country Home country and host country currency fluctuation Formal and informal compensation practices unique to the host country Determining home country for setting base pay of TCNs MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL BENEFITS COMPENSATION Compensation is one of the most complex areas of international human resource management Pay systems must conform to local laws and customs for employee compensation while also fitting into global MNC policies Managers face diverse political systems, laws regulations; confront different economic climates, economic development, tax policies, diverse culture, customs, the role of labor unions, standard of living It is also important for MNCs to consider carefully the motivational use of incentives and rewards among the employees drawn from three national or country categories The traditional function of pay to attract, retain and motivate employees has not changed The emphasis has shifted from the attraction and retention functions to the motivation function. TNC/MNCs must ensure that those skilled employees are compensated for achieving goals that make the international business operations succeed HR managers focus on their strategic objectives to develop a comprehensive compensation plan, in terms of considering base pay, short and long-term incentives, benefits and growth opportunities The objective of this kind of strategy is to ensure that both TNC/MNCs long and short-term objectives coexist in the compensation system without overlap, which would duplicate a single pay plan for the same objectives. The purpose of the planning is also designed to ensure that the compensation system attracts and retains the desired employees and that it motivates them to do those things that support the business plan The compensation costs of a family with children are shifted to hardship allowance for schooling, childcare, increased residence cost and all fringe benefits associated with supporting a family life cycle It may be that international compensation administration is more complex than its domestic counterpart, but not radically different in pattern or form. QUESTIONS:- Q1. What is international compensation system? Explain its objectives. Q2. Explain the parties involved in international compensation system? Q3. List the components of an international compensation program. Q4. Explain the approaches to international compensation system. Q5. What are different challenges faced by the management concerned to various benefits in international compensation program.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Effect of Technology in Education :: Teaching Education Essays Papers

Technology in education is a touchy subject in the United States. Many parents believe that technology will only hurt their child in future, while some believe that technology will help their child. Parents have to be open and must allow themselves, to see what is happening before they make their decision. As a college student who would like to become a teacher, I believe that technology will help a child. All children learn differently, and technology is to help the children who have no other place to go. Some children are just unable to learn from a teacher, that is when technology plays a big role. Some children have to show themselves how to do things and technology will allow that. Technology has many different effects on education, one of them being enhancing the students learning. Technology may enhance the students learning and may assist most students in achieving their academic standards. When technology and appropriate teaching methods are combined, technology may increase the academic achievement. Positive effects have been found in all major subject areas, from preschool to higher education, both regular and special needs students. Educational technology has been found to have a positive effect on a student’s attitude toward learning and on self-concepts. The introduction of technology into the learning environment has allowed the learning to be more student-centered, to encourage group learning, and helps to stimulate an increase in the student-teacher interaction. Technology has shown a shift from a focus on a student’s memorization to their problem solving. Through technology’s use, learning opportunities have become unrestr icted by time or place, allowing lifelong learning. Student use of technology through communications can also help to enhance access to a career and continued education. Students are more likely to use a computer to get help because they can to it themselves. Technology is helping students to become independent. Due to the technology increase many schools are reporting higher test scores. One example is Northbrook Middle School in Houston Texas. The school is largely made up of minorities with low socioeconomic statuses. The students at this school recorded test scores that were sharply improved due to the involvement of technology. Technology in education helps with communication issues also. Effect of Technology in Education :: Teaching Education Essays Papers Technology in education is a touchy subject in the United States. Many parents believe that technology will only hurt their child in future, while some believe that technology will help their child. Parents have to be open and must allow themselves, to see what is happening before they make their decision. As a college student who would like to become a teacher, I believe that technology will help a child. All children learn differently, and technology is to help the children who have no other place to go. Some children are just unable to learn from a teacher, that is when technology plays a big role. Some children have to show themselves how to do things and technology will allow that. Technology has many different effects on education, one of them being enhancing the students learning. Technology may enhance the students learning and may assist most students in achieving their academic standards. When technology and appropriate teaching methods are combined, technology may increase the academic achievement. Positive effects have been found in all major subject areas, from preschool to higher education, both regular and special needs students. Educational technology has been found to have a positive effect on a student’s attitude toward learning and on self-concepts. The introduction of technology into the learning environment has allowed the learning to be more student-centered, to encourage group learning, and helps to stimulate an increase in the student-teacher interaction. Technology has shown a shift from a focus on a student’s memorization to their problem solving. Through technology’s use, learning opportunities have become unrestr icted by time or place, allowing lifelong learning. Student use of technology through communications can also help to enhance access to a career and continued education. Students are more likely to use a computer to get help because they can to it themselves. Technology is helping students to become independent. Due to the technology increase many schools are reporting higher test scores. One example is Northbrook Middle School in Houston Texas. The school is largely made up of minorities with low socioeconomic statuses. The students at this school recorded test scores that were sharply improved due to the involvement of technology. Technology in education helps with communication issues also.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Macbeth?s Responsibility :: essays research papers

The disaster in Macbeth mainly revolves around one person, Macbeth. Although other outside conflicts influenced Macbeth to start his killing spree, most of the killings are committed by Macbeth. The witches and Lady Macbeth were the ones who helped pushed him along his self-destruction path, but ultimately Macbeth decided to carry out the evil deed of murdering Duncan by himself. Macbeth’s meeting with the three witches is what first incites the disaster when they tell him that he is to be the Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Macbeth is surprised by this news and wants to hear more. Macbeth writing to his wife about his encounter with the witches also proved to be a mistake because she became ambitious about Macbeth becoming king and she becoming queen. Macbeth had outside influences involved in the death of Duncan, but the other deaths in the play are caused only by Macbeth. Macbeth was also responsible for the deaths of Duncan’s guards when he said â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them.† (A2, S3, 100-101) He had no reason for killing them but his rage enabled him to be irrational. When Macbeth became suspicious about Banquo knowing that he had killed Duncan, Macbeth ordered him and his son Fleance to be killed. Banquo was killed and Fleance escaped, which upheld the witch’s prophesy that Banquo’s future would not be happy and that his offspring would be kings. Macbeth showed his true evil when he ordered Banquo and his son to be killed. It showed that he had the ambition to act in a way that would protect his lust for power by retaining the throne of Scotland. When Macduff fled to England, Macbeth ordered that

Monday, September 2, 2019

The Great Patient Race :: essays research papers

When Gordon Gould was a graduate student at Columbia University in 1957, he sketched out the concept of a concentrated beam of light amplified in a gas-filled chamber and coined the term "laser" to describe it. But Gould waited to seek a patent on his discovery, believing incorrectly that a working prototype was necessary. Eventually, two other researchers were awarded the basic patents instead. After a decades-long legal tussle, Gould finally reveled in victory when a federal court ruled that the patent application it had approved did not anticipate the common uses of lasers. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office then granted Gould lucrative rights to the invention, in part because as a graduate student he had his original research notebooks date-stamped and notarized. The legal standard that was applied awards patents to the person who invented a concept first, and it has long been a unique feature of the U.S. patent system. This year, however, Congress is about to consider a controversial proposal from Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, that would grant a patent to the first person to submit the paperwork --a standard that's common outside the United States. The legislation suddenly has become a flash point about everything that's right with the U.S. patent system--and everything that's wrong with it. Technology companies fighting expensive patent cases are hoping the bill will reduce litigation, while open-source advocates say it will do nothing to hinder the rising tide of software patents being issued. Many people feel that the measure will make only modest improvements, if any, to the quality of patents being awarded. Smith's bill, called the Patent Reform Act of 2005, also has drawn the ire of independent inventors, who have said it will unfairly hurt anyone without a battalion of patent lawyers who can race to the Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va. The rule probably would have kept Gould from being awarded the laser patents he eventually got. "We really feel that there's a litigation lottery. People roll the die and hope that their number comes up big." --David Kaefer director of intellectual-property licensing, Microsoft Smith declined, through a representative, to comment on the bill before a hearing set for Thursday. The issue has taken on additional urgency because of Smith's ambitious plan to navigate his bill quickly through the House by year's end. Next week's hearing will take place shortly after politicians have returned from their summer break. Meanwhile, a similar measure is being readied in the Senate by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch. The Great Patient Race :: essays research papers When Gordon Gould was a graduate student at Columbia University in 1957, he sketched out the concept of a concentrated beam of light amplified in a gas-filled chamber and coined the term "laser" to describe it. But Gould waited to seek a patent on his discovery, believing incorrectly that a working prototype was necessary. Eventually, two other researchers were awarded the basic patents instead. After a decades-long legal tussle, Gould finally reveled in victory when a federal court ruled that the patent application it had approved did not anticipate the common uses of lasers. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office then granted Gould lucrative rights to the invention, in part because as a graduate student he had his original research notebooks date-stamped and notarized. The legal standard that was applied awards patents to the person who invented a concept first, and it has long been a unique feature of the U.S. patent system. This year, however, Congress is about to consider a controversial proposal from Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, that would grant a patent to the first person to submit the paperwork --a standard that's common outside the United States. The legislation suddenly has become a flash point about everything that's right with the U.S. patent system--and everything that's wrong with it. Technology companies fighting expensive patent cases are hoping the bill will reduce litigation, while open-source advocates say it will do nothing to hinder the rising tide of software patents being issued. Many people feel that the measure will make only modest improvements, if any, to the quality of patents being awarded. Smith's bill, called the Patent Reform Act of 2005, also has drawn the ire of independent inventors, who have said it will unfairly hurt anyone without a battalion of patent lawyers who can race to the Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va. The rule probably would have kept Gould from being awarded the laser patents he eventually got. "We really feel that there's a litigation lottery. People roll the die and hope that their number comes up big." --David Kaefer director of intellectual-property licensing, Microsoft Smith declined, through a representative, to comment on the bill before a hearing set for Thursday. The issue has taken on additional urgency because of Smith's ambitious plan to navigate his bill quickly through the House by year's end. Next week's hearing will take place shortly after politicians have returned from their summer break. Meanwhile, a similar measure is being readied in the Senate by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch.

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Freedom of Choice

â€Å"To be or not to be that a question. † This saying is from a very famous poet called William Shakespeare. It means that we need to make choices when we face some questions and we need bear all the consequences and before we make choices, we need to mull. Sometimes, we can make choices by ourselves, but they can cause mistakes.So, I think it costs society for people to have the freedom of making choices. I will show three examples of making choices and they are from a book called â€Å"The Giver†, a fictional story called â€Å" Mermaid† and an article we read in class called â€Å"what makes teens drink†.In the book, in Jonas society, a receiver called Rosemary, she ask to release because she think that she can’t bear too much pain and she think that release is just go to another community, but she doesn’t know release means euthanasia. She makes a wrong choice, that cause she dies and all of her memories return to the people in the comm unity and cause disturbance.Hans Christian Andersen writes the story called and it tell us that a beautiful mermaid save a prince’s life in the ocean, and she loves the prince but the prince doesn’t know he was saved by the mermaid, he thinks that the princess from another country.The mermaid wants to meet the prince, she makes a decision that she lost her nice voice and she gets feet. But if the mermaid can’t get married with the prince, she will become bubble. Then, the prince meet her but he still think the princess save his life.As the result of mermaid’s throat, she can’t tell prince. Finally, prince get married with the princess and mermaid become bubble. The article we read in class tells us that many minors drink in Nebraska and it is illegal. But major teens are not. So that is because of teen’s own choice and their parents don’t set the standard and rules very clear.Pressure is the reason of teens drink and that may cause cr ime. Alcohol can affect decision-making and the body. So teens should know why underage drinking is not allowed. This information is from â€Å"The Torch Plpillion-LaVista South High SchoolPapillion, NE.†I think it is not important that people make their own choices even if they make harmful ones. Relate to the third example, teens drink in Nebraska, they know what law is but they still do it because their parents give them too many chances to make their own choices. I think they are not adults, so they don’t have experiences and ability to make their own decision.Alcohol can affect decision-making and the body and they can easily to get injured. If they get injured, they will regret forever. A small mistake can cause sad, so, parents should not allowed them to make their own choice. They are many costs of freedom of choice, just like the first example.Rosemary choose to release, she lost her life, that makes the giver sad and her memories return to the people live in Jonas society, if people have memories, the organization of their community can not control them easily because people have minds. Maybe people will against the organization.All of these results Rosemary has never think about. Nobody can stop her because of rules, so this freedom choice is harmful for people. I don’t think benefits outweigh the costs. Come back to Rosemary, although she will not bear all the pain, she lost her life, she can’t do anything and she makes others sad, she also break the balance of the community, there are too many costs and they are more important than the benefits. I think it is not possible to have too many choices because we can see the second example, mermaid loves the prince and she want to see him. There are only one way can see him and she need to pay a price.Otherwise the mermaid will not lost her voice and her life, but she will never see the prince. That is impossible, so, she must make decision. But if someone stop her such as he r parents, the result maybe different. Freedom choice can cause too many mistakes and most of mistakes can give super hits and harmful for the society. In conclusion, it is not important that people need to make their own choices. All of the choices need to have good results and most of people don’t think over their choices and cause serious mistakes. So it is costs society for people to have the freedom of making choices.

Philippines still divided on RH Bill Essay

Philippine society remains divided on the reproductive health (RH) bill, as it is being opposed by concerned citizens, especially the pro-life, pro-family and pro-God groups, regardless of creed or religion. Pro-life groups, and many professionals in the medical and nursing fields, believe that physicians and policy makers should understand and respect the beliefs of patients who consider human life to be present and valuable from the moment of fertilization. Other aspects of the bill being contested by concerned citizens include the classification of family planning supplies as essential medicines when their safety profile and legal permissibility are questionable. Very pertinent to the debate about reproduction rights is the right to life. The Philippine Constitution says that the State shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception, if artificial contraceptives are medically proven to induce abortion as one of their mechanisms of action, then procurement and distribution of such family planning supplies are unconstitutional and illegal. Harapan†, a debate sought to clarify issues about the bill now pending in Congress, amid vitriol spilled by both sides on social media, the pulpit, on the streets, and elsewhere, aired by ABS-CBN and ANC on Sunday night. Key proponents of movements either supporting or rejecting the RH bill took part in the discussion, which was hosted by Julius Babao and Karen Davila. House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman, one of the proponents of the measure now called Responsible Parenthood-Reproductive Health Bill, cited United Nations data showing that 11 women in the country die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. He also mentioned surveys made by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia showing that a majority of Filipinos support the RH bill. â€Å"Ang RH bill ay hindi tungkol sa religion. Ito ay tungkol sa karapatan, kalusugan, at kaunlaran,† he said. Lagman added that it is not only about contraceptives but also maternal health, abortion prevention, HIV-AIDS management prevention, and efforts to stamp out violence against women. Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez, who is opposing the bill, took the opposite road and said he and the other guests would not be present at the debate if their mothers followed family planning. He also claimed that contraceptives raise breast cancer rates and do not prevent HIV infections, citing Thailand. Golez also said the Philippines’ population growth rate is going down. â€Å"Di na kailangan ng RH para bumaba. † The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Fr. Melvin Castro said that tubal ligation, a popular medical method involving the cutting women’s Fallopian tubes to prevent them from becoming pregnant again, is considered as a sin by the church. Pro-life activist George Balagtas and Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio, director of the University of the Philippines’ center for women’s studies also presented their arguments either rejecting or supporting the RH bill. Claudio focused her attention on the Catholic Church’s influence on the debate and said that Catholic leaders in the country should respect diversity of religion and opinion. â€Å"I’m not a Catholic. Hindi totoo na lahat ng Pilipino ay Katoliko. That is not society,† she added. Castro, meanwhile, insisted that the RH bill is against God’s laws. â€Å"We are opposing God’s will to procreate. † Other personalities from the 2 sides of the fence also crossed swords over sensitive issues such as sex education and abortion. UST’s Dr. Aguirre, meanwhile, used another angle in attacking the RH bill. She said sex education has been around for years and cited a study stating that 9 of 10 Filipino youths are not sexually active. Akbayan’s Risa Hontiveros, on the other hand, believes that sex education must begin in the fifth grade, when changes occur in the bodies of boys and girls. Even the results of the SMS and online polls held during the show failed to end arguments on key issues. In the SMS poll, 69. 58% of votes cast reject the RH bill while 30. 42% support it, while in the separate online poll held on the Harapan micro site that live streamed the debate, 63. 91% support the RH bill while 36. 09% oppose it.