Poverty in Latin America free essay sample

These areas include Mexico, most of Central and South America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Brazil. Latin America can be subdivided into different regions, such as North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. (Wikipedia, Retrieved 2010). Latin America consists of many different ethnic backgrounds and races. It is one of the most diverse regions in the world. Some of the predominant races/backgrounds include European-Amerindians (Mestizo), Amerindians, European, Mulatto, Black, Asian and Zambo (mixed Black and Amerindian). Latin America continues to be challenged by inequality and poverty. Poverty is defined as, â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions. † (Merriam-Webster, Retrieved 2010). According to the World Bank, nearly 25% of the population of Latin America lives on less than $2. 00 a day. At least 182 million people are living in poverty in Latin America and at least 68 million people are living in extreme poverty. We will write a custom essay sample on Poverty in Latin America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Poverty is defined as living on less than $2. 5 per person per day and extreme poverty as living on less than $1. 08 per person per day. â€Å"The poverty rate in Latin America was halved from 60% in 1950 to less than 30% in 2000. However, during the same time period income inequality remained more or less the same, making both poverty reduction and economic growth more difficult; as in other countries with a wide income gap—even developed ones—the challenge is to increase the incomes of the lower economic groups at a faster rate than those of the wealthier groups. In reality, economic growth rarely works this way. Latin American income inequality is drastic: the average annual per capita income is $4,000, but the region is home to many millionaires and billionaires. The fourth richest person in the world, Carlos Slim, whose worth was estimated at $23. 8 billion in 2005, is Mexican. † (Poverty in the Developing World, Retrieved 2010). Articles state, however, that these numbers are deceiving in that rising above the official poverty rate by a few cents or even a dollar does not mean you are any better off. People in this situation are still impoverished and are living in a way that they are unable to provide for themselves much less their family, if any. Certain areas in Latin America are worse than others. Bolivia has the highest poverty and inequality rate. Haiti is just behind Bolivia. Following Haiti are Colombia, Paraguay, Brazil, Panama, Nicaragua, Uruguay and Mexico. Many of these countries have responded to poverty by implementing new or modifying old social assistance programs. Social assistance programs are programs developed to assist the poor. The main aspects of the current social assistance programs are (1) conditional cash transfer, which is where cash is transferred directly into the household based on certain conditions, such as children attending school and doctor visits; (2) the household; (3) targeting the poorest; and (4) being multidimensional in that they are able to assist many dimensions of poverty at once. The future of Latin America is vague and unknown. Latin America has consistently been impoverished but the percentage fluctuates. Many programs are available to the public in order to help Latin America and the people thereof. I believe the people themselves and the entire dynamic of Latin America will need to change before the poverty levels change significantly. Donations and charities may help but they will only scratch the surface. The issues of Latin America are deep and need to be dug up and dealt with by the people of Latin America. In conclusion, we see that this is a current problem that is steadily being addressed and researched. Latin America needs help and resources in order to come out of poverty. They also must make changes within their own system so that the help can be well received and utilized to the fullest. ? References Latin America. (2010, June 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved June 7, 2010, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Latin_Americaoldid=366711869 Poverty. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved June 7, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/poverty Poverty in the Developing World – Latin America and the Ca ribbean, (2010). Retrieved June 7, 2010, from http://www. libraryindex. com/pages/2676/Poverty-in-Developing-World-LATIN-AMERICA-CARIBBEAN. html

Communications McDonalds

Communications McDonalds Introduction Corporate environmental responsibility has of recent years played a pivotal role in shaping many business agendas and a central ingredient of many organisations social responsibility endeavors. Although it is difficult to understand by one general definition limit what corporate environmental responsibility can be taken.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Communications: McDonalds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A crucial importance is that most companies are embracing the practice to try and minimise the negative impacts of any of their activities on the environment, enhance resource efficiency and productivity, and reduce wastes and omissions (Jamison, 2005). To an individual, a company therefore CER is any practice aimed at achieving any one of the mentioned goals. Discussion McDonald’s Corporation is a global retail leader in the fast food industry and is among the companies that have been so ag gressive and leading in promoting environmental responsibility. The retailer has its products and services served in over 34000 restaurants operating in 119 countries worldwide. The retail chain has among other items and services, specialised in the sale of hamburgers, non-alcoholic drinks and fries. Since the chains inception by McDonalds Brothers, the fast foods retailer has experienced significant growth and expansion and it continues to do so up until today strengthening its foundation and leading in the industry. Just as the company has grown and continues to grow in size and grasp of the industry, McDonald’s has also had impressive results and performance which have earned the admiration of investors and the envy of competitors. One of the key aspects that have helped the company to perform so impressively is the commitment it puts on society and social performance, more so in environment. Anchored in 8 key pillars, McDonald’s has developed an elaborate framework upon which it seeks to demonstrate its environmental responsiveness and share to the world its ideals of what it calls innovative best practices. These 8 key pillars include energy, packaging, anti-littering, recycling and waste reduction, logistics, communication, greening the restaurants, and greening the workplace. Energy Energy is an issue that has attracted a lot of global attention in as far as matters environment. Indeed, it is one of those controversial issues among global policy makers because of the significant impacts it has on the environment. Global institutions, governments and multinational corporations have heightened their pursuits to not only increase energy use efficiency but also ensure they increase energy sustainability by substituting unclean energy sources such as fossil fuels with green energy sources such as solar and bio-fuels.Advertising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More McDonald’s energy policy identifies operational efficiency as a key priority endeavor towards ensuring that its operations result in minimal adverse effects towards the environment. The firm notes that in keeping to this key priority, any strategies and undertakings that drive the company to achieving best practices on use of energy are most welcome. McDonald’s primary goal is to promote and motivate everybody working with the firm whether as an employee or a franchiser to be innovative on energy. It rewards those who have shown a determination to reduce energy wastages and those with a commitment to enhance energy sustainability through the adoption of the best practices and renewable energy. The firm has developed an annual recognition program dubbed global best of green to highlight such accomplishments. This recognition program has seen innovative initiatives sprung all across its restaurants across the globe. McDonald’s USA has an energy all-stars program established in 2005. The program aims at promoting and sharing energy best practices across its branch network in the United States where people are recognised and rewarded for their efforts in energy conservation effort (Failla, 2013). It is with such efforts that the firm was named the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the Agency tasked with environmental protection in the US, EPA in 2007. Another initiative undertaken under this pillar is calculate your carbon footprint program which is a unique toolkit developed by the firm. The exact purpose of the toolkit is to monitor and measure any efforts and strategies put forth to reduce greenhouse gases. According to the firm’s 2012 Best of green report, the company has been able to effectively rollout the toolkit usage in its European market, Canada, and it aims at subsequently rolling out the tool kit usage in all other markets. Although the toolkit is a great show of commitment by the firm, one weakne ss is that the company has not been to profile its savings and or achievements as a result of the toolkit since inception (Rebernak, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Communications: McDonalds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Still on energy, the company has embarked on promotion of the use of energy efficient systems dubbed energy upgrade program. Through this program, the company envisages that energy saving and efficiency play an integral role on energy sustainability. The program which is in line with its core strategy of adopting best practices looks at transforming energy sourcing, behavior and energy management practices. Finally, under this key pillar, is green energy. The firm has all across its entire global network been able though not 100 percent green introduce substantial green energy initiatives especially solar energy usage where most visible. This is an important step and a considerable one on social performance. Packaging While it is universally accepted that packaging plays a critical role in product preservation and marketing, it cannot be lost to point out that it is a growing concern that it considerably contributes to environmental pollution and more so the needless amounts of waste it generates. According to research, packaging waste represents about one third of all of the municipal waste in the United States and this has been growing (Ackerman, 1996). Perhaps, this is the reason McDonalds has identified packaging as one of its key pillars towards environmental safeguarding. The firm has been in the forefront towards promoting environmental friendly packaging in all its outlets around the globe. The main goal of the chain is to reduce waste while ensuring that whatever wastes that is generated contributes minimal adverse effects on the environment. Among the steps taken by the firm which are also engraved in its policy statement on packaging are innovations in pac kaging design, use of recycled material, and sourcing material only from those sources that show best commitments on sustainability. A lot of strides have been made in shifting from ‘non-friendly’ packaging materials to green packaging. For instance, McDonalds has in most of its retail outlets around the globe been able to switch to HAVI global solutions developed packaging solutions. HAVI has innovative technologies able to turn previously non-decomposable material packages to up to 80 percent recycled material as well in some instances reduce by one-third the amount of material used in packages without any adverse effects on the product.Advertising Looking for essay on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, the firm has been able, for instance in its Canadian outlets, switch from using white napkins and bags into brown ones which are 85 percent fiber based (McDonalds Corporation, 2013). Anti-littering Littering apart from turning our beautiful surroundings into an eye sore has grave consequences on the environment and human health. Littering has the potential to turn a neat and inviting environment into a detestable site within a very short time. Irresponsible littering can lead to some of the garbage ending in water bodies and drainage systems and the effect is better left out of this discussion. This type of program is more behavioral requiring a lot of sensitisation not only within McDonalds but also to the entire community including customers. In recognition of this, McDonalds has through its regional chains been able to carry out wider stakeholder consultations to bring together both organisations and government agencies alike which are conscious of the environment to come up with environmental friendly anti-littering solutions in the communities around the areas it operates in (US EPA, 2010). Recycling and waste reduction Any operational undertaking by a company or individual for that matter is bound to produce waste. Waste, as we all understand it, is largely if not exclusively the only thing responsible for environmental pollution. Therefore, any important step taken towards reducing this waste or preventing it from causing harm to the environment can be an important milestone towards safeguarding the environment (Ackerman, 1997). In McDonalds recycling and waste reduction are key pillars in its environmental safeguarding program. According to EPA, the benefits that can be reaped from recycling and waste reduction efforts are enormous. They include preventing pollution both direct on disposal and indirectly through manufacture of replacement products, conserve resources and energy and thereby enhance sustainability of future generations, and finally economic sustenance through job creation. With all these benefits, McDonalds has initiated programs all across its operations aimed at achieving this key objective. For instance, within the USA alone, McDonalds estimates savings of 612 trees, significant volumes of water and oil, and savings of 324 cubic yards of landfills through its 36 tons of corrugated cardboards it was able to recycle in 2012. Similar efforts are being rolled out elsewhere in its areas of operation. Another worth noting undertaking in this pillar is conversion of organic waste into energy such as biogas in Switzerland and into electricity and heat in the United Kingdom (McDonalds Corporation, 2013). Others Apart from the four areas discussed above, other efforts and key pillars that McDonalds has identified as measures to enhance environmental sustainability include logistics, communication, greening the restaurants and greening the workplace. On logistics, the company has put in measures to ensure its logistical operations contribute minimal harm to the environment (McDonalds Corporation, 2013). Choosing the most environment friendly means as well as those that have put in sustainability considerations such as bio-diesel powered logistical operations is a major yardstick. On communication, the company recognises that information is power. Information has the power to transform bad behaviors that have little or no consideration to environmental sustainability to good ones that are conscious and committed to sustainability. Indeed, the company has been able to disseminate information through lead by example and such other initiatives to relay information to the community such as its annual publication on sustainability. The company’s overall strategy recognises sustainability and doing business responsibly as important tenets towards fulfilling its mandate. The company has also embarked on green initiatives in its restaurants and workplaces including environmental friendly p ractices and building (McDonalds Corporation, 2013). Conclusions and recommendations In conclusion, McDonald’s has a very well thought out initiative with regards to achieving this noble social performance yardstick on environment. Having a policy and strategies engraved within the company mission indeed affirm to their commitment on safeguarding the environment. With regards to measurement, monitoring and reporting performance, the company has identified acceptable standards although not in all of its pillars. Looking at the recognitions, the company has received the company’s social performance can be summarised as fairly good. More however can still be done on improving the gains the company has already achieved. The company needs to work out a consolidated way of reporting in summary targets and performance achievements on each of the identified pillars for the entire organisation. References Ackerman, Frank. Why Do We Recycle? Markets, Values, and Public Policy. W ashington, DC: Island Press, 1997. Ackerman, Frank, â€Å"Environmental impacts of packaging in the U.S. and Mexico† Scholar, 1996, http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/SPT/v2_n2html/ackerman.html Failla, John, â€Å"McDonalds Reports Global Green Practices Green Retail Decisions,† Green Retail Decisions, 2012, greenretaildecisions.com/news/2012/04/19/mcdonalds-reports-global-green-practices- Jamison, Alison et al, â€Å"Defining Corporate Environmental Responsibility: Canadian ENGO Perspectives,† 2005, pollutionprobe.org/old_files/Reports/cerreport.pdf McDonalds Corporation, â€Å"Best of Green McDonalds Best Practices’† 2013, http://bestpractices.mcdonalds.com/sections/1-best-of-green McDonalds Corporation, â€Å"Company Profile: About McDonalds,† 2013, aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/company_profile.html McDonalds Corporation, â€Å"Financial Highlights: About McDonalds,† 2013, aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/financial_highlight s.html McDonalds Corporation, â€Å"Press Releases: About McDonalds,† 2013, aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/newsroom/press_releases.html Rebernak, Kathee, â€Å"McDonald’s scorecard is commendably concise, but ends up not giving the whole picture.† Ethical Corporation, November 2012, http://framework-llc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/November_Issue.pdf US EPA, â€Å"Reuse +Recycling=Waste reduction,† last modified 2010. epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/school.pdf

Juvenile Deliquency, argument style essay Research Paper

Juvenile Deliquency, argument style essay - Research Paper Example Family problems and a low economic status are other contributing factors. Mentoring and evaluation programs should be started for the delinquents to overcome this issue. Parents and family members should also be guided to be supportive of these children. Thesis Statement: Juvenile delinquency is a serious societal issue that has many underlying risk factors and thus it should be tackled with the different management strategies to reduce its prevalence Juvenile delinquency Crime is one of the most dangerous factors that affect society today. An even more shocking fact is that it is not only adults who commit this act of violence, but adolescents well under the age of eighteen as well. Such adolescents are generally referred to as juvenile delinquents. There are not one but two definitions of the term ‘juvenile delinquency’ which are the legal definition and the social definition. With the help of these definitions and knowledge of all the risk factors that contribute to v iolence in youngsters, juvenile delinquency can be predicted well before a crime is committed by a juvenile. Juvenile delinquency is a serious societal issue that has many underlying risk factors and thus it should be tackled with the different management strategies to reduce its prevalence. There are many complexities involved when defining juvenile delinquency. ... The specific actions that represent juvenile delinquency vary from country to country. Some countries even have policies stating that juveniles who commit extreme act of violence should be treated as adults-they should not be shown any leniency by the court. For example, youngsters at the age of ten and above are considered as accountable to their actions as a mature adult by the criminal law in England. On the other hand, according to the social definition, juvenile delinquency is defined as the huge number of behaviors and acts of young children and adolescents which are condemned by society. However, in this sense, any disapproving act of a youth will be termed as juvenile delinquency. For instance, a youth who behaves rudely in front of guests may be termed as a delinquent by parents, although the court would ignore the problem as no laws were broken by that youth. A youngster-or juvenile-does not become an official delinquent until labeled as such by the juvenile court (The Guar dian 2012; Regoli et al 2008). A risk factor is a term that applies to incidents that occur prior to-and predict-a later consequence. There are various risk factors involved in juvenile delinquency. The biological factor implies that violent youths or delinquents tend to have low resting heart rates, which indicate low autonomic arousal, like boredom and/or fearlessness. Such youths have the urge to seek excitement and take risks in order to increase their levels of stimulation. Furthermore, studies show that boys with a high level of the hormone, testosterone, after gaining puberty, are more likely to be violent. These biological factors are difficult to quantify accurately and may occur chiefly in interaction with psychological and social