Arendt And Freedman: Political Freedom

Political freedom is an ideal for both Arendt and Friedman. As political theorists they offer not only definitions to understand what political freedom is for them, but what necessary preconditions must exist in order for their ideal to be vitalized. Arendt explains political freedom as the right to be a participator in government. She implies that this means more than voting for a representative or having the opportunity to run for office. Arendt advocates that political freedom requires equal participation on behalf of all citizens and the involvement in politics is the most important part of an individual’s life. Friedman states that political freedom is the absence of coercion with the necessary precondition of economic freedom. Arendt and Friedman have different understandings of what political freedom is, but within their differences are similarities. Understanding what Arendt does not view as political freedom is essential in understanding what is political freedom because it helps in establishing the necessary means involved in obtaining political freedom. † should be no reason for us to mistake civil rights for political freedom, or to equate these preliminaries of civilized government with the very substance of a free republic. (Arendt P220) Arendt has established civil rights as something other than political freedom. Civil rights apply to liberation and not political freedom because civil rights do not necessarily assume the presence of freedom. Civil rights can be granted to a population under the rule of a tyrant in the form of a law, but when the population is not part of the formation of such a law then political freedom does not exist. According to Arendt, the presence of poverty does not permit the presence of political freedom. If individuals are forced to focus their efforts to fulfill biological needs such as food and shelter then they cannot possibly be political. Capitalism also prevents the existence of Arendt’s political freedom because capitalism is based on consumption. When the members of society are focused on obtaining goods and material possessions they become just as preoccupied as those in poverty. So capitalism creates greed and creates unnecessary needs and desires that inhibit political freedom. Political freedom requires an absence of as many social conditions as it does a presence of other conditions. Political freedom, as discussed in â€Å"The Revolutionary Tradition and Its Lost Treasure,† obliges the presence of a population who thinks in terms of â€Å"we† rather than â€Å"I. † When everyone in a society acts for a better community and thinks in terms of the community, they will be able to exist politically free. When the focus of the individual shifts from the private interests created under capitalism to a public interest necessary for political freedom, more will be done to benefit society as a whole as opposed to individuals in a private realm. Learning to escape the private realm and understand that of the public means to understand the possibility of a greater good found in working together rather than many separate smaller goods held by only certain individuals. When there are individuals with separate smaller goods there has to be individuals with their own separate failure and lack of essential good. Milton Friedman does not offer the same definition for political freedom, thus his means for obtaining political freedom are also separate from Arendt’s. Friedman presumes that economic freedom must exist in order for political freedom to exist, and the means to true economic freedom is through the capitalist free market. Friedman writes, â€Å"History suggests only that capitalism is a necessary condition for political freedom. † (P10) The free market should take care of it self, be free from forced government intervention, and thus establish an environment in which coercion does not rule. Friedman believes that it is the power instilled in Washington D. C. that is responsible for the current coercion through their economic power. The economic power of the government is derived through the process of taxation, a process of coercing the citizens of the state to fund an organization against their will to do the jobs that capitalism, when left to its own devices, will achieve. Friedman suggests that government should focus on military effort, and not issues unrelated. He says: This danger we cannot avoid. But we needlessly intensify it by continuing the widespread governmental intervention in areas unrelated to the military defense of the nation and by undertaking new governmental programs – from medical care for the aged to lunar exploration. Friedman P202) So Friedman believes that government intervention leads to the collapse of political freedom. He goes on to discuss his fear of intervention. I believe that we shall be able to preserve and extend freedom despite the size of the military programs and despite the economic powers already concentrated inWashington. But we shall be able to do so only if we awake to the threat that we face, only if we persuade our fellow men that free institutions offer a surer, if perhaps at times slower, route to the ends they seek than the coercive power of the state. Friedman P202) Political Freedom for Friedman is then merely the absence of government coercion and the presence of an economically free population that, through the free market, can actually take care and supervise themselves. Friedman is relying on the same factors to create political freedom that Arendt sees as inhibiting freedom. That is, he sees a capitalist free market as the necessary means to actually bring people voluntarily together, not coercively. Friedman says:Exchange can therefore bring about co-ordination without coercion. A working model of a society organized through voluntary exchange is a free private enterprise exchange economy – what we have been calling competitive capitalism. (Friedman P13)So Friedman is actually advocating that capitalism is not as competitive as it appears, and that it actually requires citizens to work together and thus benefit each other through their actions. This is similar to what Arendt signifies as thinking in terms of â€Å"we† rather than â€Å"I,† yet it is the exact ingredient that Arendt classifies as creating the â€Å"I. † It is peculiar that such contrasting opinions and explanation actually lead to the same ideal. Friedman and Arendt offer opposing means of obtaining political freedom, but there are similarities in what their means accomplish before the existence of political freedom. Both want a society in which individuals do something for each other, they work together for a greater good. The difference is that Arendt wants the cooperation to be based on politics while Friedman wants the cooperation based on free enterprise. Friedman wants less government involvement because he understands such involvement to be the basis of coercion. Friedman would rather have individuals voluntarily come together than be forced to come together. He sees political freedom as being free from the control of the state, free to evolve independent of government influence, and free to decide how to evolve. Friedman wants the government to have limited power because free enterprise will thrive in the absence of government intervention. Economic freedom will be created in the free enterprise and political freedom is the result. Another similarity between Arendt’s and Friedman’s differing views is the requirement of economic freedom. Although it is quite a major aspect for Friedman, Arendt does not focus directly on the topic. Arendt is just as much a supporter of economic freedom because she acknowledges that a state dealing with poverty and the fulfillment of basic needs cannot deal with political freedom. Economic freedom is the absence of such struggles and the presence of a means to be politically free. The similarity through presence of economic freedom is divided by the role of government. For Friedman political freedom is the absence of coercion, namely governmental coercion, not the presence of a highly involved government that Arendt advocates. Arendt’s political freedom is not the absence of government, merely the absence of representative government. She sees the concern of private life being too dominate under a representative system because, † the voter acts out of concern with his private life and well-being, and the residue of power he still holds in his hands resembles rather the reckless coercion with which a blackmailer forces his victim into obedience than the power that arises out of joint action and joint deliberation. (Arendt P 273) She is saying that representation leads to the problem of coercion, and it is coercion that Friedman sees necessary is not existing in the existence of political freedom. Without a direct democracy at the basis of a highly involved government political freedom is impossible because there is too much corrupt behavior and focus on private interests when the majority elects a minority to make the decisions for the state. Arendt envisions a society in which all of its members equally partake in the decision making of the government and they all work for the good of each other, not for a private good. Arendt establishes the aspects of life that have been private in the past as needing to be public in an effort to prevent corruption and maintain political freedom. Friedman does not advocate the same direct democracy that Arendt envisions. Instead, he expects the free market to essentially rule itself and take on the duties of Arendt’s government in the form of free enterprise. He sees the government as the cause of the coercion and presumes that the power should be taken out of the government. So this is an opposite response to Arendt’s view that the government should become larger, so large that all citizens are involved and have an equal say, thus preventing the possibility of coercion. Both Arendt and Friedman see coercion as preventing political freedom and both offer different means of ridding society of coercion. Political freedom is not an easily definable term. It is much like love, god, and friendship in that it has different meanings for different people at different times. Political freedom is about both the means of obtaining the ideal as well as the ideal itself. Friedman and Arendt present what they presume to be the means and the ends of political freedom, but neither is completely right or entirely wrong. It does not seem possible to create a set definition as to what political freedom is, much less what the appropriate means of obtaining political freedom are. It seems more important to try to distinguish certain common traits of what political freedom is rather than attempt to create a set definition. The common traits shared by Arendt and Friedman are that economic freedom and absence of coercion are necessary for political freedom. Political freedom, for both theorists, requires the action of a public community and not private individuals. They do not agree about the role of government, nor do they agree on the form government should take. Although it is important to distinguish what are and are not characteristics of political freedom, it is more important to understand that political freedom cannot be defined. Political freedom can be speculated about, but will not be truly comprehended until it is actualized. Only when political freedom exists will it be understood.

Challenges in Mozambique

MOZAMBIQUE’S CHALLENGES By Alina Sandra Silvi Abstract Mozambique, by its official name the Republic of Mozambique is a country in south-eastern Africa which in 1505 was colonized by Portugal. The country became independent in 1975 but in 1977 a civil war started and lasted for 15 years†¦ by the end an estimated one million lives were lost. However, lots of things have changed for Mozambique in a decade; â€Å"from being one of the poorest countries on Earth, it has joined a rare group of success stories† (Vines A. , 2004).Today, its economy is booming, absolute poverty has fallen and all is due to increased production in agriculture – the main source through which people sustain their livelihoods. â€Å"The country’s economic performance has been spectacular since 1994, making it one of the greatest recipients of foreign capital inflows in Africa. These inflows and increasing domestic growth enabled government expenditure on social and infrastructur e projects to be doubled. Investment has included the two billion dollars BHP – Billiton aluminium smelter – the largest single investment in Mozambique’s history† (Vines A. 2004) Introduction This report will analyze some of the problems that Mozambique is still facing because despite the positive aspects presented, Mozambique is still struggling to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals. The paper will focus on three inequalities although all of them are interrelated and all need to be achieved equally for a sustainable development of the country. First of all, the eradication of absolute poverty and hunger will be evaluated because half of Mozambique’s population is still living below poverty line.Secondly, the achieving of universal education will be assessed because through education people become more informed and develop skills which can help them to improve their lives; someone once said, â€Å"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime† (Madi M. and Wilson E. , 2005). In the end, the report will look at the impact of HIV/AIDS and other diseases on people and at how they can be combated. 1. Extreme poverty and hunger Every day we hear on the news or read in the newspapers that more and more people are starving and live in extreme poverty.This is also the case of Mozambique, a rich country due to its natural resources, with an economy considered of huge potential but where people still live in unimaginable conditions and got to bed with their stomachs aching due to the lack of food. Lappe et al (1998) present in their book some of the ‘causes’ of the hunger and also prove that they are only myths†¦ myths which can be contradicted. For example, one of the myths says that there is not enough food in the world and that is why some people go hungry†¦ ut, in fact, the world today produces enough grain itself in order to feed everyone a nd to provide them with thirty-five hundred calories per day. The American Association for the Advancement of Science found in a study that 78% of all undernourished children under five live in developing countries with food surpluses (Lappe, F. M. et al, 1998). Also countries such as India, Africa and Bangladesh, where hunger is at a high level, export much more in agricultural goods than they import. All these facts led to a single conclusion: that food scarcity is clearly not the cause of hunger.The main conclusion of the book – World hunger: 12 myths (Lappe, F. M. et al, 1998) – is that hunger is driven by poverty because people are too poor to buy readily available food and all this requires political not agrotechnical solutions. Allen, T. and Thomas, A. (2000) stated, â€Å"Chronic hunger is related to poverty and a persistent failure to generate sufficient entitlements in a society†. The World Bank measures poverty by the percentage of people living below an income of one US dollar per day. (see appendix 1, fig. ) The proportion of the population living under the poverty line declined from 69. 4% in 1997 to 54. 1% in 2003. The main factor that led to such an improvement was the economic growth rate which was above 7% for much of the past decade. To continue the strong commitment and leadership proved since the achievement of PARPA I the Government of Mozambique have now implemented PARPA II which will be developed under the â€Å"areas of macro-economy and poverty, governance, economic development, human capital and cross-cutting issues† (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). 2. EducationThe second Millenium Development Goal’s – Achieve universal primary education – target is â€Å"to ensure that, by 2015, all boys and girls are able to complete a full course of primary schooling† (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). In 1975, when the Portuguese left the country, Mozambique’s only university lost most of its teaching staff and was forced to play its role in developing skilled manpower for the socialist experiment. The system of primary education in Mozambique contains two cycles: a lower level of five years (EP1) followed by two years of higher level (EP2).The net enrolment rate (NER) for EP1 increased substantially between 1997 and 2003, from 44% to 69. 4% (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). Despite this progress Mozambique is still facing a high level of geographical and residential disparities, and also a gender gap – the NER for girls in EP1 was 66. 4% compared to 72. 4% among boys (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). The completion rates in EP1 also increased from 22% in 1997 to 38. 7% in 2003, however, the country will not achieve the MDG target for 2015 if substantial and financial resources are not invested in the system.The World Bank stated in a report in 1985 that the role of literacy it is very powerful in determining a population’s level o f mortality and also suggested that â€Å"this factor carries far more weight than many others, including income growth† (Allen, T. and Thomas, A. , 2000) Female education also has an important role in providing good health because an educated woman is capable of creating a healthier environment for her family. This idea has been supported by two of the World Bank’s publications – one in 1983 and the other in ten years later (Allen, T. and Thomas, A. , 2000).In order to solve the education problem a first Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP I) was implemented for 1999-2003 period. The plan’s goal was to improve the education system in order to promote economic and social development and poverty reduction in Mozambique (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). In 2005, the second ESSP was approved covering the period 2005-2009; its role is to continue the work of the first ESSP but also to strengthen it. 3. HIV/AIDS and other diseases The death rate of child ren under five years old in the least developed countries is 40% and the rate for people under 65 is 84% compared with only . 7% and 23% respectively in rich countries (Allen, T. and Thomas, A. , 2000) . All these deaths are generated by diseases attack, especially the infectious and parasitic ones. The greatest threats for Mozambique’s development are HIV/AIDS. From 1998 to 2004 the HIV/AIDS prevalence among adults has increased from 8. 2% to 16. 2% although it varies greatly between the three regions of the country. (see appendix 1, fig. 2) In 2003 1. 5 million Mozambicans had HIV/AIDS (8% of total population) the majority being represented by women (58%). Among those living with HIV/AIDS 5. 8% were children under 15 years old.An important thing to bear in mind is that just as HIV and AIDS generate poverty and inequalities so do poverty and inequality facilitate the transmission of HIV. This happens because people in poor areas do not have the necessary income in order to b uy condoms or an easy access to health facilities and HIV infection programmes. Today, HIV accounts for considerable mortality and morbidity and â€Å"the UN programme UNAIDS recently estimated that by the end of 1996 more than 23 million people worldwide were infected with HIV and more than 6 million people had died with AIDS† (World Bank, 1997).Moreover, HIV/AIDS facilitate the transmission of other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB); the most vulnerable one being again the poor ones who live in overcrowded conditions and have very low incomes. In fact, â€Å"TB is now one of the leading causes of death among adults in many developing countries and it is estimated that it kills about three million people a year. The increase in fatal cases parallels the AIDS epidemic in many countries† (Allen, T. and Thomas, A. , 2000).In order to confront this problem, in 2002, a multi-sectoral National AIDS Council (NAC) was created to lead and coordinate the national re sponse to HIV/AIDS. The government also revised its National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS and created a second one, for the period 2005-2009, that â€Å"will prioritise the following seven areas: prevention, advocacy, stigma and discrimination, treatment, mitigation, research and investigation and coordination of the national response† (Mozambique second MDG report, 2005). ConclusionThis report presented only three of the inequalities facing Mozambique when, in fact, there are much more and all of them are interrelated, creating a vicious cycle that needs to be broken in order to achieve a full and satisfactory development. The Secretary-General has outlined a number of priorities for UN action to sustain the development of all countries in Africa: * Regional structures must be strengthened; * Their economies have to be diversified and increase the promotion of ‘free-market’ and ‘free-trade’; * Promotion of a Green-Revolution by financing the de velopment of high-yield food crops etc. UN Chronicle, 1995) List of references: Allen, T. and Thomas, A. (2000) Poverty and development into the 21st century Lappe, F. M. , Collins, J. and Rosset, P. (1998) World hunger: 12 Myths Madi, M. And Wilson, E. (2005) Poverty in Africa. The world today journal, vol. 61, no. 11 Report on the Millenium Development Goals – Mozambique (2005) [online] available from [12 February 2011] Vines, A. (2004) Mozambique: Orderly change. World development journal, vol. 60, no. 12 UN Chronicle (1995) vol. XXXII, no. 4

Hinduism & Jainism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hinduism & Jainism - Assignment Example Moreover, they preach equal and careful treatment of all living beings by minimizing or eliminating harmful thoughts (Antiquity of Jainism, n.d). Hinduism and Jainism are the two of the most important ancient religions of India; Jainism being much older than the Vedic religions of Hindus. Since Jainas and Hindus have been living side by side for the past many centuries, it is obvious that they have influenced each other in many respects but still there exists many differences between them with respect to their concepts and religious beliefs. The most important difference being that Hindus believe in the existence of god but Jainas don’t believe in god instead worships those great ones who have realized their high ideal and attained salvation. Jainism follows three basic principles – non-violence, non-absolutism and non-possession. Jaina’s believe that man should treat all living beings of the world as his own. Hinduism stresses the importance of serenity of living beings. According to Hindu’s, only god can attain salvation; Jaina’s believe that salvation is the right of human beings only. There are different ways to attain salvation in Hinduism, for example the four Yogas – Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga. However, the path of salvation prescribed by Jainism is only one – Ratnatraya Marga, that is, three fold path of Right Belief, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct which is to be simultaneously pursued by all men. Hinduism is a sacrificial religion where Hin du’s consider performance of several sacrifices for different reasons and different durations as very important, including animal sacrifices. Although, Jaina’s don’t believe in sacrifices they promote careful living where no form of life should be harmed. Though the ultimate goal of both Hindus and Jainas is to achieve Nirvana or supreme liberation, the path and the number of stages involved in reaching it is absolutely contrasting from one

Social Media - Difference between traditional measures of success Assignment

Social Media - Difference between traditional measures of success - Assignment Example Social media measures allow businesses to know how viral a product is within a given market. A tool that Zappos could use to measure social media success is NPS (Net Promoter Scores). NPS notes how probable users are to suggest a product to peers and family members. With NPS, Zappos can catch both the customer service element of social and potential for making their services and products go viral (Gibs, 2015). Currently, Zappos has a very high NPS because of its popular customer service. The exceptionality of NPS and the capacity to access it from numerous consolidated research works makes it a strong alternative for social media labeling analytics. Zappos can also use ABM (Agent-Based Modelling) since it has already established excellent customer service (Gibs, 2015). Customer service always requires internet connectivity between Zappos and its customers. However, with ABM, Zappos can monitor and measure their customers’ behavior while offline. Monitoring marketing and branding includes questioning a business’ ability to keep on developing and innovating. For example, monitoring oversees an enterprise’s ability to introduce new commodities in the market, increase product value for customers, and better operating competences (Gibs, 2015). On the other hand, measuring includes determining brand favorability and devotion by customers instead of net sales evaluated through appraisals. For instance, controlled experimentation determines contributions of social media to customer relationship and loyalty, which enables the brand to identify efficiencies and correct errors more

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Draper Manufacturing - Case Study Example Additionally, the company does not enjoy financial stability and growth, but is facing some serious financial, economic and environmental challenges. On the economic front, the increase in the oil price passing the point of $60 per barrel negatively impacts over the cost of the company as the petroleum is a basic raw material component for mattress. Second, the Gulf hurricanes severely damage the TDI, the chemical consumed to develop polyurethane foam. In addition, the Draper manufacturing also faces some competitive challenges from the competitors. In the recent times, there has been growing tendency to import low priced Asian products, which bring more challenges for the company. Workforce diversity is going to be there, and it cannot be termed as a problem for the growth of the company. In conclusion, the Draper manufacturing faces business challenges rather workforce diversity

Project proposal ( Information System) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project proposal ( Information System) - Essay Example As in case of Starbucks, they made their inventory tracking and monitoring easier by the use of RFID tags. RFID-enabled deliveries to Starbucks stores would make after-hours deliveries possible and allow employees to focus on customers, rather than shipments when they are received. (www.rfidgazzette.org) The management of distribution and supplies among various outlets is a problem under manual systems whereas with the use of IT and information systems for managing inventory and distribution, the company can make all distribution decisions and policies in a convenient and efficient manner. Easy tracking facilities and accurate tracing features allow for runtime monitoring and planning of inventories and their distributions in different regions and outlets. The data management and entry is all automated whereas the RFID tags will carry the information which will be updated with the transportation of inventory pack from one place to another. This will provide an updated view of all inventories at any point in time. Keeping track of sales that take place at any outlet is very critical for CharredDregs coffee company.

Cross-Cultural Awareness Research Project Diary Method Essay

Cross-Cultural Awareness Research Project Diary Method - Essay Example Thus it is imperative that new skills and strategies are evolved to meet the emerging challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. Interestingly, in the current environment of multicultural societies, reflective practices through diaries have become vital links to understand and improve outcome. One is able to reflect on issues and factors that have impacted the person. I have used the entries and content of my diary in discussing the various perspectives of the changing society, especially vis-a-vis international marketing. Various authors have also claim that diaries provide vital clues and techniques to improve and improvise productivity (Nadin, Sara and Catherine Cassell, 2006; Bolger, Niall, Angelina Davis, and Eshkol Rafaeli, 2003). I feel that cultural competency has emerged as a major issue within and outside the businesses community that impacts relationship building. Various authors Ghauri, Pervez and Cateora (2010) strongly contend that changing cultural dynamics are strong facilitator of change and significantly impact international businesses. Indeed, it can be described as the need to understand cross cultural values and adapt to the changing societal pattern of globalization. ... Communication is one of the most important skills that must be developed for long term sustainable professional and personal relationships. The need to develop a bond that is mutually beneficial as well as fruitful in the long run is inherent part of social contact paradigm. Everyone needs to communicate with one other, in one way or the other but mastering it ensures that one is able to convey his thoughts and ideas to the other with clarity and with ease. Indeed, a person, who makes effort to develop and improve inter-personal communication, is able to strengthen his professional relationship. He also helps facilitate a better understanding that paves way to a success which promises productive outcome. Better communication mode through cross cultural understanding has also the advantage of creating and fostering new associations with people who contribute to the personality development and help widen the area of knowledge and skills. This characteristic is particularly beneficial t o people who need to interact with public and new persons on a daily basis. The leaders and market and sales professionals need to develop this skill. They must be able to effectively communicate with other so as to motivate and inspire others towards their intended issues and goals. A good leader is not only able to inspire but he is able to diffuse a volatile situation and turn it into an advantage for himself and his organization. In the rapidly developing environment of global competitiveness, it is essential that people must make efforts to cultivate this skill. In the age of globalization and multicultural societies, it is important that they develop the right communication skills to interact with people of other race, cultures

Causal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Gender Equity Issues in Antigone Essay Example for Free

Gender Equity Issues in Antigone Essay In our present day, many believe they should be treated fairly regardless of their race, religious beliefs, or gender. When gender equity is put on the table as the main discussion we may find women to have more aggressive opinions and views rather than men. Some will suggest this is due to the thousands of years women have been limited to certain rights that men are so freely able to obtain. Greek men are born and viewed as the superior being while women face limits on their freedom and justice. They are, however, given restrictive rules and laws that do not apply equally to their counterpart. According to one analysis of Antigone, â€Å"women individuality were violated and hidden while they were subjugated by a man’s desire†(Karim, 2012). In Antigone, Sophocles changes the script of many before him, as he displays his main character, Antigone, a courageous and respectful woman, who has great beliefs in the Gods. Antigone is quick to put her family before the law as she goes against the king’s order. Antigone can be looked upon as a great leader of society except there’s one problem; she is a woman which has great effects on the actions she wishes to take. Even though Ismene, Antigone’s sister, understands her decision she goes along with the king’s order to keep from disobeying the law. Antigone feels that the king, Creon, is being unjust when he doesn’t allow her to give her brother, Polynices, a proper burial. Creon becomes devastated when he finds out that it’s a woman who has publicly defied him. â€Å"There are factors, such as, catastrophes, wars, and events that have effects on the culture, history, and politics of one society. However, sometimes domestic issues can also cause great debate and reflect large concerns governing society and culture† (Rokem, 2006). Antigone’s rebellious act upset gender roles and threaten the Greek culture. Women in the Greek Society In Ancient Greece it was very common for men to have a dominant role. Men were highly involved in politics and it was very rare to see women engage in jobs that were thought to be more suited for men. Women stayed in the home and if they worked they normally held jobs as maids or servants. Men looked for wives who didn’t speak much but instead kept to their cleaning, weaving, and caring for the children. Women were forbidden to go against the beliefs of men and if they spoke out against a man then harsh consequences would follow. The Consequences Antigone Will Bare In Sophocles’, Antigone, Creon sees Antigone as a threat to his society. He hates that a woman is going against his first order as king. He makes it clear that Polynices is not to be buried but will remain on the field of battle to rot. When Antigone, a woman, buries her brother, Polynices, Creon is devastated. Creon feels Antigone is trying to rule over him. She is thought of as disobeying Creon and the law he has set forth. He wants to make an example of her and punish her for going against his law and his gender role. Creon: The Male Role Throughout the play, Antigone, Creon displays his feeling of women time after time. He doesn’t hold back his beliefs that men are dominant and should never be over powered by any woman. Creon states to Antigone, â€Å"while I live, no woman shall rule me† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). Creon feels that Antigone is out of order by defying him. He hates that Antigone is breaking the law but he also hates the fact that as a woman she is going against him. Creon Creon: The Male Role doesn’t care that his son, Haemon, has asked Antigone to marry him. Once Antigone breaks the law and confesses her beliefs to him, Creon will not approve of her as a wife for his son. He has to terminate her womanly courage and sentence her to death. Many women in the kingdom probably felt the same as Antigone but they dare not express them to a man. Ismene even felt that Antigone was being treated unjustly but she remained in her woman role and would not stand with Antigone. At one point she couldn’t understand why Antigone was reacting in such an unlawful way. Ismene Beliefs as a Woman Many readers may feel that Ismene was nothing more than a coward. Some may ask how she could stand by and allow someone to disrespect her dead brother. Unfortunately, Ismene beliefs and actions were those of many women in their society. It was expected of Ismene, as a woman, to follow the word of man and his law. Ismene is willing to defy the Gods in order to respect the laws of man. She is afraid of Creon and she allows herself to be governed by him. She is like all other women in her society who know their boundaries. Ismene kept her inner thoughts to herself. She was upset that no one else in the town would not stand and support Antigone’s decision. Ismene displays her feelings of being a woman to Antigone as she says, â€Å"Nay we must remember, first, that we are born women, as who should not strive with men; next, that we are ruled of the stronger, so that we must obey in these things† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). Ismene beliefs are common in comparison to other women in her society but Antigone was not going to stand by and allow men to defy the Gods, even if it meant death for her. A Courageous Woman The character, Antigone, was an interesting and dynamic role due to her personal traits. Antigone held her personal convictions tightly and her beliefs in the Gods tighter. She held her allegiance first to the gods rather than to the mortal institutions of man. Antigone was not just a rebellious role but was much different than other docile women of her day. Despite being a woman, Antigone is not afraid of disobeying Creon’s law nor is she afraid to tell Creon how she has no respect for him. Antigone was being punished for following the Gods which were of higher statue than Creon’s law. She stated, â€Å"I have longer to please the dead than please the living her: in the kingdom down below, I’ll lie forever. Do as you please and dishonor the laws the gods hold in honor† (Sophocles, Jebb trans). She will not defy the Gods to please Creon and takes her death sentence lightly. Creon hates that Antigone won’t go against her beliefs. She knows she is being used as an example to show other women how to not act. It takes the Gods to interrupt Creon’s death sentence to Antigone. Unfortunately, it comes too late and before Creon can release Antigone she has already taken her own life. Thoughts of Antigone Antigone is a reminder of how women were mistreated in previous societies. Even though the play ends tragically, Antigone will never be forgotten as a woman who stood up close to her beliefs regardless if she was cast away by an authoritive male figure. She didn’t care if she had to stand alone but she was willing to die rather than obey man’s law and dishonor the Gods. Karim (2012) suggests, â€Å"routine fundamental subject of burial of the dead created conflict relative to law, religion, and culture. It also generated critical debate on a woman’s status. † Thoughts of Antigone Antigone was a role model to other women because she remained true to her religion by going against the culture and law of her society.

Role of students Essay Example for Free

Role of students Essay students are actually a big power. if they can co-ordinate themselves, with PT assistance they can do a lot .They can organize groups to help orphans,give classes to poor .make awareness among people against drugs, personal abuse,bribery.they can promote natural ways of farming to avoid poisonsthere are many issues .net is a good source of knowledge make forums,groups and bodies for different issues.they can write organize shows.unlimited opportunities for real ,bold students.Imagination and intelligence matters. Any of your good deeds will surely make our INDIA physically and economically healthier.for passive students they must only opt for there interested subject and strictly follow there subject oriented job and do it full heartedly that too will help a lot.We really need dedicated officers at all fields. students are actually a big power. if they can co-ordinate themselves, with PT assistance they can do a lot . They can organize groups to help orphans,give classes to poor .make awareness among people against drugs, personal abuse,bribery.they can promote natural ways of farming to avoid poisonsthere are many issues .net is a good source of knowledge make forums,groups and bodies for different issues.they can write organize shows.unlimited opportunities for real ,bold students.Imagination and intelligence matters.Any of your good deeds will surely make our INDIA physically and economically healthier.for passive students they must only opt for there interested subject and strictly follow there subject oriented job and do it full heartedly that too will help a lot. We really need dedicated officers at all fields. students are actually a big power. if they can co-ordinate themselves, with PT assistance they can do a lot .They can organize groups to help orphans,give classes to poor .make awareness among people against drugs, personal abuse,bribery.they can promote natural ways of farming to avoid poisonsthere are many issues .net is a good source of knowledge make forums,groups and bodies for different issues.they can write organize shows.unlimited opportunities for real ,bold students.Imagination and intelligence matters.Any of your good deeds will surely make our INDIA physically and economically healthier.for passive students they must only opt for there interested subject and strictly follow there subject oriented job and do it full heartedly that too will help a lot.We really need dedicated officers at all fields. students are actually a big power. if they can co-ordinate themselves, with PT assistance they can do a lot . They can  organize groups to help orphans,give classes to poor .make awareness among people against drugs, personal abuse,bribery.they can promote natural ways of farming to avoid poisonsthere are many issues .net is a good source of knowledge make forums,groups and bodies for different issues.they can write organize shows.unlimited opportunities for real ,bold students.Imagination and intelligence matters.Any of your good deeds will surely make our INDIA physically and economically healthier.for passive students they must only opt for there interested subject and strictly follow there subject oriented job and do it full heartedly that too will help a lot. We really need dedicated officers at all fields. Today,the condition of India is not so good.The students or youths have a great responsiblity to make their country well.As we all know ,in India health and education facility is not so good.If we are not healthy and literate then we are not able to do anything in our life. As we all know there are so many schemes introduced by the government,but the citizens ae not able to implement those schemes because of corrupt political leaders in India.For economically development government should improve our literacy rates,GDP,employment and public facilities etc. In India most of the roads are not in a good stage,Government health centres and schools are not working proprely.so,how development can take place in India.If students are aware with this problem they can do a lot for their country.

Plant Medicines in Cancer Treatment

Plant Medicines in Cancer Treatment Review of Literature Plants as therapeutic agents Plant medicines are the most widely used medicines in the world today. The use of herbs and plants as the first medicine is a universal phenomenon. Every culture on earth, through written or oral tradition, has relied on the vast variety of natural chemistry found in healing plants for their therapeutic properties (Serrentino 1991). Plants with therapeutic potential may be defined as any plant that can be put to culinary or medicinal use. Recent researches found that food and their constituents act in a manner similar to modern drugs without the dreaded side effects (Serrentino 1991). Sometimes plant medicine is viewed as complementary medicine, working closely with allopathic drugs. Nearly 5.1 billion people worldwide employ natural plant-based remedies as their primary medicines for both acute and chronic health problems, from treating common cold to controlling blood pressure and cholesterol (Stockwell, 1988). Most of the drugs were substances with a particular therapeutic action extracted from plants. Some medicines, such as the cancer drug Taxol from Taxus brevifolia and the anti-malarial quinine from Cinchona pubescens are manufactured from the plants. Other medicinal agents such as pseudoephedrine originally derived from ephedra species and methylsalicylate, derived from gaultheria procumbens are now synthesized. Plant medicines remain indispensable to modern pharmacology and clinical practice. Much of the current drug discovery and development process are plant-based, and new medicines derived from plants are inevitable. Functional foods A food can be regarded as a functional food if it is demonstrated to affect one or more target functions in the body beyond adequate nutrition and improves health/well-being or reduces the risk of diseases (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). On this basis, a functional food can be a natural food, a food to which a positive component has been added, or from which a deleterious component has been removed or a food where the nature of one or more components has been modified (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). While searching for new sources of functional food, attention has been paid to vegetables from the Cruciferae family, which more often used in the human diets. The cruciferous vegetables may thus become a potential source of a nutritious food or food ingredients. Recent research showed that cruciferous vegetables contain an appropriate amount of bioactive compounds such as GLs, ITCs, tocopherols, L-ascorbic acid, vitamin B, reduced glutathione, inositol phosphates and polyphenolic compounds [Nakamura e t al, 2001; Zielinski and Kozlowska, 2003; Zielinski et al, 2005; Takaya et al, 2003]. Cruciferous plants The family Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) is an economically important family with about 350 genera and 3000 species that includes several edible plants. Despite the great diversity among the crucifers, members of only a few genera are eaten. The most commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables belong to the genus Brassica that includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts. Other cruciferous vegetables used in the human diet such as radish, water cress, wasabi, horseradish, garden cress, Italian cress, Swiss chard and crambe belong to another genera of the family such as Raphanus, Nasturtium, Wasabia, Armoracia, Lepidium, Eruca, Beta and Crambe respectively. Cruciferous vegetables are important dietary constituents in many parts of the world and appear to account for about 10 15% of total vegetable intake, reaching almost 25% in countries with a high consumption (Bosetti et al, 2002; Chiu et al, 2003). However, regional pattern of crucifer consumption varies substantially in different parts of the world. The highest intake of cruciferous vegetable was reported to that of people in China, who consumed more than 100 g per day, representing about one-fourth of their total vegetable intake (Chiu et al, 2003). Other Asians and some Middle Eastern populations in Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Kuwait also have a relatively high intake of cruciferous vegetables, ranging from 40 80 g per day (Bosetti et al, 2002; Seow et al, 2002; Shannon et al, 2002; Memon et al, 2002). However, the only study carried out in India (Rajkumar et al, 2003) showed a lower daily intake of cruciferous plants, of about 17 g per day. In North America, the daily estima ted consumption was in the range of 16 40 g per day (Lin et al, 1998) and in South America, it was about 3 15 g per day (Atalah et al, 2001). The daily intake of cruciferous vegetables was reported to be about 5 30 g per day in Europe (Bosetti et al, 2002), 50 g per day in Australia (Nagle et al, 2003) and 15 g per day in South Africa (Steyn et al, 2003) respectively. Raphanus sativus R. sativus is believed to have originated in southern Asia and was cultivated in Egypt. The first cultivated R. sativus was black variety and later on white and red R. sativus were developed. It was highly esteemed in ancient Greece, and the Greek physician Androcydes ordered his patients to eat R. sativus as a preservative against intoxication. The Japanese white R. sativus, also named daikon, is the vegetable for which the literature reports the highest per capita consumption, quoted at 55 g per day in Japan (Talalay and Fahey, 2001). In addition to this, Japanese also consumes R. sativus sprouts under the name of Kaiware Daikon. Varieties of R. sativus There are six main varieties of R. sativus such as Daikons, Red Globe, White Globe, Black, White Icicles and California Mammoth White Daikons (R. sativus L) This variety is native to Asia. They are large and carrot-shaped, have a white flesh that is juicy and a bit hotter than a red radish, but milder than black. Red Globe (R. sativus var. red) This variety is the most popular in the United States. It is small, round or oval shaped, referred to as button red radishes and have a solid crisp flesh. White Globe (R. sativus var.white) This variety is small and oval shaped, referred to as hailstone or white button. They have white flesh and milder than the red variety. Black (R. sativus var. niger) This variety is thought to be native to Egypt and Asia. They are turnip-like in size and shape. They are quite pungent and drier than other varieties of radishes. White Icicles (R. sativus L var. thin) This variety is long and tapered. They have a white flesh that is milder than the red variety. California Mammoth White (R. sativus L var. large) A larger variety than the white icicle, these varieties have oblong- shaped roots and their flesh is slightly pungent. Nutritive value of R. sativus R. sativus root and its leafy part are ideal vegetables as they provide an excellent source of vitamin C. Leafy part contains almost six times the vitamin C content of its root and also a good source of calcium and iron. R. sativus is also a good source of potassium and folic acid. It is very low in fats. Approximately, 100 g of raw vegetable provides roughly 20 Kcal, coming largely from carbohydrates (Table 2.1). Thus R. sativus is a dietary food that is relatively filling for its caloric value. Some sources list R. sativus as being rich in dietary fiber, whereas other sources differ in respect of its roughage content (USDA Nutrient Database, 1999; Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Health benefits of R. sativus (Traditional usage of R. sativus) According to Hakeem Hashmi, an eminent Unani physician from India, R. sativus is unparallel in curing any kind of ailments. All the parts of R. sativus including its seed, stem, root and leaves are used in food and medicine. R. sativus is a unique vegetable having a hot and cold effect on the body simultaneously. R. sativus, like other members of the cruciferous family (cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) contains cancer-protective properties. Liver and gall bladder disorders Throughout the history, R. sativus root and seeds have been effective when used as medicinal food for liver disorders. They contain sulfur-based compounds such as GLs and ITCs that increase the flow of bile and help to maintain healthy gallbladder and liver (Chevallier, 1996). They are useful in treating jaundice and also an excellent remedy for gall bladder stone. Kidney disorders R. sativus root, seeds and leaves are diuretic in nature and increase the urine output. Their diuretic properties help to flush out the toxins accumulated in the kidneys and protect them from infections and inflammatory conditions. It is an old belief that R. sativus can aid in the treatment as well as prevention of kidney stones (Chopra et al, 1986). Respiratory disorders R. sativus is an anti-congestive and relieves congestion of the respiratory system. It has found to be beneficial in problems associated with bronchitis (Bown, 1995) and asthma (Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Skin disorders R. sativus helps to cure skin disorders such as leucoderma, rashes, cracks, etc and also refreshes the skin by maintaining the moisture content of the skin (Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Digestive disorders R. sativus root, seeds and leaves are rich in roughage (indigestible carbohydrates) which facilitates digestion, retain water and relieve constipation (Chopra et al, 1986). They also soothe the digestive system and stimulate appetite (Chevallier, 1996) Nervous and vascular disorders R. sativus decreases nervous tensions and is also useful in enhancing blood circulation. It is a remedy for insomnia, hypochondria and irritative conditions of the central nervous system (Panda, 1999). Other benefits R. sativus is germicidal and suppresses phlegm. It is a good appetizer, mouth fresher, laxative, regulates metabolism, remedy for headache, acidity, piles, nausea, obesity, sore throat, whooping cough, dyspepsia, etc (Nadkarni, 1976; Kapoor, 1990). Chemical constituents of R. sativus GLs are an important and unique class of secondary plant metabolites found in the seeds, roots and leaves of R. sativus (Daxenbichler et al, 1991; Blazevic and Mastelic, 2009). GLSs include several naturally occurring thioglucosides with a common structure (Figure 2.2) characterized by side chains (R) with varying aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic carbon skeletons, all presumably derived from amino acids by a chain-lengthening process and hydroxylation or oxidation (Larsen, 1981). In the intact cell, GLs are separated from thioglucosidase (EC 3.2.3.11), an enzyme generally known as myrosinase. When the plant cell structure is damaged, myrosinase catalyzes the hydrolysis of GLs to yield D-glucose, sulfate and a series of compounds including isothiocyanates, thiocyanates and nitriles, depending on both the substrate and the reaction conditions, especially the pH (Figure 2.2). GLs are also hydrolyzed by thioglucosidase activity of the intestinal microflora (Jeffery and Jarrell, 2001). 4-(methylthio)-3-butenyl glucosinolate (glucoraphasatin), 4-(methylsulfinyl) butyl glucosinolate (glucoraphanin) and 4- (methylsulfinyl)-3-butenyl glucosinolate (glucoraphenin) are the most predominant GLs in the root and seeds of R. sativus (Daxenbichler et al, 1991; Carlson et al, 1985). These GLs on hydrolysis by myrosinase yield MTBITC, sulforaphane and sulforaphene respectively. GLs are not uniformly distributed and are highest in the distal end of the root, decreasing in upper root sections with the lowest level in vegetative tops (Esaki and Onozaki, 1980). Apart from GLs and their breakdown products, R. sativus also contains polyphenolics such as phenolic acid, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Several polyphenolic compounds including sinapic acid esters and kaempferol were isolated from R. sativus sprouts (Takaya et al, 2003). Twelve acylated anthocyanins (pelargonidin) were isolated from R. sativus red variety (Otsuki et al, 2002). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of other phytochemicals such as triterpenes, alkaloids, saponins and coumarins in R. sativus seeds (Mohamed et al, 2008). The myrosinase catalyzed hydrolysis of glucosinolates. (Adapted from Rusk et al, 2000) Novel classes of plant defensins (small basic cysteine rich peptides) such as Raphanus sativus antifungal peptide 1 and 2 (RsAFP1 and RsAFP2) were isolated from the seeds of R. sativus (Terras et al, 1992a). RsAFP1 and RsAFP2 are highly basic oligomeric proteins composed of small (5 KDa) polypeptides that are rich in cysteine. Both RsAFP1 and RsAFP2 have a broad spectrum antifungal activity and show a high degree of specificity to filamentous fungi (Terras et al, 1992b). They are active against both phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium culmorum and Botrytis cinerea (Terras et al, 1992b), human pathogenic fungi such as Candida albicans (Aerts et al, 2007) and occasionally possess antibacterial activity. However, they are non-toxic to humans and plant cells. R. sativus 2S storage albumins were identified as second novel class of antifungal protein (Terras et al, 1992a). They also inhibit the growth of different plant pathogenic fungi and certain bacteria (Terras et al, 1992a). At least eight distinguishable isoperoxidases were isolated and purified to apparent homogeneity from Korean R sativus roots. Among them are two cationic isoperoxidases such as C1 and C3 and four anionic isoperoxidases such as A1, A2, A3n and A3 (Lee and Kim, 1994). Plant peroxidases play an important role in several physiological functions such as removal of peroxide, oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid and toxic reductants, wound healing and cell wall biosynthesis (Hammerschmidt et al, 1982). Further, peroxidase represents an important component of an early response in plants to pathogen attack and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of lignin, which limits the extent of pathogen spread (Bruce and West, 1989). The products of this enzyme in the presence of a hydrogen donor and hydrogen peroxide have antimicrobial activity and even antiviral activity (Van Loon and Callow, 1983). Recently, a novel heme peroxidase intrinsically resistant to H2O2 was isolated from R. sativus (Japanese d aikon), which showed relatively stronger oxidative stability than that of reference horse radish peroxidase (HRPA2) (Rodrà ­guez et al, 2008). Biological activities of R. sativus Evidence from numerous investigations reveals that the biological and pharmacological functions of R. sativus are mainly due to its GLs and its breakdown products ITCs (Esaki and Onozaki, 1982; Nakamura et al 2001; Barillari et al, 2006; Papi et al, 2008). These compounds provide to R. sativus its characteristic odor and flavor as well as most of their biological properties. GLs and/or ITCs have long been known for their fungicidal, bacteriocidal, nematocidal and allelopathic properties (Brown et al, 1991) and have attracted intense research interest because of their cancer chemoprotective attributes (Fahey et al, 2001; Verhoeven et al, 1997). Polyphenolics, alkaloids, saponins, isoperoxidases and antifungal peptides are also accountable for significant part of the health benefits of R. sativus. These constituents are reported to exhibit several biological effects, including radical scavenging activity (Takaya et al, 2003), gut stimulatory, uterotonic and spasmogenic effects (Gilani and Ghayur, 2004; Ghayur and Gilani, 2005), anti-hyperlipidemic activity (Wang et al, 2002) and anti-atherogenic effects (Suh et al, 2006) and would perhaps work synergistically with GLSs and ITCs of R. sativus. Antioxidant activity Damage to proteins, lipids and DNA by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can lead to a variety of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory and age-related neurodegenerative diseases (Borek, 1997; Richardson, 1993). ROS/RNS can damage cell membranes, disrupt enzymes, reduce immunity (Ahsan et al, 2003) and induce mutations (Loft and Poulsen, 1996). ROS/RNS are by-products of normal aerobic metabolism and could occur during mitochondrial/microsomal electron transport chain, phagocytic activity or generated from oxidase enzymes and transition metal ions (Nohl et al, 2003; Aruoma et al, 1989). Other sources of ROS/RNS are environmental factors such as pollution, sun damage, cigarette smoke or even some kinds of the foods (Schroder and Krutmann, 2004). These reactive species and the resulting oxidative damages are usually counteracted by the antioxidant defense mechanisms (Bagchi and Puri, 1998). Recent studies evidence that plant-based diets, particularly those rich in vegetables and fruits, provide a considerable amount of antioxidant phytochemicals such as vitamins C and E, glutathione, polyphenolics, sulfur containing compounds and pigments, which offer protection against cellular damage (Dimitrios, 2006). Vitamins Ascorbic acid is found to be the most effective antioxidant in inhibiting lipid peroxidation initiated by a peroxyl radical initiator among several types of antioxidants including a-tocopherol (Fei et al, 1989). Ascorbic acid is also capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals efficiently (Fei et al, 1989). It is also involved in the regeneration and recycling of tocopherols and ß-carotene (Niki et al, 1995). Numerous studies have shown that ascorbic acid is effective in lowering the risk of developing cancers (Block, 1991) and cardiovascular diseases (Trout, 1991). In spite of the overwhelming evidence on the health benefits, however, there are reports that demonstrated the pro-oxidant activity of ascorbic acid (Podmore, 1998). Tocopherols are essential vitamins with their major role as antioxidants in protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and other components of cell membranes and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation , thereby preventing the onset of heart diseases (Rimm et al, 1993). Polyphenolics Polyphenolics is an extremely comprehensive phrase that covers many different subgroups of phenols and phenolic acids. These compounds are most commonly present in fruits and vegetables. They are essential to the physiology of plants, being involved in diverse functions such as lignification, pigmentation, pollination, allelopathy, pathogen/predator resistance and growth (Haslam, 1996). Polyphenolics include single-ring structure such as hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids and multi-ring structure such as flavonoids, which can be further classified into anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavones, flavanones and flavonols. Some of the flavonoids such as flavan-3-ols can be found in their dimeric, trimeric and polymeric forms. Most of the polyphenolics are often associated or conjugated with sugar moieties that further complicate the polyphenolic profile of vegetables. Polyphenolics are especially important as antioxidants, because they have high redox potentials, which permit the m to act as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, singlet oxygen quenchers and metal chelator (Kahkonen et al, 1999) and alleviate free radical mediated cellular injury (Shahidi and Wanasundara, 1992). The antioxidant ability of individual polyphenolics may differ, but, as a group, they are one of the strongest groups of antioxidants. The antioxidant activity of a polyphenolic compound is chiefly determined by its structure, in particular the electron delocalization over an aromatic nucleus (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). When these compounds react with a free radical, delocalization of the gained electron over the phenolic antioxidant and the stabilization of the aromatic nucleus by the resonance effect take place that prevent the continuation of the free radical-mediated chain reaction (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). Sulfur-containing compounds GLs are a group of sulfur-containing compounds found in the cruciferous plants such as R. sativus, broccoli, cabbage, mustard, wasabi etc. These compounds are found to be strong antioxidants, which are indeed through activation of detoxification enzyme mechanisms for the efficient removal of xenobiotics, rather than through direct radical scavenging capability (Zhang and Talalay, 1998). This property of GLs and its hydrolysis products ITCs is considered as one of the major contributors to its anti-cancer activity (Zhang and Talalay, 1998). Antioxidant activity of R. sativus R. sativus is one of the major sources of dietary phenolic acids and flavonoids, which are mostly present as sugar conjugates (Takaya et al, 2003). The major phenolic acids found in R. sativus sprout are sinapic acid and ferulic acid, which are present in conjugated form as 1-sinapoyl-1-ß-D-glucopyranoside, ß-D-(3-sinapoyl) frucofuranosyl -a-D-(6-sinapoyl) glucopyranoside and 1-feruloyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (Takaya et al, 2003). The major flavonoids present in R. sativus sprouts is kaempferol that occurs in a conjugated form as kaempferol-3,7-O- a-L-dirhamnopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O- a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-4)- ß-D-glucopyranoside (Takaya et al, 2003). Lugasi et al (1998) demonstrated the strong antioxidant property of squeezed juice extracted from a black R. sativus root through its ability to donate electrons, chelate metal ions and scavenge free radicals in a H2O2/ ·OH-luminol system. Since HPLC analysis revealed the presence of a considerable amount of GLs degradation products and polyphenols in the squeezed juice of black R. sativus, antioxidant activity of black R. sativus root could be attributed to these compounds. Takaya et al (2003) tested methanolic extracts from 11 different plants including Daikon R. sativus sprouts for their ability to scavenge free radicals. Daikon R. sativus sprouts proved to be the most potent, almost 1.8 times more effective than Vitamin C. Souri et al (2004) studied the antioxidant activity of 26 commonly used vegetables in Iranian diet and found that methanolic extract of R. sativus leaf significantly inhibited the peroxidation of linoleic acid as compared to standard antioxidant such as a-tocopherol and quercetin. Katsuzaki et al (2004) found that hot water extract of Daikon R. sativus extract showed more significant antioxidant activity than the extract obtained at an ambient temperature. L-tryptophan was isolated and identified as the compound responsible for the antioxidant activity. They also found that L-tryptophan changed to 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor to serotonin in the rat liver microsome model system. A plant-based 5-HTP supplement is popular for its anti-depressant, appetite suppressant and sleep aiding properties. Lugasi et al (2005) further demonstrated that squeezed juice from black R. sativus significantly alleviated the free radical reaction in rats with hyperlipidaemia by decreasing the lipid peroxidation reactions and by improving the antioxidant status. Recent study also showed that R. sativus extract reduced the extent of lipid peroxidation in a dose dependent manner in rat liver homogenate treated with cumene hydroperoxide by increasing the levels of reduced glutathione and thereby protecting the liver from the toxin induced oxidative damages (Chaturvedi, 2008). Salah-Abbes et al (2008a) showed the protective effect of Tunisian R. sativus root extract against toxicity induced by zearalenone in mice by virtue of its ability to alleviate oxidative stress through stimulation and improvement of the antioxidant status. Polyphenolics in R. sativus may act in a synergistic or additive manner with GLs and/or ITCs and exert their antioxidant activity through inhibition of lipid peroxidation, enhancing the cellular antioxidant enzymes and increasing the glutathione in the cells. Apart from these phytochemicals, R. sativus also contain several classes of peroxidases that could play a significant role in the elimination of toxic peroxides and thus reduce the impact of free radical mediated cellular injury (Wang et al, 2002). Antimicrobial activity Infectious diseases are the worlds leading cause of untimely death, killing approximately 50,000 people every year. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to develop resistance to most pharmaceutical antibiotics. An increase in such antibiotic-resistant bacteria are menacing the human population with a recurrence of infectious diseases that were once thought to be under control, at least in developed countries (Pinner et al, 1996). These antibiotic-resistant bacteria have also caused unique problems in treating infections in patients with cancer and AIDS (Dennesen et al, 1998). Since tenacious and virulent bacteria develop immunity to solitary antibiotics at an alarming speed, there is an imperative need for a holistic targeted approach to search for novel antimicrobials from natural sources, especially from plant kingdom. Long before mankind ascertained the existence of microbes, the fact that certain plants had therapeutic potential was very well accepted. Since ancient times, man has used plants as the widespread remedial tool to treat common infectious diseases. Some of these traditional medicines are still included as part of the habitual treatment of various maladies. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and cranberry juice (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are employed to treat urinary tract infections, while species such as lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), garlic (Allium sativum) and tee tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) are described as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents (Heinrich et al, 2004). Plant based antimicrobials represent a vast unexploited source for medicines, which need to be explored further. They have an immense therapeutic potential as they are effectual in the treatment of infectious diseases while concomitantly alleviating many of the side effects that are frequently connected with synthetic antimicrobials (Cowan, 1999). Plant based anti-infective agents generally have manifold effects on the body and often act beyond the symptomatic treatment of the infectious diseases. Plants have a virtually unlimited capacity to produce secondary metabolites, especially for their defense against predation by microorganisms, insects and herbivores. Many of these secondary metabolites give plants their characteristic odors and also responsible for plant pigments. Antimicrobial phytochemicals are divided into several categories based on their structural similarity as follows: Phenolic acids These are the simplest bioactive phytochemicals consisting of a single substituted phenolic ring. Cinnamic acid and caffeic acids are the common representatives of this group. Phenolic acids are reported to be effective against viruses (Wild, 1994), bacteria (Brantner et al, 1996) and fungi (Duke, 1985). The number and site of the hydroxyl group on the phenol structure are considered to be related to their relative toxicity to microorganisms. Phenolic acids which are in the higher oxidized state are often more inhibitory towards microorganisms than the one with the lower oxidation state (Scalbert, 1991). Thus the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of phenolic acid could include enzyme inhibition by the oxidized compound through interaction with SH groups or through nonspecific interaction with the microbial proteins (Mason and Wasserman, 1987). Quinones They are aromatic compounds with two ketone substitutions in the phenolic ring. They are ubiquitous in nature and show general antimicrobial properties (Duke, 1997). They are extremely active as they can switch between hydroquinone and quinone through oxidation/reduction reactions. Quinones bind with proteins irreversibly, leading to inactivation of proteins and loss of function (Stern et al, 1996). They may also make substrates unavailable to the microbes. Flavonoids They are phenolic structures containing hydroxyl groups. They are ubiquitous and are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, tea, wine, honey, etc. They are known to be effective antimicrobial compounds against a wide variety of microorganisms (Cushnie and Lamb, 2005). Catechins are the most extensively researched flavonoids for their possible antimicrobial activity due to their occurrence in green tea (Toda et al, 1989). Flavonoids have the ability to complex with extracellular proteins as well as with bacterial cell walls, rendering them inactive (Cushnie and Lamb, 2005). More lipophilic flavonoids may also have the ability to disrupt microbial membrane (Tsuchiya et al, 1996). Terpenoids and essential oils Essential oils are secondary metabolites that are highly supplemented in compounds based on an isoprene structure (Cowan, 1999). They are called as terpenes and usually occur as di, tri, tetra, hemi and sesquiterpenes. When the compounds contain extra elements such as oxygen, they are called as terpenoids. Camphor, farnesol, artemisin and capsaicin are the common examples of terpenoids. Terpenes and terpenoids are active against an array of bacteria (Habtemariam et al, 1993) and fungi (Rana et al, 1997). Previous research showed that terpenoids present in the essential oils of plants could be useful in the control of Listeria monocytogenes (Aureli et al, 1992). The mechanism action of terpenes is not yet established precisely, but is speculated to be due to the disruption of bacterial cell membrane by the lipophilic terpenoids (Mendoza et al, 1997). Alkaloids Alkaloids constitute large groups of compounds containing a nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring, with a broad range of biological activities. The first medically functional alkaloid was morphine isolated from Papaver somniferum (Fessenden and Fessenden, 1982). Alkaloids are generally found to have potent antimicrobial activity (Ghoshal et al, 1996). Solamargine, a glycoalkaloid from the berries of Solanum khasianum reported to be useful against HIV infection and intestinal infections associated with AIDS (McMahon et al, 1995). Berberine is an important and frequently studied member of the alkaloid group. It is potentially efficient against trypanosomes (Freiburghaus et al, 1996) and plasmodial infections (Wright et al, 1992). The mode of action responsible for the antimicrobial activity of alkaloids may be attributed to their ability to intercalate with DNA and arresting the metabolic activity of the bacterial cells (Phillipson and ONeill, 1987). Sulfur-containing compounds Sulfur-containing compounds encompass a wide array of compounds and usually found in the plants as glucosides (glucosinolates, alliin, etc). These glucosides, during the rupturing of the plant cell wall, are hydrolyzed into volatile sulfur compounds such as ITCs, allicin, allyl sulfide, diallyl disulfate, etc. Biological activity of sulfur-containing compounds is considered to be chiefly due to glucoside degradation products, as intact glucosides usually display much fewer biological activities than their subsequent hydrolysis products (Donkin et al, 1995). The mechanism of action responsible for the antimicrobial activity of sulfur-containing compounds varies. Antimicrobial activity of ITCs, degradation products of GLs, is thought to be related to its NCS group, in which the central carbon atom is highly electrophilic, which could interact irreversibly with

Power to the People-Growth in consumer complaint channels in Ghana :: essays research papers

"POWER TO THE PEOPLE" Let me begin with a confession. I almost dropped this title for a less "controversial" one. I use the word "controversial" because as a citizen of a country(i.e. Ghana) where almost everything (including football) is politicised, I was aware (and concerned) of the possibility of this piece, being subjected to the same "political scrutiny". In the end I chose to keep it, simply because I couldn't find an alternative that captured the soul of this piece quite like "Power to the people". The concept, 'Power to the people" was made popular by ex-President J.J Rawlings in the early 80"s when the then PNDC Govt came into power. The idea behind "Power to the people" was to develop and implement a decentralisation programme, designed to mobilise citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process. Some 20 years on, a rapidly growing phenomenon across our airwaves can best be described as a contemporary expression of this 'Power to the people' concept! Over the last couple of months, I have observed -across various media channels-that there appears to be a growing number of complaints/concerns being levelled at consumer-marketing companies on a number of issues, (â€Å"bad adverts", product/service quality, etc) on a regular basis; and I have subsequently noticed that a few days or weeks after these complaints are aired, most of the affected companies take action. It is this growing phenomenon-when consumers speak out on issues, and companies respond promptly-sometimes at a huge cost (millions of cedis) to these companies, which I refer to as "Power to the people". There are several "complaint channels" open to the consumer today; you can "pick your choice", as they say. For example, there are radio phone-in programmes like "Ka na wu" on Radio Gold and "Feedback" on Joy FM. And if you prefer to channel your views via TV, Consumer Watch (which has been off for a while now) on TV3 serves as a potent vehicle. On the other hand, if you are one of the estimated 500,000 internet users-who have access through shared Internet connections- homes, offices, through friends and cyber cafes you can log onto Ghana Consumer Complaints website to "download" your comments. And as I was researching on this subject, I came across yet another "complaint channel" in the form of the Ghana Consumer Watchdog Organisation. The objective of the group, according to their advert is "to protect, advice and secure the interest of the Ghanaian consumer.

Essay --

In Africa there have been many wars and problems with poverty as well as famine that lead to war. One specific war was the civil war in Congo also known as The Great War of Africa. The war in Congo lasted from August 1998 to July 2003 and left thousands of people dead or injured. The war started because of issues in the DRC which stands for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The war was a long and terrifying war that ended when the transitional government of Democratic Republic of Congo took power. Africas unfriendliness has continued with the Lords Resistance Army Insurgencies and The Kivu as well as Ituri conflicts. The civil war in congo has made a huge impact on the people of africa and how they live today. The Kivu conflict was an armed conflict against the FARDC ,which stands for The Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Hutu power group Democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda in 2004. The main group against the FARDC was the rebel tutsi forces under the command of Laurant Nkunda. As a result of this conflict the CNDP, which stand for the National Congress Defence of the People, divided R0wandan Hutu power in 2009. The Ituri was a conflict between the Agriculturalist Lendu and Pastoralist Hema ethnic groups of the Ituri region which is in the northeastern region of the DRC. This started as early as 1972 and the most recent conflict was in 1999 to 2003 but has had small amounts of conflict until 2007. The lendu ethnicity was represented by the FNI which stands for Nationalist and integrationist Front. The hema ethnicity was represented by the UPC which stands for the Union of Congolese Patriots. there was a lot of violence like large massacres that both ethn icity did. The BBC found out that from 199... ... to blend into the forest and wait for them to attack; the nature of the army even further undermines the military operations. There are many attempted solutions that the security council of UN tried, but did not completely succeed in stopping the war. In the future there will not be as much fighting. There will be less conflict and more peace with the government and the FDLR. Hopefully in the future the people of Africa will not live in poverty as well as famine and have more money than what they have now. They could have enough money to survive longer and to buy medicine as well as food. In africa there should be more laws passed to for gun control and the government should try to get bigger and stronger to stop the FDLR. The UN should try to do more to stop the war in Africa. there are many solutions that that were tried but failed in stopping the war in Africa.

Causes of Conflict between India and Pakistan Essay

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The history of Pakistan as an independent country started in 1947. This event happened when Great Britain’s subcontinent India was divided into two regions, and the partitioned part is known today as the countries of Pakistan and India. The separation is the start of a series of changes due to the formation of the All-India League in 1906 in seeking political rights for Muslims. The main person behind the forcing of the separation was Mohammed Ali Jinnan who served as the leagues’ president. His first movement was in working in â€Å"India’s Congress party for a free united India† through doubting respects of Hindus into the rights of Muslims. In 1940, a separate Islamic state was insisted by Jinnah, and when the British departed in 1947, the Pakistan became a   renowned member of the British Commonwealth of Nations(Bajpai 2003).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  When the British departed, a lot of Hindus migrated to India likewise a lot of Muslims fled to Pakistan. A fall of economy then followed Pakistan because of shortage of Hindus working for them. Religious confrontations and communal riots occurred and the worst series of wars is happening among them(Bajpai 2003). The partition brought a bloody affair wherein millions of Hindus and Muslims, including the innocent ones, were killed. Series of accusation increased the tensions. The main reason of the conflict between India and Pakistan is under national interest and being monitored. CAUSES OF CONFLICTS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Junaggadh at Gujarat, so far is the first cause of conflict. Pakistan’s Governor General Muhammad Ali Jinnah accession of the area in September 1947 started the misunderstanding. Despite of his argument that Hindus and Muslim could not live as one nation from his Two Nation Theory he still fell to the scheme of avarice. So, India’s defense Minister Sardel Patel insisted to make the accession void and hold a plebiscite at Junagadah because if it was permitted to go with Pakistan, it could cause a communal unrest across Gujarat. Knowing that the existing democratic government is the Arzi Hukumat at Junagadah, Patel regulated the annexation of Junagadh’s three principles since it is facing a financial collapse and can’t resist Indian forces. India claims that it was them who first invited to accept their reins. Therefore, to give an answer to where the city will go with, a plebiscite was conducted in December 1947 to which it showed 99% of Junagadh civilians prefer India than Pakistan (Sadiq 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The territorial disputes is the second a highly controversial issue. Kashmir is a Muslim-majority princely state hat is being ruled by a Hindu, Hari Singh that would neither go with India or Pakistan’s ruling. The conflict is initiated when the Pakistan heard rumors that Hari Singh wants to assent Kashmir over India. Eager too take control, the paramilitary forces of Pakistan invaded Kashmir in September 1947. Although Kashmir is well equipped and ready to face the Pakistan, the trouble in weakening the law and the position of order was put into consideration by Hari Singh so he asked for India’s help to deal with the problem. But Kashmir is not under the jurisdiction of India so through desperation, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession. On October 27, 1947 at the Kashmir’s capital, Srinagar, the Indian troops secured the area and the valley itself. Intense fighting was visible during that time. But, through Indian Prime Minister Nehru, he declared a ceasefire and sought U.N. intervention and promised a plebiscite. Until now, both countries hold a division of the state under the Line of Control (LoC) which distinguishes the ceasefire line that was agreed in 1947. Furthermore, some of the other territorial quarrel includes the clash in Siachin glacier and disagreement on Sir Creek. Also, Pakistan’s Baglihar Dam is a heat of discussion after being built in the Indian managed Kashmir part.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fourth comes from the Bengal refugee situation. Although there is signed a trade agreement, and commitment to resolving bilateral disputes through peaceful means, hundreds of thousands of Hindus returned to East Pakistan, after a lot refugees flooded into West Bengal and other states from East Pakistan(Sadiq 2006). The crisis is due to communal violence, intimidation and repression from Muslim authorities. Yet, the agreed affairs did not take long, mainly because of the dispute owing to Kashmir.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the fifth crisis, it was the 1971 War in Pakistan and the Afghanistan involvement. Brought by political problem in Pakistan, Indian intervention (Mukti Bahini of the Indian Military) in favor of the rebelling Bengal helped Eastern Pakistan win its independence creating Bangladesh. This leads to an assault by Western Pakistan to India. For the Afghanistan issue, Pakistan effectively supported Afghanistan from its twist against Soviet Union policies. Pakistan has been involved in many anti-Soviet activities of Afghanistan too. So, the prime intelligence organization of India entered the anti-Soviet forces at Afghan region in order to dismantle it. Adding more, the Taliban regime at Afghanistan is strongly supported by Pakistan to which it is firmly opposed by India and therefore criticizing Pakistan for its support to the terrorist group. The continues terrorist attacks, the sixth one, played role in the conflict., After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that happened to United States , there was a worldwide awareness and monitoring   in   terrorist organizations specifically to al-Qaeda in Pakistan because suspected militant activities is present and working in the country . The surveillance was proven true after a High-ranking al-Qaeda members were captured by Pakistani officials and the evidence showed broadcast that they are operating in the country. Also, conflict with India is another dilemma that Musharraf is encountering. News on terrorist attacks is regularly heard and that this usually occurs in Jammu and Kashmir wherein the claim is due to Islamic extremists that was encouraged by policies of Pakistan.   Citing some examples of the terrorist events are Wandhama massacre in January 1998, assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone in Srinagar, the July 20, 2005 Srinagar bombing and the Budshah Chowk attack on July 29, 2005(Chellaney 2006).This event have lead into an all-out-war with terrorist globally.   The seventh worst reason of the crisis is the human rights violation .Both countries have been accused for human violations and have been always denying. Indian Security Forces was blamed by Pakistan Kasmiri organization for occurrence of human right abuses at the state (Bajpai 2003).   It was absolutely denied by India, claiming that only a few incidents was their fault, and it was emphasized by them that most of the crimes and violence in Kashmiris are   toiled by insurgents. Districts of Baramula and Anantnaq in Kashmir are mostly affected. Frequency of different crimes such as rape and moves on kidnapping is evident. Raiding and rioting from time to time appear and laundering of people’s money almost happen everyday. This intensified type of insurgency appeared during 1980’s. Finally, the Kargil problem is a situation that needs to be greatly considered. Attempts to restart a dialogue between the two nations are then being put into each mind for a solution to the conflicts. A major boost happened in   February 1999 when a meeting was held by both   Prime Minister at Lahore upon   their signing of an   agreements(Shakil-ur-Rahman 2007). However, the policy was not respected in May 1999 after the intrusion of Pakistani forces into Kargil at Jammu and Kashmir which is an Indian Territory. The â€Å"Kargil conflict† resulted into a strong battle among the   forces of both country (Shahin 2004). It was the Indian army who successful regained Kargil. And for the Pakistan, a military coup effort overturned Nawaz Sharif government of October 1999 and proved a need for a mutual relation. At, 2001, Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf talks for an agreement with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vaipayee fell through in Agra summit. And, in June 20, 2004, with India’s new administrator, an extension in the ban of nuclear testing was agreed by both countries. Also, both   requested for   hotline set up   between their foreign secretaries so that   misunderstandings which could lead to nuclear war would be avoided (Shahin 2004).So far, these treaty although valued by both countries, is still monitored because chances of conspiracy could still be possible. Right now, awareness at this issue is the spotlight of U.N. CONCLUSION   Giving a probable answer for the situation, the best way to end the Kashmir violence is going into negotiations between Pakistan and India with the Kashmiris voice involvement. Yet, here are some specific possible solutions; (1) the status quo, where the Line of Control (LoC) would be formalized and accepted as the international boundary. But the main factor for this to be opposed by Pakistani is that, the country will get less little control over the region for it desires a greater part. Likewise, political parties of Kashmir would definitely be against it, due to the presence of referendum resolution from United States that would be violated. And (2), Kashmir could go to be an independent  Ã‚   sovereign republic. For sure, most of the Kashmiris would support it since it’s’ tourism being the largest source of income would make them economically viable. But, this would be strongly disagreed for it requires both Indian and Pakistan (also China) in giving up the territory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To understand where is the crisis is going, regardless of who wins or looses from the battle, the   Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) has presented the facts and figures about the cost of conflict between India and Pakistan(Ismail 2004).   According to relevant information about the military costs, both India and Pakistan are involved in arms race at various levels of lethality or tools. This is made in such manner that the projected figures can tear down images of both countries. The expense for these conflicts should not be taken critically by both countries because the dispute, practically speaking, obliterates them. To when will the conflict ends is still a question and needs further analysis. Regardless of how superior the prides of both countries go, it should always evaluate its own   status to how long the situation will go,   aside from the battle going within them, there are many more other factors within each country that needs an   unswerving focus to deal with(Ismail 2004). Time to act and give a definite solution at this matter as soon as possible before further intimidation could arise from these two unsettled neighboring country. WORKS CITED Bajpai, K. S. (2003) Untangling India and Pakistan.   Volume, DOI: Chellaney, B. (2006) Let Pakistan not set the agenda.   Volume, DOI: Ismail, M. (2004) Cost of Conflict between India and PakistanVolume, DOI: Sadiq, M. (2006) India-Pakistan Peace-Process and the Mumbai Bomb Blasts.Volume, DOI: Shahin, S. (2004) Haunted by colonial ghosts Volume, DOI: Shakil-ur-Rahman, M. (2007) Peace talks slow but steady: India Volume, DOI:

Market Failure: Food Adulteration in Bangladesh

Market Failure * Adulteration in Food Industry Submitted to: Mr. Sheikh Morshed Jahan Associate Professor Course Instructor – Bangladesh Studies Submitted by: Samia Khan (RQ 16) Adel Mostaque Ahmed (ZR 22) Ahnaf Zabee (ZR 35) Rituraj Baidya (ZR 56) Institute of Business Administration University of Dhaka April 9, 2012 Table of Contents Market failure3 Food adulteration in Bangladesh3 Mouthwatering looks:4 Endurance:4 Examples of food adulteration5 The consequences:6 The awareness issue:6 Penalties7 The Solution8 Conclusion8 Market failureMarket failure is a concept within economic theory describing when the allocation of goods and services by a free market is not efficient. That is, there exists another conceivable outcome where a market participant may be made better off without making someone else worse-off. Market failures can be viewed as scenarios where individuals' pursuit of pure self-interest leads to results that are not efficient – that can be improved upon fr om the societal point-of-view. Food adulteration in Bangladesh Food adulteration is the process of adding chemical substances with foods, which should not be contained within food and beverages.Chemical substances or simply adulterants may be added to substances to reduce manufacturing costs, or for some deceptive or malicious purpose. When profit in business is more important than morality, then it is possible to add the poisoning contents to the foods and beverages. A limited number of people may die without foods but a large population has been suffering from complicated diseases related to food adulteration, which may be even lead to death in future. Adulterated food consuming is the waiting for death, which is a worse punishment than death.Food adulteration has become a major problem in Bangladesh. Vegetables, fish, milk, fruit, and sweetmeats nothing is safe, and is being sold in the market profusely. However, the adulteration that affects the consumers directly comes from res taurants. The restaurants are using toxic chemicals like formalin and textile dye stuffs in preserving foods, which play havoc in health system. Most of the country’s population, especially women and children would be the worst victim if the authorities fail to stop food adulteration.The number of people afflicted by cancer and other chronic diseases due to taking of adulterated foods has of late gone up to such an alarming level that some people have even stopped buying many essential nutritious foods and vegetables other than some basic food grains, for mere survival, that they assume are not adulterated. Mouthwatering looks: There is a special demand for fresh good-looking foods among customers and they are willing to pay extra just for the look. However, we need to be cautious because, Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) confirmed that wholesalers use several mechanisms to make foods attractive.In their study, it came out that in most cases the spices are mixed with brick dust, cumin is mixed with sawdust, and sugar syrup is added with honey to enhance the sweetness. Dishonest traders use a host of ingredients such as animal fat, palm oil, potato mash and vegetable oil to produce fake butter oil. In another study, the Food and Nutrition Institution, University of Dhaka6 have found alarming level of deadly bacteria like E-coli, Salmonella and Shigella bacteria in most of the restaurant food and street food in the city. Many street food vendors and restaurants recycle burnt cooking oil for frying food items.Once the oil is used for cooking, it becomes oxidized and its further use generates peroxide, which is very harmful for the human body. Endurance: It is a challenge to keep fresh produces, meats and fish for a longer time in Bangladesh. Most of the traders do not have freezing vans or climate control storage facility to ensure the quality of the food. However, many traders came up with unusual ideas to keep their products intact for longer tim e that pose a long-term health risk to the consumers. Restaurant owners use this technique to reduce their raw material purchasing cost.Often formaldehyde is sprayed to fruits and fishes to keep them fresh for longer duration. Some other examples of food adulteration Views about the proportion of adulterated food items on the market vary between 70 and 90 percent. More than 76 percent food items on the market were found adulterated in a random survey by Public Health Laboratory of Dhaka City Corporation in 2004. There are approximately 150 food items in the country, said SK Roy, a senior scientist at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B).Roy said that brick dust is applied in chili powder; urea is used to whiten rice and puffed rice; sawdust in loose tea; soap in Ghee; and artificial sweetener, coal tar, and textile dyes in sweetmeats. Formalin applied on fish, fruit, meat, and milk causes throat cancer, blood cancer, childhood asthma, and sk in diseases, he said. Poisonous coloring agents like aura mine, rhodomine B, malachite green, yellow G, allura red, and Sudan red applied on food items for coloring, brightness, and freshness — damage liver and kidney, and cause stomach cancer, asthma, and bladder cancer, said Roy.Coloring agents chrome, tartzine, and erythrosine are used in spices, sauces, juices, lentils, and oils — causing cancer, allergy, and respiratory problem. Calcium carbide may lead to cancer in kidney, liver, skin, prostate, and lungs. Rye flour used in barley, bread, and wheat flour contribute to convulsion and miscarriage. Hormone used in cauliflower causes infertility of women. Agino moto or monosodium glutamate used in Chinese restaurant food items cause nervous system disorder and depression. Urea put in puffed rice and rice causes nervous system damage and respiratory problem.Sulphuric acid used in milk for condensation causes damage to the cardiac system. Application of excessive and u nauthorized pesticides also cause contamination of food, he said adding that additives used for making food items attractive can be lethal if those are cancerous. However, some permitted preservatives, thickening agents, gelling agents, antioxidants, and stabilizers could be harmless if applied in appropriate quantity, said Roy. Food grains, vegetables, and fish also are contaminated by industrial pollution of the soil, air, and water, he said.Burnt engine oil is used to fry Jilapi, while artificial fragrance is applied on flours, said Khalil Ahmed, executive magistrate of Dhaka City Corporation, who operates a mobile court against adulterated foods in the capital. The consequences: The long-term consequences of consuming chemical treated food items will be devastating. The children would be the worst affected group among all if they eat chemical mixed food items. Formaldehyde causes various gastro-intestinal disorders if consumed for long.Most of the chemicals may result in long-te rm skin diseases, damage lungs and kidneys and some of them can develop cancers. BSTI revealed that about 1,000 drinking water factories exist in the country, only 400 of which have licenses from the BSTI. Bottlers of drinking water factories have mushroomed with little regard to compliance of standard or BSTI license. Despite BSTI cancelling the licenses of 139 bottling factories in the last 18 months, there has been news of setting up of new factories in new locations.The result: children and aged people are facing constant threat of diseases even with the bottled water produced by these factories. The awareness issue: The depressing part is that most of the traders or producers using chemicals in foods are not aware of its long-term impact on human body and surrounding environment. The only driver, which motivates them, is the additional income on sales. Many of them even do not know the name of the chemicals they are spraying on the foods to speed-up the ripening process. They j ust go to the pharmacy and they get the medicine without any permit.Besides, contaminated food once consumed does not result quickly in human body. Over time, these chemicals slowly turn a human body into an ideal host for deadly diseases and sometimes result in the development of cancer and other fatal diseases. Nevertheless, the government along with media is trying to improve the awareness condition with many activities. The most successful initiative to date was the anti adulteration drive led by a mobile court. This drive started back in 2007 with a team that included a magistrate, media partners and police.For two consecutive years, the drive was a success and the magistrate Rokon-Ud-Dowla became a celebrity. During that time, the mobile court unveiled most of the adulteration mechanisms used by traders and producers. Since the drive was not backed by a comprehensive plan; later when politically challenged; the effectiveness diluted eventually. Penalties The Pure Food Act 1959 that prosecutes offenders of food adulteration has a ludicrously low penalty of Tk. 200. In spite of the nominal fine, the amount realized from the mobile court drives has been enormous. In 2012, a vigilance team of National Consumers Right Protection Directorate has realized taka two lakh and six thousand as fine from different hotels, restaurants and fast food shops for selling adulterated and rotten foods in the International Trade Fair at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. * Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was sued in Dhaka due to its use of adulterated vegetable oil to prepare high cost food this year. Authority says KFC outlets of Dhaka and Chittagong have taken no step to maintain standard of foods though many of those were fined for sub-standard foods and unhygienic condition of their kitchens. On August 7, 2011, a mobile court for food in Chittagong found rotten vegetables and tomatoes in their (KFC’s) refrigerator, and found that their salad packets do not have information about th e compositions and nutrition facts. Later the court fined BDT 25,000, but said they are punishing minimally only to warn them, KFC should be careful about their quality. 11 BSTI sources revealed that it conducted 1,039 mobile courts across the country in seven months from July 2010 to February 2011 and detected rampant malpractice and adulteration in the food production centers. Some Tk. 23. million were realized as fine during the drives while 1,086 cases were filed and 66 people were sent to jail. 7 The Solution The best solution to reduce adulteration is transparency and regulation. If the process of food producers is exposed, they will be forced to provide the customers with good healthy and hygienic food. Some of the solutions could be: * Return of Mobile Court: As mentioned previously, the anti-adulteration mobile court led by Rokon-ud-Dawla was a huge success. It made the restaurants show their true face. The mobile court still exists and has recently found adulterated oil at a KFC outlet.However, many more small and large restaurants have such complaints against them. Therefore, the mobile court’s activity needs to be more widespread and regular. It may also be led by a permanent organization. With such activity restaurant owners will have to be aware about healthy food. * The Transparent Window: The transparent window is a concept where the customers will be able to see the kitchen of a restaurant to ensure hygiene. The kitchen should not be made completely open to public, as restaurants may not want to show their recipe. A completely open kitchen is also vulnerable to dust and therefore unhygienic.Therefore, every kitchen should have a large transparent window through which customers themselves will be able to judge whether the kitchen is hygienic enough. This will directly affect the restaurants as they always look forward to satisfying their customers. * Tax Cut: Restaurants should have an evaluation system governed by the monitoring/regulat ory committee. The current VAT rate for restaurants is 15%. If a restaurant gets a full-marks review from that committee the restaurant may be charged with a lesser VAT – say 12. 5%. This will be a great way to motivate restaurant owners to making healthy food.Owners will, to a certain extent, find healthy food a way to lower their price of food and thus be able to attract more customers. Conclusion Food adulteration has been a burning problem in Bangladesh since a few years. Especially after the initiation of the mobile court drive in 2007, widespread media attention has been given to the malpractices prevalent in the food industry. Although it seemed initially that the drive would bring fruitful results, the effort has sagged in recent times. Through revival of the mobile court drive, increase of transparency and motivation of food akers through tax benefit, we can hope to ensure that food will be kept in its own unadulterated form. —————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. Kurgan, P. & Wells, R. (2006). Economics, New York, Worth Publishers. [ 2 ]. Haque, M. M. (2009). Food adulteration by chemicals and diseases. The Financial Express. Retrieved from http://www. thefinancialexpress-bd. com/2009/07/31/74799. html [ 3 ]. Mass campaign to stop food adulteration. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. rdrsbangla. net/Resources/ContentFile/contentFile_4e82cdc5d1c17. pdf [ 5 ]. Yousuf, M. A. (2011).Nourishment or Toxin: A Critical Appraisal on the Food Adulteration Issue in Bangladesh (Part A). Business Innovation Facility. Retrieved from http://businessinnovationfacility. org/profiles/blogs/nourishment-or-toxin-a-critical-appraisal-on-the-food [ 6 ]. Food adulteration rings alarm bell. (2011). The Daily Star. Retrieved from http://www. thedailystar. net/newDesign/news-details. php? nid=198096 [ 7 ]. Khan, M. A. (2011). Rampant adulteration still a havoc. The Daily Star. Retr ieved from http://www. thedailystar. net/newDesign/news-details. php? nid=193429 [ 8 ].Amin, A. M. ; Rahman, A. S. ; Ahsan, S. ; Khan, I. H. (2004). Eating away our health. Star Weekend Magazine. 4(20). Retrieved from http://www. thedailystar. net/magazine/2004/11/01/cover. htm [ 9 ]. Consumers Rights Protection team realizes fine over Taka two lakh. (2012). Bangladesh Shangbad Shangstha. Retrieved from http://www1. bssnews. net/newsDetails. php? cat=0=223298$date=2012-01-26=2012-02-02 [ 10 ]. Jibon, S. I. (2012). KFC was sued in Bangladesh for using adulterated oil. Digital Journal. Retrieved from http://digitaljournal. com/blog/15050