Describe the Importance of Continuing Professional

Describe the importance of continuing professional development – Unit 206 – 2. 2 In all professions trends are always changing. Procedures and practices change. Research is always discovering new processes and learning strategies. It is important to stay on top of these changes within your professional field. Continuing professional development raises the standards of your skills set. To always be updating skills and developing knowledge and finding ways to do this is a positive attitude to take, to be successful at what you do and what will set you apart from the rest. In a school it is very important that it takes a keen interest in continuing professional development, it means its standards are likely to be high and would make it more appealing to parents seeking a placement for their child. In education and in the classroom it is important for all staff to be proactive in their own continuing professional development. In order to feel more positive and confident about their profession and to keep motivated and inspired by new ideas. It also means keeping up to date with the latest teaching techniques, regular reviews of procedures and practices, such as first aid and child protection. Most importantly is the benefit to the childrens education, it means they will always be receiving the most up to date and the highest standard of teaching, and using the latest equipment. It is equally important for employers to support and encourage continuing professional development for their staff, providing opportunities for teachers to develop their skills to create a better learning environment, and will enable every teacher and pupil to reach their full potential.

Los Angeles Riots – Speculating About Causes

May 14, 2012 Born of Neglect – The Los Angeles Riots â€Å"It was the city that failed†¦It was police management, past and present, that has failed. This has to be taken into account to reflect a just and fair sentence†¦There simply has to be some allowance for the official negligence of the city which allowed this to take place and which will take place again† (qtd. in Cannon 3) On April 29, 1992, the day the verdict in the Rodney King trial was read, I was seventeen years old. Standing in the living room, I watched the news with my parents as they waited for the verdict.When the four â€Å"not guilty† verdicts were announced, I asked my parents why the police were found not guilty if they were caught on tape, that didn’t seem fair. My mom answered, â€Å"No one ever said life is fair. † This was news to me; however the people of Los Angeles had learned this lesson the hard way. The people of L. A. and the justice system have had a long a nd rocky relationship. There have been three major riots in L. A. since 1942, and coincidentally or not, each has a direct correlation with racial bias of the judicial system.While there is good cause to question whether mob mentality took over and created the riots themselves, the circumstances that created the perfect atmosphere for violence cannot be discounted. The Zoot Suit Riots of 1942 involved the predominately Mexican youth of central L. A. and the predominately white servicemen that had been stationed there. Tension between the two had been building, partly due to the servicemen’s rowdy behavior and perceived disrespect to the Mexican community, and partly due to the Mexican youth’s territorialism and pride.Due to the current wartime state of the country however, the media and most citizens gave favor to the servicemen, and portrayed the Mexican Zoot Suitors as gangsters and troublemakers. When Jose Diaz was discovered murdered, the media and police were quic k to label it a gang killing. The subsequent arrests and trial were such a charade of justice that all of the convictions were later overturned. However, the resentment the Mexican youth had for being treated so unfairly simmered, and created the tinderbox that ignited the Zoot Suit Riots. In 1965 the L. A. P. D. ulled over Marquette Frye, a young black man suspected of drunk driving. Frye was new to L. A. , and did not realize the seriousness of the police in L. A. He attempted to joke with the officers, and being close to his home, Frye’s mother arrived on the scene and began to scold Frye for getting into trouble. At this time a crowd had begun to form, and look on as the police used their batons to subdue Frye, his mother, and his cousin with excessive force. The crowd began throwing things at the police, and the rumblings of what became the worst riot in Los Angeles’s history began.Unlike the previous riots, The Los Angeles Riot of 1992 started abruptly. Still, th ere was a general distrust between the L. A. P. D and the people of Los Angeles, and many complaints of police brutality were ignored. In March of 1991 a fifteen year old girl named Latasha Harlins walked into a Korean-owned store to buy some juice. She had her money in her hand, but put the juice into her backpack before she paid. The store owner, Soon Ja Du, perceived Latasha to be stealing, and grabbed her arm. Latasha struck Soon Ja Du and knocked her down.She threw the juice on the counter, and turned to leave the store. Soon Ja Du pulled out a gun and shot Latasha in the back of the head as she was leaving, and instantly killed her. The community went into an uproar, and racial tension was stronger than ever. Soon Ja Du went to trial and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and her recommended sentence was sixteen years. When she went before the judge for sentencing however, the judge assigned her five years probation, 400 hours community service, and a $500 fine.During th is same time period, a black man named Rodney King was pulled over after leading the police on a high speed chase, and brutally beaten by five white police officers. The police were unknowingly being videotaped, and the tape was released to the public. The trial of the officers involved was followed by the entire country, and the conviction of the officers seemed a sure thing. When a white jury returned four â€Å"not guilty† verdicts to an already tense city, it had the effect of setting a match to a fuse. The verdicts were announced at 3:15pm; 45 minutes later a flash mob formed at the intersection of Florence and Normandie.The group of people, angry and betrayed, began throwing bricks, shouting, and breaking windows. When the police arrived, they did not call for back-up to control the situation immediately, and instead retreated. The police formed barricades around the city, effectively protecting the upscale neighborhoods surrounding the city, as well as trapping anyone who might have wanted to escape. Around this time the line between righteous anger and mob mentality may have become blurred. In the full scale riot that ensued, building were looted and burned down, pedestrians were brutalized, and some were killed.One of the most remembered events of the riots was the live broadcast of Reginald Denny being dragged from the cab of his truck, knocked down, and being beaten with a fire extinguisher, hammer, and brick. In retrospect many people considered this a hate crime, because Denny was white. However, some people consider this merely a crime of opportunity, with Denny simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction. Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose. By Kenneth Burke. 1935. 3rd ed. Berkeley: U of California P, 1984. xiii-xliv. Print.

Communication and Professional Relationships with Children, Young People and Adults

Effective communication is important in developing positive relationships with children, young people and adultsEffective communication creates positive relationships. You have to model excellent communication skills with the children and adults you work with on a daily basis. You should always think about how you approach people and how you respond back, doing so in a positive manner will help you achieve more information and communication in the long run because you are beginning to build a positive relationship with that child/person and this benefits them.We must always think about how we communicate and always make sure it is for the good of the pupil and the school. Always set a good example by behaving the way you would expect your pupil to. If you do not communicate effectively it can break down and that’s where misunderstandings occur and this can lead to negative feeling.When you use effective communication this creates a strong and positive relationship and your pup ils will benefit fully from that given situation.Explain the principles of relationship building with children, young people and adultsThe main principle of relationship building is to make others feel comfortable and at ease, if they are, they are more likely to communicate effectively. It is very important to be respectful and courteous and to listen to what they have to say. Always respect the views of others, especially if they have different cultural beliefs or values.Take the time to listen to others, this is not always easy when you are so busy but it is extremely important to build a positive relationship, always show that you are interested in what they have to say, they may need to confide in you.Have a good sense of humour, when appropriate this lightens peoples perception of you and can help people who are feeling stressed, laughter is a good way of relaxing.Always be clear on the reason you are communicating, giving people mixed messages does not create a good working r elationship, a good way of making sure people have received clear information is by asking them to repeat what is expected of them.Being considerate is a must as you may be working with a child or adult who is under strain due to work or home matters. If you are being considerate in that situation this will help you understand if they respond out of character and you may be able to help.Explain how different social, professional and cultural contexts may affect relationships and the way people communicateIt is important that you adapt your communication in different situations and always consider the context in which you are working. It is extremely important how we dress and present ourselves to others, if you are going into a formal meeting with managers and parents wearing jeans and trainers for example, this would not give a professional image of you or the school you work for.It is important if you say to either a child or an adult that you are going to get back to them with an answer, you do so as efficiently as you can, this also applies to how we respond to letters and messages and always make sure you check your spelling and grammar.Try to increase your knowledge of different cultures, as the way they behave or respond maybe different to you for example it is not polite to look another person in the eye when speaking to them in some cultures.Explain the skills needed to communicate with children and young peopleThere are certain skills needed and these skills must be used everyday in order to communicate effectively and to make the child/adult feel valued.Always make eye contact when a child is speaking to you, if you say you are listening but continue to write or look at something else it shows you are not really interested in what they have to say, giving your full attention shows that you are engaged and listening.Bring yourself to the level of the child this is less intimidating than towering over them. Always smile and react positively, use posit ive body language, don’t sit there with your arms tightly folded or your shoulders tense this can create tension, express your face when responding to what they have said this shows you are listening.A good way of showing that you are listening is to repeat what they have said and this can extend their communication by telling you more or you may need to comment on incorrect use of words to help them for next time.Always give a child an opportunity to speak this will help with their confidence and their need to express themselves and encourage them to ask questions, this will help them build conversation skills.Explain how to adapt communication with children and young peopleThe age of the child or young personDifferent ages require different levels of attention. You may need to use more physical contact to reassure very young children then as the children become older you can help talk through their concerns, you will always listen and react positively choosing correct vocab ulary.The context of the communicationDepending on the situation you need to be aware that you may need to change your verbal communication accordingly, always make sure the children are focused and pre-empt any distractions and get ready to deal with them with as little interruption as possible or if you are having general chit chat in the playground, use humour to respond to difficult questions such as Where do you live, What is your first name etc..Communication differencesMake yourself aware of the children with communication issues and always be sensitive to them by giving them more time so they do not feel pressured when speaking or signing. Some children can be very anxious so it is important to make them feel comfortable in the setting. It is important if a child has a stammer or speech impediment you do not speak for them, you cannot guess or assume you know what they wanted to say and this can create anger and stress. Do not be afraid of asking for additional training if y ou are working alongside children who use signing to communicate, for example – Makaton.Explain the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young peopleAlways remember that certain things stay the same such as being courteous and respectful and showing that you are interested, however, you must remember that if you are in a school setting and you are dealing with a child or young person you maintain that carer/child relationship and responsibility. You should not offer physical contact with children. Always be clear in what you say and what is expected of them and adapt your vocabulary accordingly.Explain how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults.You must be sensitive when communicating with other adults, try and find out as much as you can beforehand, you may find they have communication difficulties, they maybe hearing impaired so always make sure you are facing them and speak clearly so they ca n lip read or the person may speak another language or very little English, make sure you have plans in place if required.Explain how to manage disagreements with children, young people and adultsA lot of the time disagreements are due to a lack of communication in the first instance and the best thing to do is to sort things out very carefully so the bad feelings do not persist. You must always respond with a positive attitude and polite manner and be sensitive to the other person’s feelings, if you feel the disagreement is spiralling out of control you may need to call in a mediator this being another member of staff who can maybe help sort things out, but hopefully if you are using the correct communication this should not be required unless you were somehow in a disagreement with a child, always seek advice from your line manager if this is the case.The best way to resolve disagreements is to find the cause and then decide on a course of action together. Offer encourageme nt and support.Summarise the main points of legislation and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of informationData protection act 1998 – To provide a safe environment for our children we as a school are able to obtain certain information which is relevant such as, health and medical information, records from previous schools, records for children who have special educational needs. All this information is confidential. Parental consent would be required if this information was requested by another source.Every child matters (England 2003) – stresses the importance of sharing information between professionals, communication between us, is the key to help prevent tragic cases.You should not pass on information about the school or the children without being 110% certain you can, do not feel pressured to do so, always seek advice from your line manager if you are unsure.Explain the importance of reassuring children, young people and adul ts of the confidentiality of shared information and the limits of thisIt is extremely important that you communicate and explain fully your reasons for requiring the confidential information, you would make sure that you followed correct procedures and ask for consent if required, you also need to promote a professional image so people trust you to deal with the confidential information with the utmost respect that is needed. By doing this the children, young people and adults feel reassured their confidential information is handled appropriately and used effectively.Justify the kinds of situation when confidentiality protocols must be breached.If a child, young person or adult confides in you and you suspect child abuse or they are at risk or danger of someone or something never promise to keep it a secret you would have to tell the child, young person or adult that you are unable to keep it confidential for this reason and then you must tell and seek advice from your safeguarding point of contact.

Actions that the MLRO of BCD should take

Introduction A Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) is an officer within a firm or practice that has been nominated to make disclosures to the National Crime Agency (NCA), formerly the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), under the Proceeds of Crimes Act (POCA) 2007 and the Terrorism Act (TA) 2000. It is provided under Regulation 20 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 that if an MLRO receives an internal disclosure of suspected money laundering or terrorist financing, they are required to consider the disclosure and decide whether the grounds of suspicion are sufficient enough to pass the disclosure onto NCA (Ellinger et al; 2011: 98). Since the MLRO of BCD Bank has received an internal money laundering suspicion report from Christian, they will be required to consider whether the matter should be passed onto NCA. Given that Radovan Rankovich (RR) is allegedly wanted by the authorities in the Ukraine for criminal actions against the state, and has received a recent transfer of ?15 mil lion from a Corporate Service Provider in Cyprus, it is likely that this would warrant a disclosure to NCA for investigation. In accordance with this, the MLRO will be required to file a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) with NCA and subsequently liaise with them to deal with this matter accordingly (Ellinger et al; 2011: 97). Part 7 of POCA makes it a requirement for banks to make a disclosure to NCA if they reasonably suspect that a person is involved in money laundering (s. 329). If the MLRO fails to make such a disclosure then he or she may be found criminally liable under this Act for a failure to disclose (s. 331). This is because a person commits an offence under s. 329 if they; acquire, use or have possession of, criminal property. Since a bank would fall within the scope of this section, it is possible that BCD Bank would be subject to criminal proceedings if they failed to take the appropriate action and thus make the relevant disclosures. If the MLRO does not believe that the grounds of suspicion are sufficient to report the matter to NCA, then the MLRO will be required to make further inquiries (International Monetary Fund, 2011: 65). Once the MLRO has made a report to NCA, the report will be ‘protected’ under s. 337 so that nothing in the report shall be taken to breach any restriction on the disclosure of information. Given that BCD Bank may have engaged in money laundering by allowing RR’s transactions to take place, they may have a defence under s. 338 if they make demonstrate that they made the disclosure as soon as possible. Similar provisions also apply under th e TA if the person is also suspected of terrorist financing. As Christian has received a text message stating that RR is wanted by the authorities in the Ukraine for criminal actions against the state, it is likely that the MLRO will also be required to comply with the provisions under the TA for a reasonable suspicion of terrorist financing. An obligation to report under the TA will therefore arise which means that the MLRO will be required to disclose the identity of RR, any information that relates to the matter and the whereabouts of the laundered property. There are two different types of report that may be made by the MLRO, namely protected reports and authorised reports. A protected disclosure is made by a person during the course of their trade, profession or employment. This type of disclosure is generally made by a person who is carrying our professional activities. An authorised disclosure is made by a person who is about to commit a prohibited act or has already committed a prohibited act (Bastable and Yeo, 2011: 108). Since the bank has already dealt with the property that is suspected of being laundered, it is more appropriate for an authorised disclosure to be made. The MLRO will also be required to obtain consent from NCA under ss. 335 and 336 to determine whether Christian can action any further transfers out of RR’s account. This will be done by making a ‘consent report’ to NCA, which will then block any transactions for seven working days. If NCA gives consent to the MLRO, the MLRO will then be able to give consent to Christian to carry out the transactions (Bastable and Yeo, 2011: 108). If NCA refuse consent, however, the proposed transactions will be frozen for a further 31 days, unless consent is granted during that period; R (on the application of UMBS Online Ltd [2007] WL 1292620. The Risks and Issues for the Bank This particular issue regarding RR is likely to be problematic for the BCD Bank as they will want to act in the best interests of their customer, namely RR, so that they remain in business with them whilst at the same time they are required to fulfil certain obligations imposed upon them by law. Because BCD will be required to disclose their suspicions even if RR has not acted in a criminal manner, this will have a damaging effect upon RR’s reputation and as put by Hislop (2009); â€Å"absent bad faith, little more than a â€Å"bad feeling† can trigger a banks disclosure obligations under POCA 2002, with in some cases catastrophic commercial consequences for the customer and a damning of his hitherto â€Å"good name† in the business community.† If the banks suspicions are incorrect, this can be significantly detrimental for RR. As such, the bank will need to be careful that they are striking a balance between the interests of RR with its duties to disclose . In the recent case of SHAH and another v HSBC private bank (UK) Ltd (2009) EWHC 79 (QB) the implications Part 7 has upon the rights of the individual and the banking business was clearly highlighted. Here, it was demonstrated that where a bank makes a SAR in respect of a suspicious transaction, they may not be provided with protection if the customer decides to challenge the banks suspicions in the future. This is so, despite the fact that a criminal offence may have been committed if the bank failed to make such a disclosure. Customers will have a right to challenge the banks suspicions with the bank then being required to prove that the suspicion was reasonable. It may be difficult to determine how the bank can justify making a disclosure since it was made clear by the court in this case that â€Å"the defendant must think that there is a possibility, which is more than fanciful, that the relevant facts exist. A vague feeling of unease would not suffice.† The bank will therefore be taking a risk in many any disclosure, especially this one since it will have to be shown that the text message was sufficient enough for a disclosure to be made. Furthermore, even if the circu mstances do render a disclosure justified, the bank’s decision may still be challenged which can be costly and time consuming. In K Ltd v National Westminster Bank plc [2007] 1 WLR 311 it was noted by the Court that; â€Å"to intervene between a banker and his customer in the performance of the contract of mandate is a serious interference with the free flow of trade. But Parliament has considered that a limited interference is to be tolerated in preference to allowing the undoubted evil of money-laundering to run rife in the commercial community.† Therefore, even though such a disclosure may interfere with the relationship between the bank and RR, such interference will be necessary if it will be likely to prevent money laundering from taking place. The bank needs to be clear that an interference of RR’s account is appropriate on the circumstances, since a frozen bank account for a period of time has in the past been considered a ‘grave injustice’ in the case of Squirrell Limited v National Westminster Bank plc (Customs and Excise Commissioners intervening [2006] 1 WLR 637. Here, the customer’s funds were frozen resulting in the customer being unable to afford the legal fees it would cost to challenge the decision. Therefore, if RR’s funds were frozen, which subsequently prevented RR from challenging the decision; it is unlikely that this would be deemed appropriate by the court. In accordance with this, it has been said that the test for suspicion is â€Å"a purely subjective matter† ( Medroft, 2010: 190). The decision as to whether the suspicion is reasonable will therefore depend upon whether Christian actually believed that the transaction was suspicious. If it cannot be found that this is the case, the interference cannot be considered justifiable and a breach of the customer’s human rights may also be established as in K Ltd. The bank will therefore be required to consider whether ‘reasonable grounds’ do actually exist, having regard to the elements constituting market abuse offences (Hudson and Hutchinson, 2009: 1). There are many inherent risks that are associated with disclosures and as such, it is vital that the bank is aware of its exact rights and obligations. In SHAH the court found that the bank did not act in an unreasonable manner which is likely to be the case in the instant situation. As such, it will most likely be difficult for RR to show that the bank had not acted in good faith. However, it could be argued that there was an unreasonable delay by the bank to make the disclosure under s. 338(2). As a result of this, the bank could be exposed to liability for breach of its duty of care (Medroft, 2010: 190). Whether this is acceptable remains an arguable subject but as expressed by Benjamin (2007: 62); â€Å"here the objective is not informed consent to risk but combating crime.à ¢â‚¬  Accordingly, it is therefore generally accepted that a bank’s interference will be justified on public policy grounds. The bank will still be subjected to many risks when making a disclosure, nonetheless, and must therefore consider whether the consequences of making a disclosure can be justified (Ellinger et al. 2010: 114). In addition, if the bank decides to make a disclosure, they must be careful not to allow the customer to find out as they can be found liable for ‘tipping off. This is another issue that may arise since a customer could become aware that a disclosure has been made simply due to the fact that their account has been suspended. It could be said that the bank is in a difficult situation as whatever option it takes, sanctions may still be imposed. As one judge noted in Governer & Company of the Bank of Scotland v A Ltd [2000] Lloyd’s Rep Bank 271, 287; â€Å"the bank may commit a criminal offence if it pays or if it refuses to pay.† Furthermore, if the bank makes a disclosure based on its suspicions, which later turn out to be unfounded, the bank risks civil liability for breaching its contract with its customer (Ellinger et al: 2010: 114). This is because the bank will have frozen the customer’s account which would have prevented payments from being made in and out of the account. Because the banks have a significant burden imposed upon them when it comes to dealing with money laundering, some attempt has been made to ensure that banks acting in good faith will not face criminal liability. For example, it was held by the court in C v S [1999] 2 All ER 343 that â€Å"it would not normally be an abuse of process to prosecute a bank which was doing no more than obeying a court order for disclosure.† Still, it is necessary for the bank to consider all of the risks before considering whether to make a disclosure or not. Overall, it is necessary on the facts for the MLRO of BCD Bank to make a disclosure to NCA since it does appear that the suspicions are reasonable. This is based upon the transaction of ?15 million that was made recently as well as the text message that Christian has received. Whilst the bank would be required to examine the potential issues with disclosing such information and freezing the account of RR this appears necessary and in the public interest. It will most likely prevent money laundering activities from taking place and will ensure that Christian, the MLRO and the bank are complying with their obligations. References Bastable, G., and Yeo, N., (2011). Money Laundering Law and Regulation: A Practical Guide, Oxford University Press. Benjamin, J., (2007). Financial Law. OUP Oxford. Ellinger, E. P., Lomnicka, E., and Hare, C., (2011) Ellinger’s Modern Banking Law, (Oxford University Press. Ellinger, E. P., Lomnicka, E., and Hare, C., (2010) Ellinger’s Modern Banking Law. 5th Edition. OUP Oxford. Hislop, D., (2009). ‘Banks, SARS & the Customer’ 159 New Law Journal 1099, Issue 7380. International Monetary Fund., (2011) Banking and Insurance, Business & Economics. Medcroft, N., (2010). A Banker’s Liability for Damages Arising from Compliance with PT 7 POCA’ 4 Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 227, Issue 4. Medcroft, N., (2009). Refusing to Execute Payment Instructions Where a Bank Suspects Money Laundering. 4 Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 190, Issue 4. Hudson, D., and Hutchinson, K., (2009). Suspicious Transactions Reports: Reporting Obligations of Financial Institutions in the UK. Complinet, [Accessed 07 June, 2014]. Cases C v S [1999] 2 All ER 343 Governer & Company of the Bank of Scotland v A Ltd [2000] Lloyd’s Rep Bank 271, 287 K Ltd v National Westminster Bank plc [2007] 1 WLR 311 R (on the application of UMBS Online Ltd [2007] WL 1292620 SHAH and another v HSBC private bank (UK) Ltd (2009) EWHC 79 (QB) Squirrell Limited v National Westminster Bank plc (Customs and Excise Commissioners intervening [2006] 1 WLR 637

Team Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Team Leader - Assignment Example One of my team experiences involved a multidimensional approach to social behavior change for prevention and management of Chlamydia trachomatis infection among adolescents in a locality. The team needed to identify underlying risk factors among the target population and develop a behavior change strategy for prevention and management. Even though involved nurses had a level of multidimensional skills and experience such as in psychology, research, and education, specialized professionals were incorporated to spearhead these interests. The multidimensional team that was also diverse in demographic factors such as age, gender, and race was organized in groups, each with specific tasks, but open forums for progress evaluation ensured input of every team member in each of the involved activities. Of special interest was difference in rationale among the non-nurse professionals and the role that the difference played on the team’s success and on team members. Analysis of the team, using Team Performance Survey (Thompson, et al., 2009), identify a high-level effectiveness of the team. Group leaders briefed the team on progress and plans but every team members participated in deliberations, questioning validity of reports by each group, or introducing a new idea. The team leader also ensured an inclusive participation by being specific in eliciting responses and new ideas. Members also explained their opinions in cases of conflicts and even external information sources were used resolve differences in opinions. Difference in professional backgrounds and even specialization among nurses formed most of the differences, but this also played a critical role in resolving differences in opinion through multiple strategies such as brainstorming, illustrations, and both primary and secondary research. Besides being open to confrontations in

Corporate Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate Strategy - Assignment Example While Alitalia, a two-third state-owned enterprise was beset with labour union problems and was almost teetering near bankruptcy with net losses of 519 mn in the close of 2003 (its auditors refusing to certify its results!) (Source:ICFAI), BA was also consistently making loss in the 1980's until an ambitious privatisation programe slowly changed its fortunes by the onset of the Gulf War. BA also suffered extreme negative publicity due to some failed campaigns against competitor Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, facing lawsuits worth 3 million (Soure:Wikipedia), not to mention trade union problems, strikes etc. which continue until this day. The scenario is far more encouraging today. British Airways despite some steady hurdles like high oil prices, and a strong pound, have maintained profits since privatisation and quite consistently, since 2002. Its net profit for March 2006 stands at 529 mn (Source:Hemscott). With the relentless pursuit on upgrade of fleet and service management, the loss-making Giant has transformed into a lean, mean machine. As for Alitalia, losses are down at 200 mn in 2006 amid continued shutdown fears. (Airwise) Turnaround roadmap Organisationally, both airlines have changed for the better. While the British Airways is a newly-revived private major, Alitalia also has reduced government stake from two-thirds to about 49% (Airwise). Over 23,000 jobs were slashed in the 1980's during BA's get lean mission (Wikipedia). As for Alitalia, its decision in Sept 2004 to cut down over 5000 jobs brought it to a standstill due to a more hostile labour union, although the management announced March 2006 that its cost-cutting measures were 80% over. Alitalia, in 2001 became member of Europe's conglomerate Sky Team Alliance, as is eventually bracing for a merger with Air France and KLM (wikipedia). BA has reinvented itself around localising itself in the Asian market, by launching in 1995 a subsidiary called British Asia Airways in Taiwan replacing its traditional Union tailfin for a Chinese character emblem. BA also launched a low-cost airline called Go in 1998, and is thus better prepared, organisationally, to lead itself into the future (wikipedia). Most corporate strategies swiftly achieve results after what is known as situation and SWOT analysis, and brainstorming for a solution. BA started conducting "scenario workshops" in Feb 1994 (Moyer, K). The task at hand was to capture current scenario so that future strategy could be planned. Over 40 interviews were conducted with senior managers, and then with academics, engineers and aircraft manufacturers on a host of topics from IT and air transport regulations. All this culminated into developing teams writing the "official future" of the airline. Simultaneously, data on passenger traffic, economic growth and aircraft

Examining the Foreign Policy of Brazil Research Paper

Examining the Foreign Policy of Brazil - Research Paper Example In the early 21st century this subject is demonstrated in the movement to be involved in the United Nations Security Council. For the Brazilian people, this would suggest that the nation has finally gained its legitimate place among the world’s power blocs.2 This paper analyzes the foreign policy of Brazil. Analyzing the Brazilian Foreign Policy In earlier times, this aspiration to acquire credit and appreciation outside of South America has tended to isolate Brazil from its nearby fellow Latin American countries. The emphasis on relations with the world’s giants has existed for a long time. In the 19th century, the diplomatic focus was on preserving a strong relationship with Great Britain. In the 20th century focuses shifted and the United States came to be the goal of Brazilian foreign policy.3 In both instances political and economic concerns shaped Brazil’s foreign policy agenda. In the 19th and earlier 20th century Great Britain was the financier of Brazil, and in the 20th century, the U.S. became the leading source of foreign capital and trade partner.4 Relations with the U.S. have been the major element of Brazilian foreign policy over the years and interrelate with almost all other features of Brazilian diplomacy. There have been numerous agreements and disagreements between the U.S. and Brazil, the latter has not consistently embraced the American goals. During the post-Cold War period these gaps have been more noticeable, but the aspiration to develop an autonomous foreign policy agenda has been present for a long time. The motivating factors underlying this aspiration to differentiate themselves from the United States are diverse and are not embraced unanimously among Brazil’s powerful individuals. In Brazil, like in other South American countries, there is an emerging sentiment against the United States.5 It is a propensity that receives attention from time to time. The Brazilian foreign policy is also characterized by a Latin Americanist perspective. Yet, with regard to this, the Brazilian case to some degree differs to that of its Southern Cone’s neighbors.6 Primarily, there are the remnants of Brazil’s colonial history. From the latter half of the 18th century, Brazil was a colony of Portugal and this positioned the country in a unique set of geopolitical ties and, particularly, guaranteed unusually close relations with Britain. Furthermore, Brazil stayed under a monarchical government for the most part of the 19th century and hence was less motivated to recognize principles coming from the republican governments elsewhere on the region.7 Over time, this historical trend has nourished those political predispositions that have intended to separate Brazil from the rest of Latin America. Moreover, Brazil’s size has a massive influence. This has generated quite specific assumptions among the Brazilian politicians. Primarily, it pushes them to be internally oriented since expansi on has occurred within the country. Brazil had to struggle with its boundaries and remove internal barriers. Brazil’s size has also created difficulties, and effective governance has been difficult to attain with domestic elites being an unfailing part of Brazil’s political sector.8 In the 20th century, Brazil’