Influence of the Relationship between Politics and Religion in Western Research Paper

Influence of the Relationship between Politics and Religion in Western Civilization Conflicts - Research Paper Example Muslims believe in the holy war and observe the pilgrimage to Mecca which Christians neither believe in nor practice. During the Medieval period, both Christianity and Islam promulgated their religious beliefs and practices in territories where the majority existed. Christianity employed the use of missionaries whereas Islam employed offensive practices such as conquests, political rule and returning crusaders in spreading their faith (Spielvogel 238-243). 3. The expansion of trade The expansion of trade during the High Middle Ages resulted from developments in voyages of exploration by Vikings, growth of states, contacts with the Muslim world and the arrival of the Portuguese. Vikings exchanged goods as they sailed along trade centers in search of profit. The existence of various environmental zones and agricultural practices influenced trade to flourish. These resulted to the evolution of settlement as well as prosperity that in turn contributed to urbanization and the growth of st ates. In addition, contacts with Muslim merchants in the Trans Saharan trade involved the trade in kola nuts, gold, ivory, and slaves. The arrival of the Portuguese opened an outlet for West African manufactured products such as cloths. The utilization of Arab script and Muslim officials in complex bureaucracies remained as the impact of the expansion of trade on medieval society (Spielvogel 252-254). 5. The decline of papacy The papacy of the Roman Catholic Church had reached the peak of its power with the doctrine of temporal universal authority over secular rulers and fullness of power. However, the claims of temporal supremacy kept losing ground due to the growth of European secular monarchs. This created conflicts between papacy and the territorial states it never conquered.

Looked After Child (LAC) Policy Analysis

Looked After Child (LAC) Policy Analysis In this essay I will be focussing on Looked After Children (LAC) as my service user group and identify relevant laws relating to the service user group and then identify recent policies which underpin this aspect of practice, and discuss the values which underpin the law in this area of practice and finally relate these legislation to my placement practice. Definition of the term looked after? The term looked after was introduced by the Children Act 1989 and refers to children who are subject to care orders and those who are voluntarily accommodated. Wherever possible, the local authority (LA) will work in partnership with parents (Pierson and Thomson, 2002). Many children will have been affected by distressing and damaging experiences including physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Some may be in care because of the illness or death of a parent. Others may have disabilities and complex needs. The majority of young people in care come from families who experience difficulties and are separated from them because their family was unable to provide adequate care. Vulnerable unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the UK may also become looked after (Department of Education and Skills, 2004). The main pieces of legislation underpinning social services for children and young people are the Children Act 1989, the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Local authorities have specific legal duties in respect of children under the Children Act 1989 including: To safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are in need Provided that this is consistent with the childs safety and welfare, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families, by providing services appropriate to the childs needs , to make enquiries if they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child in their area is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm, to enable them to decide whether they should take any action to safeguard or promote the childs welfare(Brammer, 2007). Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 places responsibilities on local authorities to provide greater support to young people living in and leaving care. These include: A duty to assess and meet the needs of young people aged 16 and 17 who qualify for the new arrangements, the provision of a personal adviser and pathway plan for all young people aged 16 to 21, or beyond for those who qualify for the new arrangements ,a duty to assist those leaving care, including with employment, education and training (the duty to assist with education and training and to provide a personal adviser and pathway plan continues for as long as a young person remains in an agreed programme, even beyond the age of 21(Brayne and Carr (2005)). Adoption and Children Act 2002 This act aligns adoption law with the Children Act 1989 to make the childs welfare the paramount consideration in all decisions to do with adoption. It includes: Provisions to encourage more people to adopt looked after children by helping to ensure that the support they need is available. A new, clear duty on local authorities to provide an adoption support service and a new right for people affected by adoption to request and receive an assessment of their needs for adoption support services .Provisions to enable unmarried couples to apply to adopt jointly, thereby widening the pool of potential adoptive parents .Stronger safeguards for adoption by improving the legal controls on intercountry adoption, arranging adoptions and advertising children for adoption .A new special guardianship order to provide security and permanence for children who cannot return to their birth families, but for whom adoption is not the most suitable option and a duty on local authorities to arrange advocacy services for looked after children and young people leaving care in the context of complaints (Department of Education and Skills,2004). The other key aspect of the duties of LAs in relation to children looked after by them is the provision of education. Every Child Matters (2000), the Children Act 1989 (s.22) (3)(a) (and amended by section 52 of the Children Act 2004) have stressed and reinforced the importance of the local authoritys duty to promote LACs educational achievements. In order to do so, a care plan needs to be produced, which would include a Personal Education Plan (PEP). The PEP would look at the childs developmental needs in terms of his/her education and, as states by Every Child Matters (2000), should be reviewed regularly. Here, partnership and inter-professional/agency work is again reinforced in order to meet the childs needs. Further, there is a need for LAs to encourage LACs to have health examinations, particularly regular checks by GPs, dentists and opticians. At the same time to acknowledge that a child can refuse this having regard to his/her age and understanding (Children Act 1989)(s.38)(6). The value of the child welfare is incorporated in the every child matters (2003) policy which emphasise that looked after children must be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve in life, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic well being (Department of Education and Skills,2004). My second placement was with an organisation who deals with Children and Adolescents who suffer from Mental Health and also have difficulties with their status in UK. The team specifically worked with looked after children (LAC) who were suffering from emotional and psychological behavioral problems. Whilst on my placement, s31 were used most often. The social workers had to make certain that they had all the necessary documents in place before any action was taken. If a social worker interfered, without authorised documents from the courts, the birth parents could take court action against the local authorities. Legislation may at times be helpful or unhelpful for LAC. A positive aspect of legislation is that the local authority has a obligatory responsibility to make sure a care plan is in place, in accordance with the 1989 Children Acts, s26 (2) and s31A plan, within ten days of the individual being placed with the local authority. This will make sure that the individuals needs, views and wishes are taken into consideration when decisions are made. The childs parents or whoever holds parental responsibility, foster careers and an independent advisor may also be present when the care plan is been drawn up. The care plan should include factors such as the individuals education and health needs, how often contact should be made with parent/siblings. During my placement, I attended a review meeting, to discuss child x who had just been placed in a foster home. The foster carer was discussing the troubles she encountered with him, for example his challenging behavior and him missing his siblings. Following the meeting the social workers decided to speak to child x, to identify reasons for his behaviour. However, there are certain aspects of the legislation that may at times be harmful to LAC. The Children Act 1989 s22 (3) places an importance towards family stability. This may not always be in the child/young persons best interest. Kinship care may not always be suitable due to factors such as family dynamics, if the child was taken away because of abuse or neglect or there could still be contact with the birth family. The above could have a unfavorable effect on the child/young persons well being. Section 22(5) of the Children Act 1989 states that all local authority, have a duty, to consider a childs cultural and ethnic background, when placing them with foster carers. However, this may not always be possible, for service users who are from the black and ethnic minorities, due to the lack of black and ethnic minority foster carers (Colton et al, 2001). According to Colton et al (2001) there are a high proportion of black and ethnic minority children and young people, especially dual heritage service users, who are looked after. In todays society, children who are looked after are considered to be amongst the most at risk (Every child matter, 2004). Numerous having experienced hardship may be naive of their entitlements and therefore may not get their requirements met. The language often used within social work is judge to be very complex and confusing for service users, especially children and young people. Therefore Local authorities and social workers need to work in partnership with LAC, their families and agencies in order to protect and look after service users. Legislation needs to be used fittingly in order to empower service users. Research has shown when local authorities and parents work together the outcomes for the child/young person, have a higher chance of working (Thoburn et al, 1995). Social workers hold a vast amount of authority when carrying out their work therefore it is vital that they do not misuse this status. Social workers work within the restraints of policy and procedures trying to meet the needs of service users. (Allen, 1998). Good social work practice is working in partnership with all concerned. This may however cause an imbalance between the service users/family and local authority. For example, if the local authority has to remove a child due to abuse, the family may not always agree. By having awareness and working in a reflective manner, with regard to ones own personal prejudices, values and attitudes will enhance safe social work practice with service users. Legislation at times may discriminate either on a personal, cultural or structural level (Thompson, 2001). It is the duty of all social workers to be aware of this and challenge it, on all levels. In the Children Act 1989, s22 (5), tries to support anti discriminatory practice by given due consideration to LAC religious and cultural needs, before placing them with foster carers (Allen, 1998). It is important that social workers, who work with LAC and their families hold fast to the Children Act 1989.Understanding of the law is extremely important. Also social workers need to be alert and be aware of the challenge that they may meet when working within the legal framework. It is of utmost importance that social workers receive regular training to be kept informed with legislation and necessary skills, which will help to improve their current practice. Social workers need to make sure their practice is anti-discriminatory, as to empower service users and promote their autonomy. Reference Allen, N. (1998) Making sense of the Childrens Act (3rd edition), John Wiley Son Brayne, H. Carr, H. (2005) Law for Social Workers. (9th Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Colton, M.; Sanders, R.; and Williams, M. (2001) An introduction Working with children, a guide for social workers, Palgrave. Pierson, J M, Thomson (2002) Dictionary of Social Work. Harper Collins Publishers. Brammar, A. Socail Work Law,2007(2nd edition),Pearson Education Ltd. Thompson, N. (2001) Anti-Discriminatory Practice (3rd edition), Palgrave Thoburn, J.; Lewis, A and Shemmings, D. (1995) Paternalism or Partnership Family Involment in the Child Protection Process, Blackwell. Every Child Matters (2000) Guidance on the education of children and young people in public care 2000. [Online]. Available from: http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/files/9E18CB7F9306BA85A821C24BBCE18082.pdf (Accessed 4/5/2007).

Ancient Egyptian Religion :: essays research papers

Ancient Egyptian Religion Religion guided every aspect of Egyptian life. Egyptian religion was based on polytheism, or the worship of many deities, except for during the reign of Akenaton. The Egyptians had as many as 2000 gods and goddesses. Some, such as Amun, were worshipped throughout the whole country, while others had only a local following. Often gods and goddesses were represented as part human and part animal. For example, Horus, the sky god, had the head of a hawk, and body of a human. They considered animals such as the bull, the cat, and the crocodile to be holy. Their two chief gods were Amon-Ra and Osiris. Amon-Ra was believed to be the sun god and the lord of the universe. Osiris was the god of the underworld. Stories about him revolved around the idea of immortality. Osiris was the god that made a peaceful afterlife possible. The Egyptian "Book of the Dead" contains the major ideas and beliefs in the ancient Egyptian religion. Because their religion stressed an afterlife, Egyptians devoted much time and wealth to preparing for survival in the next world. The Egyptians had many tales about how the world began. According to one legend, it started with an ocean in darkness. Then a mound of dry land rose up and the sun god Re appeared. He created light and all things. Another version has the sun God emerging from a sacred blue lotus that grew out of the mud, while a third version has him appearing as a scarab beetle on the eastern horizon. Temples were considered dwelling places for the gods. They were everywhere. Each city had a temple built for the god of that city. The purpose of the temple was to be a cosmic center by which men had communication with the gods. As the priests became more powerful, tombs became a part of great temples. Shown below is a typical temple flood plan with the purposes of each section given. The priests duty was to care for the gods and attend to their needs. The priests had many duties such as funeral rites, teaching school, supervising the artists and works, and advising people on problems. Death and Funerals The Egyptians saw death as a transitional stage in the progress to a better life in the next world. They believed they could only reach their full potential after death. Each person was thought to have three souls, the "ka," the "ba," and the "akh." For these to function properly, it was considered essential for the body to survive intact.

Corporate Finance Essay

Introduction In 2001, the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams Company was in financial distress. The primarily energy-industry company was struggling with a shrinking energy trading market, which was marked by distressed entities such as Enron’s broadband unit and Global Crossing. Williams also suffered internally with a floundering telecommunications division and a plummeting stock price. These issues led credit rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s to downgrade the credit rating of Williams’ bonds to the level of non-investment-grade junk bonds. Amidst all of this uncertainty, the company on January 21, 2002, announced a new CEO, Steven J. Malcolm. Malcolm realized one of the most important functions for Williams moving forward would be raising capital. Malcolm’s four-pronged plan to achieve this goal involved selling assets, reaching a resolution for its energy and trading book, managing and monitoring cash and businesses and â€Å"right-sizing† Williams to reflect the new scope of operations. However, Williams had a substantial amount of short-term and long-term debt maturing in the second half of 2002. In addition, its credit and commercial paper facilities needed to be renewed about the same time. With approximately $450 million dollars of cash on hand and only one undrawn revolving credit facility, Williams sought external financing to help meet its current cash flow needs. One group of investors led by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway along with Lehman Brothers offered Williams a solution with a one-year $900 million loan. Under the terms of the agreement, each lender would loan $450 million to Williams Production RMT, a Williams subsidiary, whose major assets included natural gas properties in the Rocky Mountains. In addition to the repayment of the principal in one year, Williams would pay 5.8 percent interest quarterly and an additional 14 percent of the principal at maturity plus a â€Å"deferred setup fee.† The deferred setup fee would be equivalent to the greater of 15 percent of the principal or 21 percent of the purchase price less RMT’s indebtedness. This would be influenced by any further asset liquidation by RMT. The loan, guaranteed by Williams Company as well as certain subsidiaries, also contained several covenants that Williams must meet to avoid breach of contract. The positive covenants included maintaining an interest coverage ratio of greater than 1.5 to 1 and maintaining a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.15 to 1. Negative covenants limited restrictive payments (including redemption of capital stock) and capital expenditures in excess of $300 million. Thorough evaluation of the terms and lending scenario reveals this loan would create a beneficial scenario not just for the lenders, but for the borrower as well. For Williams, the loan provided temporary relief from multiple short-term debt security maturations and enhanced the company’s ability to secure a credit facility of $700 million. This would likely be followed by favorable market reactions in the form of increased stock price as a result of decreased uncertainty of future cash flows. Also, any Buffett investments in Williams would signal a strong endorsement of the company’s future prospects, likely leading to increases in Williams’ stock price. Likewise, for Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers, this deal should supply high returns on investment. Assuming the loan would be held to maturity, the lenders would divide returns of approximately 34% on this loan. Given that Williams guaranteed the loan, backing it with asset and capital stock, such returns on this risk would be a huge win for both lenders. Although the risk-free rate would be necessary to determine the exact net present value of the investment opportunity facing Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers, sufficient information is available to find the project’s internal rate of return. The IRR for this agreement ranges between 11.87% and 13.01%. The return on investment (ROI) for this particular agreement ranges between 52% and 58%. In either case, the numbers range because of provision (c) listed in the case’s Exhibit 1. The â€Å"deferred setup fee† fluctuates depending on potential sales of RMT’s assets. Terms of the proposed financing Guarantees Those involved in the lending process establish financing terms to protect the positions of all parties. The debt guarantee in Williams’ proposed financing, for example, provided insurance for the repayment of debt. Williams would essentially act as a co-signer for Williams Production RMT’s obligations to Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers. Per the terms, Williams would have to agree to make payments in place of Williams Production RMT if any of the payments were late or not paid. Using a guarantor would allow Williams Production RMT access to a loan at a lower interest rate than if Williams had not secured the loan. The logic behind this is that two individuals or entities promising to pay back the debt means there is lessened risk for overall default. That means Berkshire and Lehman may be willing to accept a lower interest rate in return for less risk of loss. It is quite possible that Williams Production RMT would not have been able to obtain a loan without a gu arantee. Covenants Equity and debt investors have a somewhat adversarial position, though both want a company to succeed. Equity investors want the company to take a certain amount of risk so they have the chance of seeing large returns. Debt investors want a company to be more conservative to protect the issuer and to ensure that the company will repay its debts. Like many other companies, Williams’ top priority, however, is to maximize stockholder wealth. This creates a dilemma in a debt offering. Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers therefore use debt covenants to limit the amount of risk Williams can take in the hopes that the company’s actions will not endanger loan repayment. Collectively, these covenants outline the rights of the lenders and restrictions upon Williams in regards to the loan. When a company does not live up to its debt covenant, it breaches the contract. In theory, such action would trigger automatic payment to creditors. In reality, however, many companies default because they are not in good financial health and thus cannot pay. Therefore, breach of covenant usually means that the two parties renegotiate the terms of the debt, often calling for higher interest rates or other incentives for the issuer to allow Williams more time to pay. Williams’ financial problem During the first half of 2002, Williams suffered a number of financial difficulties. The company’s total cash flow decreased by 680.22 percent as compared with 2001. During the year, Williams’ only net positive cash inflows came from financing, which netted the company $1.061 billion. In contrast to cash inflows, the company’s outflows totaled $1.589 billion from operations and investing. Overall, the decrease can largely be attributed to the decrease in cash flow from operations, which amounted to a decrease of $2.566 billion. Specific to operations, much to blame is the company’s decrease in working capital of $879 million. To adjust for this decrease in cash flows, the company liquidated a number of assets in 2002. The most valuable included the Kern River and Williams pipelines, which generated immediate cash proceeds of $1.124 billion. The question remained, however, as to how Williams would be able to find a way to pay debts of $2.347 billion within the next year and eventually long-term debts of $11.972 billion. In May 2002, the firm sold another $1.7 billion in assets and announced its intention to sell an $1.5 to $3 billion in assets. Previously, in December 2001, Williams planned to cut its 2002 capital spending by 25 percent or $1 billion to bolster its balance sheet. Williams also issued $1 billion in equity-linked securities called FELINE PACS and decided to cut its dividend by 95 percent. While seemingly drastic measures, the negative total cash flow of $619 million reveals that reducing dividend payments and selling off two major sources of operating income was not sufficient for Williams to dig itself out from under its debt obligations without independent financial assistance. Signs of distress It was clear that Williams was in deep. Though the signs of distress were many, the most noticeable was that the company’s cash flows were insufficient to meet its short-term debt. Unless the company continued to take drastic action, it could have found itself entering into bankruptcy proceedings within the next year. Another concerning sign included that in 2002, Williams’ 95 percent decrease in dividend payments and its more than 90 percent decrease in stock price should have indicated that the firm was struggling. Particularly striking was the fact that dividend disbursements had been increasing for the prior 10 years and that Williams Communications stock closed at a mere $0.01 per share on July 31, 2002. Williams also sent strongly negative signals with its 2002 sales of its Kern River and Williams pipelines. Although these netted the company immediate cash amounting to $1.124 billion, the sale was made at the sacrifice of substantial cash inflows, suggesting this was an act of desperation. Investors weren’t the only ones receiving signs of Williams’ distress. Credit agencies also observed uncertainty in Williams’ future, as indicated by the company’s fluctuating credit ratings. With Williams in July 2002 settling at a B+ Standard & Poor’s long-term credit rating, the company saw resulting increases in bond yields. Whereas Williams had bond yields of approximately 7 percent in December 2001, its yields fell just under 20 percent in July 2002, further complicating its situation. Recommendation Williams’ plight left it with few options for restoring its financial solvency, and most were of limited feasibility. Williams could have issued additional equity at the then current stock price of $2.95 per share, though this would dilute the company’s current share base. In addition, most companies only hold seasoned equity offerings when they believe their stock is overpriced. Considering that Williams’ stock price had fallen by more than 90%, Williams should not consider an equity offering. The company also could have issued more bonds. This option was not feasible, however, due to the company’s credit downgrade.With Standard & Poor’s rating the company a B+ in July 2002, Williams would have to issue many bonds and pay a substantial yield amounting to just under 20 percent per annum. Williams also could have sold assets. Since Williams had already sold close to $3.0 billion in assets, however, selling more could damage the company’s ability to generate operating cash flows. Though Berkshire and Lehman presented an opportunity, most lenders were hesitant to provide Williams capital due to the company’s financial turmoil. This large, 35 percent interest loan appears to have the most favorable terms possible for Williams in its last-ditch effort to save itself. The real winner here, however, would be Berkshire Hathaway and Lehman Brothers, both of whom would glean a lucrative return on their investment, given it is successful. Williams, on the other hand, should agree to the loan only because it has no other feasible options.

Winston’s True Love for Julia Persuasion

Love is a word that can have multiple meanings. You can love someone for who they are, because of how they act, or maybe even you love the idea of love and rebellion which may include someone special. â€Å"1984† depicts this idea of love between Winston and Julia in a manner that changes people’s viewpoints. The factors that determine whether Julia and Winston love each other include the idea of love that keeps them together, the physical attraction between them, and the emotional relationship they create.You can determine whether the love that Winston and Julia share is actually true love or is it just the ideas that one loves about another. â€Å"His heart leapt. Scores of times she had done it; he wished it had been hundreds-thousands. Anything that hinted at corruption always filled him with a wild hope. † (p. 125). This quote proves that Winston loves the fact that she has had sexual intercourses with scores of Party members, proving the corruption in the P arty itself. But nowhere in the novel does it mention Winston loving Julia, but it mentions what Winston loves about her: her hair, eyes, characteristics, sexual intercourses, etc. This idea also intertwines with the concept of love and physical attraction. Physical attraction is one of the ideas and human characteristics that the Party is trying to eliminate. Any signs of physical attraction to another member or Prole can result in becoming an â€Å"unperson†. He thought of her naked, youthful body, as he had seen in his dream. He had imagined her a fool like all the rest of them, her head stuffed with lies and hatred, her belly full of ice. A kind of fever seized him at the thought that he might lose her, the white youthful body might slip away from him! † (p. 109-110). This quote proves that Winston indeed has a physical attraction to Julia, but not because he loves her, but because he wants to prove a point against the Party without them actually knowing. By stating that she is â€Å"a fool like all the rest of them, her head stuffed with lies and hatred, her bell full of ice†, Winston attempts to mock the Party by presenting a case where he has attracted a devoted Party member and therefore broken their stronghold. But as later seen in the novel, physical attraction may not only be the main idea behind the ‘love’ Winston has for Julia. Emotional attraction is one of the major connections between Winston and Julia and it affects the overall purpose of the novel. â€Å"He had never before seen or imagined a woman of the Party with cosmetics on her face. The improvements in her appearance were startling. † (p. 142). Although this quote does not directly portray an emotional connection between the two Party members, the physical changes are the ones that attract Winston more emotionally to Julia. He is already connected to Julia in a manner which involves her body, her ideas and her methods of rebellion. Emotionally though, Winston sees that she is more than just an idea outside Party views, but a person with emotions and feelings. Winston is able to see this clearly during this scene. All of these different connections allow readers to analyze whether the there is a true love between Winston and Julia or is it just a love about being an individual in a society which commands all inhabitants to be the same? The idea of love, the physical attraction and emotional connection assist readers in deciding whether or not Winston and Julia are truly in love. Each and all have arguments for and against the point but whether there is truly a love attraction between the two has, and always will, stay as a thought in the readers’ mind. The true answer to this question will always remain with the author of the award-winning novel.