Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay Example for Free

Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay The present essay is an investigation of ethical challenges with regard to gorilla tourism in Central Africa region. The paper undertakes a thorough research on the concerned issue and explores many a facet of this area. The purpose of this investigation is to create a better understanding of the issues present in the region so that a practical approach can be adopted to address these issues. 2- Gorilla Tourism and Challenges Gorilla tourism is to date becoming a universally accepted activity because of certain positive signs for gorilla conservation, promotion, and future stability of the species in Africa. Gorilla tourism is also considered as an effective tool that can be made use of to foster the gorillas of African region. Another important point to note is that, today, gorilla tourism is seen as a successful business for the countries that utilize this tool for the purposes of gorilla conservation. They now receive ample volume of revenue in connection with gorilla tourism. Some of the countries like Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo (ex-Zaire) are mentioned especially in this regard because of the revenues that they generate for the endangered gorilla species. However, with all these activities taking place, and more and more people from all parts of the world are moving toward African region for gorilla tourism, some other threats has risen. These range from disease to ethical treatment of the issues. How these challenges count toward gorilla tourism, and how they can be effectively confronted, is, then the central issue of today’s gorilla tourism in African region. This area is considered vital in conservation efforts of gorillas because of its impact on gorilla tourism (Homsy, 1999). Critics and experts state that in order to take Africa for future gorilla tourism, it is highly imperative to address such challenges as ethical issues; only this way will it be possible to reduce the widening gap between African and western nations; as well as, this is the way to promote successful gorilla tourism in Africa, a region tormented by war, internal political instability, and other grave issues. Cross-cultural communication is one solution which is being discussed in this connection through media communications. However, all these areas take ethical consideration as the core point of gorilla tourism (Okaka, 2007). 3- The Root Cause Although it has been noted that gorilla tourism is seen as one vital solution to a wide spectrum of problems present in central Africa that range from gorilla conservation to regional development, it is important to look at the core issue that is seen as basic to present day ethical challenges to gorilla tourism in central Africa. This takes as back into the past as several decades by which we can see that the region of central Africa is tormented by numerous political and tribal rivalries which gave way to several problems; but ethical challenges became all the more raging. This panoramic scene or tribal and political wars and conflicts in the region became all the bloodier in the 1990s. A number of countries and communities are seen involved in this struggle. The impact of these rivalries fell on gorilla tourism and ethical challenges became a critical area of discussion in this region. Hence, initiatives were taken to address these. However, today, the region is still in a position where still much is needed to be done (International Wildlife, 1999). 4- Challenges Looking specifically at the situation, it is revealed that with the initiatives to increase tourism in central Africa a number of challenges are coming to the forefront. Perhaps, the most critical of the challenges is the pressure being placed on ecological system of the region. This has mainly been caused the recent development of isolated areas for recreational purposes. The problem is so severe that is rings an alarming bell for the concerned authorities. For example, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park presents a bleak situation. Here, â€Å"gorilla deaths from infections have increased along the border as a result of more frequent trekking groups and human contact† [italic added]. Moreover, Rwenzori Mountains gives rise to another mounting problem in the region: wasted left behind in the area by nature hikers. This is seen as a serious health problem and a monstrous future challenge in the region regarding gorilla tourism. Ahead, we find other problem associated to the overall count of these issues. For instance, at present increasing amounts of complaints are registered among Ugandans with regard to the â€Å"trivialization of ethnic rituals for tourism†. Hinged on this very problem is the eviction of communities which have been there for centuries. The major purpose of this eviction is none other than the present trend of developing recreational parks and other protected zones for gorilla tourism. However, this is gaining wider criticism worldwide among critics and opposition among the local peoples. What is more? There is constant reference to the ethnic challenges linked to gender-related inequalities. In particular, â€Å"the rise in tourist-related prostitution and the transmission of HIV-AIDS† [italics added]. Furthermore, there is another ethical disparity rooted in the region with regard to women-centered labor work. Although women here are basic source of tourism handiwork, there is little that has been done to address their work-related problems. For instance, women who produce handicraft have to travel long distances every day only to get the required materials used in their handcraft products. With all these problems, there is still no certain word about political stability of the region which is seen a critical challenge for the present as well as for future development of gorilla tourism in Central Africa (Ringer, 2002). 5- Conclusion To address a number of present ethical challenges and to fight any future issues in the region, there have been quite a few collaborative efforts that have been initiated in Central African Region for as long as last 15 years. Although major programs are sponsored by single donors, there is one notable exception of Dzanga-Sangha Project. This project involves a number of working organizations such as WWF, GTZ, and Peace Corps and numerous other donors from US and Germany. There is mention that several of the informal initiatives undertaken to address ethical issues and other problems did not meet a successful standard in the region. However, it has been well recognized that transboundary management of ethical issues and natural resources is the key solution to major problems in the region. This has been recognized mainly due to the development of a tri-national park which spreads in Dzanga-Sandha. This has proved to be significant in days of conflict and numerous issues related to conflict situation (Blom and Yamindou, 2001). There are other number steps that are being taken to address challenges to gorilla tourism in the region. For instance, research regarding present issues and challenges is seen as a vital solution to a number of problems in the region (Green Campus, 2007). References Blom, A. , Yamindou, J. (2001). A brief history of armed conflict and its impact on biodiversity in the Central African Republic. World Wildlife Fund, Inc. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. worldwildlife. org/bsp/publications/africa/141/CAR. pdf Green Campus (2007). The AJ Environmental Education Directory 2007: Green Campus Life and Learning. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 33. Issue: 5. November-December 2007. Page Number: 15+. COPYRIGHT 2007 Alternatives, Inc. Homsy, J. (1999). Ape tourism and human diseases: how close should we get? Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. igcp. org/pdf/homsy_rev. pdf International Wildlife (1999). Soldiers in the Gorilla War. Magazine Title: International Wildlife. Publication Date: January 1999. COPYRIGHT 1999 National Wildlife Federation. Okaka, W. (2007). The role of media communications in developing tourism policy and cross-cultural communication for peace, security for sustainable tourism industry in Africa. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. iipt. org/africa2007/PDFs/Okaka. pdf Ringer, G. (2002). Gorilla tourism: Uganda uses tourism to recover from decades of violent conflict. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 28. Issue: 4. Publication Date: Fall 2002. Page Number: 17+. COPYRIGHT 2002 Alternatives, Inc.

Against Reinstating the Military Draft Essay -- essays research papers

Against Reinstating the Military Draft On July 1, 1973, Congress chose to end the draft in favor of an All Volunteer Army. According to "The Professional Bulletin of Army History, No. 27," the last man was drafted in December 1972 and reported for training in June 1973. Now, not only might the renewed military draft come back but also the age of compulsory service in the meat grinder might be extended from its former limit of 26 years up to 42 years of age. As Ken Adachi, the editor of ?Educate Yourself,? reports, a new draft will include BOTH men and women. While at various points in history the United States military has operated effectively and efficiently with the draft, reinstating the draft would contradict the ideals of freedom and patriotism that the United States stands for and is supposedly fighting for. People who support the military draft will say that it is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a period of national service. Aren?t there many other ways--less deadly ways--to contribute to the country?s well being? Should we, as citizens, be allowed to evade this ultimate obligation by turning it over to the poorer members of society, those who can't find good-paying jobs or training except in the military? In "A War for Us, Fought by Them," William Broyles, a Vietnam war veteran and the father of a young man who is a soldier in the Marines, argues that the military draft should be brought back, and this time it should be done right: everybody should be drafted, not just ?the profoundly patriotic or the economically needy" (Broyles 695). On the other hand, one of the checks that help main... ...e unnecessary moneymakers, products of lies and deception behind the scenes, orchestrated by powerful and rich men who usually never suffer but, rather, gain from their machinations to create war. I support a National Service Obligation system that would draft all persons, at age 18, to serve for 18 months in some form of public service. This would allow American citizens to contribute to the country in different ways. But it should be one?s own decision how to contribute to the country. As said before, I believe that reinstating the military draft will not increase patriotism or a sense of duty, but will rather decrease the effectiveness of the military and will create huge protest feeling among country?s citizens. Therefore we should explore every possible way to contribute the country?s future instead of just putting our future and ourselves in the Meat Grinder.

Project Management and Tran Essay

Tran was taking his dog Callie on her evening walk as the sun began to set over the coastal range. He looked forward to this time of the day. It was an opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet. It was also a time to review events on the Ajax project and plot his next moves. Ajax is the code name given by CEBEX for a high-tech security system project funded by the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD). Tran is the project manager and his core them consisted of 30 full-time hardware and software engineers. Tran and his family fled he was 18 and used the education stipend to attend Washington State University. He joined CEBEX upon graduating with a dual degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. After working on a variety of projects for 10 years Tran decided he wanted to enter management. He went to night school at the University of Washington to earn an MBA. Tran became a project manager for the money. He also thought he was good at it. He enjoyed working with people and making the right thing happen. This was his fifth project and up to now he was batting. 500,with half of his projects coming ahead of schedule. Tran was proud that he could now afford to send his oldest child to Stanford University. Ajax was one of many defense projects the CEBEX Corporation had under contract with DOD. CEBEX is a huge defense company with annual sales in excess of $30 billion and more than 120,000 employees worldwide. CEBEX’s five major business areas are Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, Information& Solutions, and Space Systems. Ajax was one of several new projects sponsored by the Integrated Systems & Solutions division aimed at the homeland security business. CEBEX was confident that it could leverage its technical expertise and political connections to become a major player in this growing market. Ajax was one of several projects directed at designing, developing, and installing a security system at an important government installation. Tran had two major concerns when he started the Ajax project. The first was the technical risks inherent in the project. In theory the design principles made sense and the project used proven technology. Still the technology had never been applied in the field in this matter. From past experience, Tran knew there was a big difference between the laboratory and the real world. He also knew that integrating the audio, optical, tactile, and laser subsystems would test the patience and ingenuity of his team. The second concern involved his team. The team was pretty much split down the middle between hardware and electrical engineers. Not only did these engineers have different skill sets and tend to look at problems differently, but generational differences between the two groups were evident as well. The hardware engineers were almost all former military, family men with conservative attire and beliefs. The electrical engineers were a much motlier crew. They tended to be young, single, and at times very cocky. While the hardware engineers talked about the Seattle Mariners, raising teenagers, and going to Palm Desert to play golf, the software engineers talked about Vapor, the latest concert at Gorge amphitheater, and going mountain biking in Peru. To make matters worse, tension between these two groups within CEBEX festered around salary issues. Electrical engineers were at a premium, and the hardware engineers resented the new hires’ salary packages, which were comparable to what they were earning after 20 years of working for CEBEX. Still the real money was to be made from the incentives associated with project performance. These were all contingent on meeting project milestones and the final completion date. Before actual work started on the project, Tran arranged a tow-day team-building retreat at a lodge on the Olympic peninsula for his entire team as well as key staff from the government installation. He used this time to go over the major objectives of the project and unveil the basic project plan. An internal consultant facilitated several team-building activities that made light of cross-generational issues. Tran felt a real sense of camaraderie within the team. The good feelings generated from the retreat carried over to the beginning of the project. The entire team bought into the mission of the project and technical challenges it represented. Hardware and electrical engineers worked side by side to solve problems and build subsystems. The project plan was built around a series of five tests, with each test being a more rigorous verification of total system performance. Passing each test represented a key milestone for the project. The team was excited about conducting the first Alpha test one week early—only to be disappointed by a series of minor technical glitches that ook two weeks of problem solving to resolve. The team worked extra hard to make up for the lost time. Tran was proud of team and how hard members had worked together. The Alpha II test was conducted on schedule, but once again the system failed to perform. This time three weeks of debugging was needed before the team received the green light to move to the next phase of the project. By this time, team goodwill had been tested, and emotions were a bit frayed. A cloud of disappointment descended over the team as hopes of bonuses disappeared with the project falling further behind schedule. This was augmented by cynics who felt that the original schedule was unfair and the deadlines were impossible to begin with. Tran responded by starting each day with a status meeting where the team reviewed what they accomplished the previous day and set new objectives for that day. He believed these meetings were helpful in establishing positive momentum and reinforcing a team identity among the engineers. He also went out of his way to spend more time with the â€Å"troops,† helping them solve problems, offering encouragement, and a sincere pat on the back when one was deserved. He was cautiously optimistic when the time came to conduct the Alpha III test. It was the end of the day when the switch was turned on, but nothing happened. Within minutes the entire team heard the news. Screams could be heard down the hallway. Perhaps the most telling moment was when Tran looked down at the company’s parking lot and saw most of his project team walking by themselves to their cars. As Callie chased some wild bunnies, Tran pondered what he should do next. 1. How effective has Tran been as a project manager? Explain. 2. What problem(s) does Tran face?

Quotes From President Andrew Jackson

Like most presidents, Andrew Jackson had speechwriters, and as a result, many of his speeches were elegant, brief, and rather low-key, despite some of the chaos of his presidency. Andrew Jacksons election to the United States presidency in 1828 was seen as the rise of the common man. According to the election rules of the day, he lost the election of 1824 to John Quincy Adams, although in fact Jackson had won the popular vote, and tied Adams in ​the electoral college, but lost in the House of Representatives. Once Jackson became president, he was one of the first to truly utilize the power of the presidency. He was known for following his own strong opinions and vetoing more bills than all presidents before him. His enemies called him King Andrew. Many quotations on the internet are attributed to Jackson, but lack citations to give context or meaning to the quotation. The following list includes quotes with the sources where possible--and a handful without. Verifiable Quotes: Presidential Speeches Verifiable quotations are those that can be found in specific speeches or publications of President Jackson. In a free government, the demand for moral qualities should be made superior to that of talents. (from a rough draft of his Inaugural Address) It will be my sincere and constant desire to observe toward the Indian tribes within our limits a just and liberal policy, and to give that humane and considerate attention to their rights and their wants which is consistent with the habits of our Government and the feelings of our people. (from Jacksons First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1829) Without union, our independence and liberty would never have been achieved; without union, they never can be maintained. (Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1833) There are no necessary evils in government. Its evils exist only in its abuses. (message to the U.S. Senate regarding his veto of a proposed Bank of the United States, July 10, 1832) Verifiable Quotes: Proclamations The individual who refuses to defend his rights when called by his Government deserves to be a slave, and must be punished as an enemy of his country and friend to her foe. (Proclamation before he became president, declaring martial law in New Orleans during the War of 1812, December 2, 1814) The moment we engage in confederations, or alliances with any nation we may from that time date the downfall of our republic. (Warning to John C. Calhoun who had announced to Congress that he was going to be attending a conference in Panama to improve relations and discuss the possibility of Northern intervention in Latin America, in 1828) The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality. (Proclamation to the People of South Carolina, written by Edward Livingston and issued by Jackson on December 10, 1832, at the height of the Nullification Crisis) Unverified Quotations These quotations have some evidence that they may have been used by Jackson, but cannot be verified. Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error. (also attributed to General Peyton C. March) One man with courage makes a majority. (This is an old adage which was written by the 16th-century Scottish reformer John Knox, that may or may not have also been quoted by Jackson) This quotation appears on the Internet as attributed to Jackson but without a citation, and it doesnt sound like Jacksons political voice. It could have been something he said in a private letter: I can say with truth that mine is a situation of dignified slavery. Sources Dirck BR. 2007. The Executive Branch of Federal Government: People, Process, and Politics. Sacramento: ABC-CLIO.Farwell B. 2001. The Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Land Warfare: An Illustrated World View. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.Keyes R. 2006. The Quote Verifier: Who Said What, Where, and When. New York: St. Martins Griffin.Northrup CC, and Prange Turney EC. 2003. Encyclopedia of Tariffs and Trade in U.S. History. Volume II Debating the Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.issues : selected primary documents.