Questions On Electronic Health Records - 1710 Words

NCBINCBI Logo Skip to main content Skip to navigation Resources How To About NCBI Accesskeys Sign in to NCBI PMC US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Search databaseSearch termSearch Limits Advanced Journal list Help Journal ListPerspect Clin Resv.6(2); Apr-Jun 2015PMC4394583 Logo of pclinres Perspect Clin Res. 2015 Apr-Jun; 6(2): 73–76. doi: 10.4103/2229-3485.153997 PMCID: PMC4394583 Ethical issues in electronic health records: A general overview Fouzia F. Ozair, Nayer Jamshed,1 Amit Sharma,2 and Praveen Aggarwal1 Author information ââ€" º Copyright and License information ââ€" º Go to: Abstract Electronic health record (EHR) is increasingly being implemented in many developing countries. It is the need of the hour because it improves the quality of health care and is also cost-effective. Technologies can introduce some hazards hence safety of information in the system is a real challenge. Recent news of security breaches has put a question mark on this system. Despite its increased usefulness, and increasing enthusiasm in its adoption, not much attention is being paid to the ethical issues that might arise. Securing EHR with an encrypted password is a probable option. The purpose of this article is to discuss the various ethical issues arising in the use of the EHRs and their possible solutions. Keywords: Confidentiality, electronic health record, paper record, security breaches Go to: INTRODUCTION An electronic health record (EHR) is a record of aShow MoreRelatedElectronic Medical Records770 Words   |  4 PagesElectronic medical records 2 Electronic medical records In today’s society, time is limited balancing professional and personal lives. People expect the quickest method of communication so they can get back to living their lives, without interruptions. E-mail, the Internet, and cellular phones make communication faster for people to get the information they need. 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With these different jobs and countless employees in the medical profession, there are plenty of patients to be cared for because everyone needs medical attention no matter if it is a broken arm or getting a tooth pulled, health care is a necessity. Patients come to the physician because of a problem that they are having and with that notion they are prepared to give full details of their problem. Giving information to the medical staff is a process that has to be doneRead MoreA Brief Note On The Electronic Health Record1470 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology in Nursing: The Electronic Health Record An electronic health record allows providers to access health records more readily and to optimize the health outcomes of their patients. Missouri implemented a program with the goal to help Primary care providers to achieve meaningful use of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) by March of 2012 (Missouri Health Information Technology Assistance Center). 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Title IV statesRead MoreProblems And Risks Of Electronic Health Records Essay956 Words   |  4 PagesShort Paper: Electronic Health Records In this assignment, you learn to identify and analyze the benefits, risks, and compliance issues associated with the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) in health care organizations of varying sizes. In your textbook, read Case 7C, Part 7: Information Security Governance and Regulatory Compliance. Answer the three discussion questions at the end of the section Information Sharing in Collaboration: Security and Privacy Threats. Discussion Questions 1. DiscussRead MoreWill The Ehr Increase Clinical Utility By Providing The Patients With Easy Data Accessibility?978 Words   |  4 Pagesallow users to see the course of disease in terms of activities and responsibilities? 3. Will the EHR allow users to monitor compliance in daily basis? 4. Will the EHR help in adjusting the course of chronic disease in a standardized program? These questions needs to be verified in order to establish the usefulness of the system. In short, when clinical simulation is to be carried out, the following steps can help in evaluation. Verbal orders include orders which are communicated verbally between physiciansRead MoreCommunication Modality Within Health Care805 Words   |  4 PagesCommunication is a must for a successful venture. Within health care, the modality for effective communication has grown in the last decade. In general, providers are creating processes to increase patient safety. In this paper, the author will converse on communication factors associated with Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). The paper will cover the benefits of electronic medical records, the value of confidentiality of an electronic medical record, communication effectiveness, modes of communication

Indian lit. in english Untouchable Essay Example For Students

Indian lit. in english Untouchable Essay Indian lit. in english paper The Untouchable by Mulk Raj AnandMulk Raj Anand, one of the most highly regarded Indian novelists writing in English, was born in Peshawar in 1905. He was educated at the universities of Lahore, London and Cambridge, and lived in England for many years, finally settling in a village in Western India after the war. His main concern has always been for the creatures in the lower depths of Indian society who once were men and women: the rejected, who has no way to articulate their anguish against the oppressors. His novels works have been translated into several world languages. Untouchable (1935)Coolie (1936)Two Leaves and a Bud (1937)The Village (1939)Across the Black Waters (1940)The Sword and the Sickle (1942)Private Life of an Indian Prince (1953)The Indelible Problem: Mulk Raj Anand and the Plight of UntouchabilityAndrew M. Stracuzzi The University of Western OntarioMulk Raj Anand, speaking about the real test of the novelist, once said:It may lie in the transformation of words into prophesy. Because, what is writer if he is not the fiery voice of the people, who, through his own torments, urges and exaltations, by realizing the pains, frustrations and aspirations of others, and by cultivating his incipient powers of expression, transmutes in art all feeling, all thought, all experience thus becoming the seer of a new vision in any given situation. (qtd. in Dhawn, 14)There is no question that Mulk Raj Anand has fashioned with Untouchable a novel that articulates the abuses of an exploited class through sheer sympathy in the traditionalist manner of th e realist novel He is, indeed, the fiery voice of those people who form the Untouchable caste. Yet if the goal of the writer, as Anand himself states, is to transform words into prophecy, then the readers struggle for meaning in the closing scenes of the novel become problematic and contestatory. It is reasonable to assume and as I would argue, it is implied that Anand has ventured to address a specific question with writing Untouchable; this is, how to alleviate the exploitation of the untouchable class in India? He then proceeds to address this question through the dramatization of Bahka, the novels central character. Having said this and taking into account Anands notion of the novel as prophesy I will argue that the author has failed to fully answer the question he has set before him. In fact, by posing such a question, the possibility of an altruistic solution becomes blurred. Furthermore, the three prophecies or solutions posited by the novel the rhetoric of the Christian Missionary, Mahatma Gandhi, and the poet Iqbal Nath Sarshar fail to present a prescription for freedom accessible to the untouchable community. In order to articulate the meaning of the last section of Untouchable fully, it is important to analyze the construction of Bahka, the protagonist, since his own distinct and honest, though often confusing, gaze objectifies his society. The last passage in the novel is an appropriate place to begin: he began to move. His virtues lay in his close-knit sinews and in his long breath sense. He was thinking of everything he had heard though he could not understand it all. He was calm as he walked along, though the conflict in his soul was not over, though he was torn between his enthusiasm for Gandhi and the difficulties in his own awkward naOve self(Untouchable). Anand chooses to close the final scene of his novel by appropriating the inner conflict of Bakha and juxtaposing enthusiasm with naivete. There seems to be an inherent, even subtle, irony in describing Bahka in this manner. On one hand, it carries a strong sense of hope, of self-awareness, of self-appropriation of the individual within the greater scheme of Hindu society There is a strong indication that what Bahka has endured throughout his days journey has had an enormous effect on the way he appropriates himself within his own culture The novel thus ends on a somewhat positive note, with the image of Bahka going home and telling actually vocalizing his story in the hopes that some sort of resolution, or at the very least, some emergence of understanding will occur. Conversely, though, Anand chooses to show him as naive. This is, perhaps, where the inherent problem lies within the text, the construction of Bahka himself. Though Bakha is a young protagonist (or perhaps, anti-protagonist), he is far from being an innocent child. Yet he is constructed with such a damming perception of innocence an uneducated victim of his communitys frustration that he does not fit into the confines of a traditional hero. This is primarily because for him there is no solid gratification or inner resolution gained by the obstacles he is faced with during his day. Furthermore, as E.M. Forester point outs in the novels preface, the reader has every indication that the next day, and the day after that, will be identical to the first. If anything, then, his only heroism lies in his ability to survive the actual days events; but that too is circumstantial. His survival does not rely so much on his inner strength as an individual, but rather it is dependent on the actio n of the others that surround him, namely those individuals of higher caste standing. It is a character like Charat Singh, for example, that determines his survival depending on the degree of pity he is willing to dispense at any particular moment. Anand creates a character in search of his own identity within the very structure that has eliminated the possibility of him having one. The conflict within Bakha is demonstrated repeatedly throughout the text, yet it is in the opening pages of the novel that the reader identifies with Bakhas search for an identity. Bakha clearly has trouble accepting the identity allotted to him at birth. He has a desire to be like the Tommies he sees throughout his village. The narrator tell us that the Tommies had treated him as a human being and he had learnt to think of himself as superior to his fellow-outcasts (9). He attempts to adopt the fashun of the Tommies, becoming possessed with an overwhelming desire to live their life (11). He naively assu mes that the mere adoption of the outward sings of a Sahib will garner him respect. He proceeds through his day wearing the trousers of one of the Tommies, but this assertion of identity fails to produce the desired result. Instead, Bakha looks silly a mere amusement for others to caste their petty jokes and insults. C.D. Narasimhaiahs The Swan and the Eagle maintains that Bakha is desperately trying to escape the connotations the title of the novel asserts over his identity. Bakhas desire to imitate the Tommies is important because he can preserve his identity only to the extent that he can be conscious of his superiority(112). However, Anand quickly dispels Bakhas consciousness of superiority when Bakha comes to the realization that except for the English clothing there was nothing English in his life(12). Narasimhaiah further articulates that in the numerous episodes which he puts his character through, the novelist tries to give him his identity in the very act of our witnessin g the world deny it to him or to those around us(113). Purchasing A Small Business EssayThe representations of both Gandhi and the poet proves also confusing alternatives for Bakha. On the one hand, Gandhi articulates that the plight of untouchability is both a moral and religious issue. He regards untouchability as the greatest blot on Hinduism(146) and asserts that it is satanic to assume anyone in Hinduism is born polluted. Gandhi then recounts the story of a Brahmin boy and a sweeper in his ashram and attempts to show understanding for the sweeper; he feels that if the Brahmin wanted the ashram sweeper to do his work well he must do it himself and set an example(148). Yet this action, while appearing to be sympathetic and understanding, only undermines the very existence of an untouchable because it assumes that the untouchable is incapable of doing such menial work well. Further, it implies and confirms an existing hierarchy of power between the untouchable and other high-caste Hindus because it suggests that they must be taught t o be untouchables, which only perpetuates the cycle of oppression. Gandhi then proceeds to criticize the Untouchables by saying that they have to cultivate habits of cleanliness, that they must get rid of their evil habits such as drinking liquor, gambling and eating carrion. They must, as Gandhi says, cease to accept leavings form the plates of high-caste Hindus, however clean they may be represented to be(148). In essence, he advocates emancipation by purification. Yet there is an inherent dichotomy in Gandhis rhetoric because the existing system does not allow for the untouchables to become purified primarily because their fundamental existence is rooted in the profession of filth. It is as Bakha says to his father, they think we are mere dirt because we clean their dirt(79). Anand, although an avid follower of Gandhi, has Bakha question the Mahatmas speech: but now, now the Mahatma is blaming us. That is not fair! He wanted to forget the last passages that he had heard(148). Th is suggests, perhaps, that Anands view of Gandhi and his political rhetoric cannot be idealized because it too contains elements of oppression. Anand then proceeds to offer his last possible solution to the alleviation of untouchability. Through the poet Iqbal Nath Sarshar, Anand takes the chance to expressing his own Marxist inclinations: well, we must destroy caste, we must destroy the inequalities of birth and unalterable vocations. We must recognize an inequality of rights, privileges and opportunities for everyone (155). He advocates that a change in profession will free the Untouchables and the way to achieve this change is through the implementation of a flush system. William Walsh believes that this last option is most favored by Anand, but admits the obvious complexities in describing the change in this way: He (Anand) is a committed artist, and what he is committed to is indicated by Bakhas mockery in Untouchable: greater efficiency, dictatorship of the sweepers, Marxian m aterialism and all that. Yes, yes, is the reply, all that, but no catch-words and cheap phrases, the change will be organic and not mechanicalHow clearly this kind of thing confirms Anands deficiencies as a thinker and the capacity of his Marxist enthusiasms to glide gaily across the most deeply entrenched differences. This, together with his furious indignation, unself-critical ideology and habit of undue explicitness, make him a writer whose work has to be severely sieved Indian Literature in English, 61. Walsh, here, pinpoints effectively the inherent dangers of relying solely on a Marxist approach to the resolution of untouchabilty. Clearly social rebellion is a viable option, but the closest Anand comes to articulating a traditional Marxist revolution in India is masked, even distorted, in the figure of the poet. Here, Anand only skims the surface of its possibilities; introducing the concept in the very last pages of his novel only weakens the poets arguments because neither the main protagonist nor the reader has enough time to fully conceptualize its implications. Perhaps I have shown an undue harshness in criticizing Anand? However, my purpose here is not to diminish his talent as a writer, for he is, in fact, an amazingly articulate, though-provoking novelist with considerable power. The difficulties of alleviating the stigma of untouchabilty are far too complex for one man alone to tackle, and his novel does serve as a catalyst for change. Nevertheless, as a critical response to the novels implications, I must argue that Anand has failed to convincingly advocate the ending of untouchablity through the choices presented to the protagonist Bakha. His failure in achieving this goal lies not so much in any form of ineptness of his three solutions they are clearly alternatives however, the fault lies in the implied assumption of these choices. All three choices remove the ability of an oppressed and exploited minority to free himself from his own oppression. Clearly Bakha is a rebellious individual within, yet the stifling of this rebellious nature only further asserts the inability of untouchables to free themselves; this is in effect the classical post-colonial conundrum. This challenge is brilliantly captured as previously noted by E.H. McCormick in response to what he believes is the post-colonial condition, and which I have adopted here to epitomize the dilemma of the untouchables by Matthew Arnold in Stanzas from the Grand Chartreuse:Wandering between two worlds, one dead, The other powerless to be born,With nowhere to rest my head,Like these, on earth I wait forlorn (85-90). What else is Bakha but this wandering figure amongst the flowing flux of oppression? He is clearly disenchanted by the confines that the class-system has imposed on him and attempts to appropriate himself amongst the ruling English-class. This produces, in effect, a state of double alienation. As a result, he is both rejected from his own culture, and repelled by the other. Bakha, therefore, exists on the periphery of both worlds. But as Fo rster suggests and what I believe Anand seems to conclude is that on the surface of the earth if not in the depths of the sky, a change is at hand(Untouchable, viii.). Works CitedAnand, Mulk Raj. Untouchable. London: Penguin, 1940. Dhawan, R.K., ed. The Novels of Mulk Raj Anand. New York: Prestige, 1992. . Saros Cowasjee. Anands Literary Creed. 13-18. . R.T. Roberston. Untouchable as an Archetypal Novel. 98-104. Narasimhaiah, C.D. The Swan and the Eagle. Delhi: Motilal, 1987. Walsh, William. Indian Literature in English. London: Longman, 1990.

Movie Review The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud Essay Example

Movie Review: The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud Essay The movie The Name of the Rose was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and released in the year 1986. It is based on a book of the same title by Umberto Eco. The film is co-produced by Bernd Eichinger, Franco Cristaldi and others; and its screenplay is handled by the quartet of Andrew Birkin, Gerard Brach, Howard Franklin and Alain Godard. The music is handled by James Hornner. Produced with a budget of $17 millions, the film grossed four times this amount. Set in Medieval Europe, this murder mystery revolves around the character of Willam of Baskerville, played by Sean Connery. The storyline spans events during the course of one week in 14th Century Northern Italy. In the wake of a mysterious death at the Benedictine Abbey, the Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his aide Adso of Melk arrive at the scene to conduct investigations. The body of the young illuminator Adelmo was found under a tower window which is sealed permanently. While speculations circulate about the death being an act of the Devil, William infers that it was not murder but a suicide. The next day, the Greek translator Venantius is found dead near his library, lying suspended in a vat of pig’s blood. Upon investigations within the library and clues gathered therein, William and Adso have an audience with the Abbott an inform him of their deductions. The chief suspect for these deaths, William asserts, is the library assistant Berenger. But there is more to the mystery than the series of deaths, for further probes inside the library unravel great hidden secrets that could embarrass and topple Christian authority over the masses. The intrigue and the suspense intensifies as further evidences and events unfold, leading to a gripping climax and ending. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The books in the library are special significance to the plot and substance of the movie. It is suggested by William early into his investigation that notes and translation to the Greek version of a book is found on the desk of Venantius. And later during the investigations of the library, he discovers invaluable collections of ancient wisdom, including such Greek luminaries as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, etc. The Abbott and the institution of Church would not be pleased upon learning of this discovery, for this ancient wisdom is more sophisticated than what is found in the Holy Bible. More importantly, that such wisdom could emanate from Pagan worshippers such as the ancient Greeks would undermine the authority of Christian theologians in Medieval Europe. Considering all these potential threats to their power and privilege, the presence of these books in the hidden library has been kept a tightly held secret. And attempts to crack open its access points are what sets up the cen tral plot of the story. Hence, the books and the secret library containing them are central to the narrative. The message to be gathered from this story is rather discouraging. Authority figures usually tend to act brutally and ruthlessly in suppressing dissenting voices and views. And this was the case in The Name of the Rose too, where the content of Aristotle’s book on Poetics is seen as potentially subversive to Christian authority and hence secretly guarded from mass access. And most the deaths and chaos occurring in the movie is directly attributable to this virulent tendency of authoritative institutions. More depressingly, it suggests that those expressing alternative viewpoints and beliefs can be subject to dire consequences. Pan-European revolutions of 1830 manifested in different forms in different regions. In Netherlands and France they took a romantic hue, whereas in Poland and Switzerland the impact on the political establishment was less pronounced. In the United Kingdom of Netherlands and in France, the impact of the revolution was to establish constitutional monarchies (also called commonly as ‘popular monarchies’). This meant that the older aristocratic order was dismantled and republicanism was given a new thrust. For example, prior to the revolution, the king held dominion over his country through the mandate of God. His reference as the King of France testified this fact. But after the revolution, his title was changed to King of the French, indicating how his authority is derived from the collective will of the citizens. Likewise, in Belgium, King Leopold I took to the throne under the reconfigured political arrangement. At the same time in Congress Poland the revolt against the .

The Good Times are Killing Me

The Good Times are Killing Me If you are looking for a compelling play for a young mixed-race cast, you may want to take a look at The Good Times are Killing Me by Lynda Barry. This play, published in 1993, offers two strong female roles in which teenagers can play teenagers  and a multiplicity of issues to discuss with cast and crew during rehearsals and with audiences in talkbacks. Format This is a two-act play, but it is unusual in that it is comprised of 36 short scenes or vignettes- 26 in Act One and 10 in Act 2. The story is adolescent Edna Arkins’s story. She is the main character and she appears in every scene; she breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the audience before, during, and after interacting with the other characters. Each vignette has a title like RECORD PLAYER NIGHT CLUB or BEST FRIENDS that communicates the essence of the scene. The scenes- some only a half page long, some three pages long- reveal the story of friendship between two adolescent girls- one white and one black- in mid-1960s America. One vignette flows into the next creating a collection of scenes that reveal the difficulties of coming of age in the midst of family heartaches, personal growing pains, and racial prejudices. Cast Size There are roles for 16 females and 8 males. Broken down by race, the play calls for 10 white females and 6 black females, and 3 white males and 5 black males. Doubling in roles is possible, resulting in an overall minimal cast size of 16. Roles Edna Arkins: A white 12-13 year-old girl who lives with her family in a house on a city street that has slowly become integrated Lucy Arkins: Edna’s younger sister Edna’s Parents and Extended Family: Mom, Dad, Uncle Don, Aunt Margaret, Cousin Steve, and Cousin Ellen Bonna Willis: A black 12-13 year-old girl who recently moved into Edna’s neighborhood Bonna’s Parents and Extended Family: Mom, Dad, younger brother Elvin, and Aunt Martha Recurring Minor Roles: Two black teenagers named Earl and Bonita, and Cousin Ellen’s friend Sharon Ensemble: There are multiple scenes that would be enhanced by friends, neighbors, classmates, and other people. There are also several small roles- a teacher, a mother, a pastor, a Girl Scout leader and her daughter. Set and Costumes Most action occurs on the porches, street, yards, and kitchens of Edna’s and Bonita’s houses. Other settings are Edna’s basement, a campsite, a meeting room, a tough neighborhood, a church, and a school hallway. These can easily be suggested with lighting or a few moveable small set pieces. The time period of this play is critical to the story, so the costumes need to be early 1960s American clothing- mostly casual and inexpensive-looking. Music Songs and singing occur throughout this production, providing mood, underscoring emotions and actions, and contextualizing the story in 1960s urban America. Much of the singing occurs with the records that the characters play; some singing is a capella. The script identifies the precise songs and provides lyrics within the text or in an appendix. Content Issues Much of the content and language of this play seems so innocent given the 20-plus years since its opening night and its setting of 50-plus years ago. Even so, it’s worth noting that the play deals with marital infidelity, racial discrimination (One of Edna’s lines mentions the â€Å"No Negro Kids Can Come in Our House Rule.), and the accidental drowning of Bonna’s brother. The language is relatively tame, but the dialogue does include the words   Ã¢â‚¬Å"ass,† â€Å"boodie,† â€Å"pimp,† â€Å"butt,† and the like. There is, however, no profanity. Lynda Barry also published this story as a 144-page novel with Edna as the narrator. If you would like to hear Lynda Barry talk about her life work, please visit Accessing the Imaginary. Here is a video trailer of a high school production of the play.

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Corporate finance - Essay Example Last, the third objective is to maintain a dividend payout ratio of 40%. The objective is suitable because it helps prevent agency problems and respond to the investors’ preference to certain earnings (dividends). The cash flow analysis indicates a strong financial position of the company. In addition, the financial plan takes into consideration the shareholders’ interest of wealth maximizing through payment of high dividends. Food for life, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, operates locally. The company was established 25 years ago and since its establishment, it has been providing services to various customers such as schools, colleges, hospitals, businesses and retirement homes. The company faces strong competition from only one company, the Organic Foods. Its rival company is a much larger and has expanded into various international markets. The establishment of Food-For-Life was made by two young women who currently own 75% of shares, whereas, the other 25% of shares are owned by a venture capital firm. The end of the financial year 2014 is on the horizon and the customary board meeting is expected any time. Among the most critical issues to be discussed during the board meeting are the company’s objectives. The following are the three objectives to be reviewed during the meeting: first, the company wishes to maintain the company’s profit margin of around 24%. Second, the company seeks to uphold the current strong financial position. Last, in order to satisfy the interest of the shareholders, the company is planning to maintain the current dividend payout ratio of 40%. In addition, the company anticipates an increase in the sales levels to  £ 270 million in 2015,  £ 310 million in 2016 and  £ 350 million in 2017. However, the sales growth rate is expected to be zero for the subsequent years. Based on the company’s financial objectives and other

Xuanzangs Heart Sultra Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Xuanzangs Heart Sultra - Essay Example The first part focuses on the Heart Sultra and on the reasons why the Heart Sultra is so important to the Chinese Buddhism. This part will cover the main differences among the different branches of Chinese Buddhism, before and after the Heart Sultra. The second part of the paper looks at the changes in Chinese Buddhism that came after the Xuanzang’s Heart Sultra; this part looks at how the Heart Sultra affected the Chinese Buddhism. This part of the paper also looks at the reasons why the Heart Sultra is different from other Sultras and why it caused so many changes in the Chinese Buddhism. The last part, i.e. the third part of the paper looks at how the Heart Sultra affects the modern world Chinese Buddhism. This part focuses on how the Heart Sultra has influenced the beliefs and the worldview of the modern Chinese Buddhism. Let us begin by looking at the Heart Sultra and the reasons why the Heart Sultra is so important to the Chinese Buddhism. For the better understanding of the importance of the Heart Sultra in Chinese Buddhism, it is important to look at the Heart Sultra in the context of Buddhism holy literature. In Buddhism, there is a vast of religious literature or Buddhist scriptures; there are indeed thousands of holy literature in Buddhism. For this reason, it is impossible for any individual to read and to master all the important Buddhist literature. Buddhist Holy Scriptures is referred to as Sultras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali). Heart Sultra, therefore, is one of the many sultras of Buddhism.

Private military contractors Essay Example for Free

Private military contractors Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Private military contractors, also known as private security contractors provide a number of different services for the UN military in Iraq.   Various services include the preparation of meals, navigating army supply vehicles, military training and security for US officials.   Some private military contractors also provide interrogation and translating services for the US military. Contractors providing this service in particualr have been suspected of a number of human rights abuses at the Abu Ghraid Prison.   Other activities by private military contractors have raised issues about humanitarian conerns and the abuse of womren’s rights.    There are currently at least 100 private military contractors in Iraq.[1]   This discussion looks at the unique role of private military companies in Iraq and examines their impact on the rights of women. Private Military Companies in Iraq   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US military and the State Department spends billions of dollars on private security contractors in Iraq.[2] These contractors according to the Washington Post are: â€Å"Out of public view, have been engaged in a parallel surge, boosting manpower, adding expensive armor and stepping up evasive action as attacks increase.†[3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The primary goal is to â€Å"offset chronic troop shortage† and the number of invidual contractors are between 20,000 and 30,000.[4]   David Isenberg in a report by the British American Security Information Council published on September 4, 2004 maintains that it is impossible to accurately account for the number of private military companies currently in Iraq.   This is because only PMC’s whose contracts exceed $50 million are required â€Å"to be reported to Congress.†[5]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Isenberg complains that the legal status of private military companies is especially problematic since there is no real provision in International law to account for their role and definition.[6] While many view the private military personnel as mercenaries, they do not fit the definition of mercenry within the meaning of the Geneva Convention.[7]   Article 47 describes a mercenary as an idividual who takes part in military combat and is not a national and: is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party.[8]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Conachy however, refers to these private military personnel as â€Å"modern-day mercenaries.†[9]   Conachy aligns their physical presence with their abstract presence.   While they are by and large not subjected to transparency and legal accountability in the traditional sense they operate out of uniform and from â€Å"unmarked vehicles†.[10]   They go about their business in this manner while â€Å"manning roadblocks, or stalking outstide building, with machine guns.†[11] As a result, the private militaray presence in Iraq has â€Å"become an ubiquitous and offensive symbol of the US occupation.†[12]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conachy maintains that the need for private military presence in Iraq is obviated by the bredth of US military deployment overseas following the September 11 terrorist attacks.   Without the use of private military companies the US would be compelled to send more troops to Iraq from an already depleted armed force or would have to seriously consider â€Å"reviving the military draft.†[13] It is obvious from this assessment of the single purpose of the private military that distinguishes them from the Article 47 definition of mercenary.   Mercenaries are not aligned to a paritcular party and obviously the private military contractors are aligned to the US and are used to facilitate the US military’s shortfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following description of private military duties takes them well outside of Article 47’s definition of mercenary: â€Å"Far more than in any other conflict in United States history, the Pentagon is relying on private security companies to perform crucial jobs once entrusted to the military.†[14] It is clear that private military companies are not in actual combat.   Mercernaries, according to the Geneva Convetions are actively fighting . Human Rights Concern and Women   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an article published in the Guardian, Luke Harding explains that the full extent of abuse toward women by all sectors of the military in Iraq will not be fully known.   This is primarily because Islamic women rarely discuss violations of a sexual nature.   Rape, Harding maintains is a symbol of shame in the muslim world   and â€Å"victims can be killed to salvage family honour.†[15] The most shocking incidents of abusive treatment of women originate from the Abu Ghraib jail which was primarily manned by private military personnel.[16] Accroding to Patrap Chatterjee the private military’s role at the Abu Ghraib jail was one of interrogation which brought them into more frequent contact with the prisoners than other jail personnel.[17]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The International Committee of the Red Cross reported that in October 2003 there were approximately thirty female prisoners in the Abu Ghraib jail.[18]   According to prison personnel, that number was reduced to five by May of 2004.[19]   The Internation League for Peace and Freedom had documented some eye witness accounts of abuse at the Abu Ghraid jail.   One such account was given to Iman Khamas who heads the International Occupation Watch Center, a private organization that collects anti-human rights information.   The account came from a former prisoner who told Khamas of a rape incident at the jail.   Khamas reports that the prisoner recalls that: â€Å"†¦ the prisoner said her cellmate had been rendered unconscious for 48 hours. ‘She claimed she had been raped 17 times in one day by Iraqi police in the presence of American soldiers.’[20]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another report originated from Mohammed Daham al-Mohammed who heads an Iraqi group, the Union of Detainees and Prisoners.   According to a-Mohammed he was informed of a â€Å"mother of four† who had been arrested in December of 2003 and killed herself after being raped by US guards who forced her husband to watch while incarcerated at the Abu Ghraib jail.[21]    According to the woman’s sister the rape victim committed suicide.[22] The victim had told her sister of incidents of physical abuse outside of the rape.   In one account she recalled a American male pulling her by the hair and forcing her to look at her husband while the American took off her clothing.   After this incident the rape took place.   Once released, the woman was afraid to face her husband since he had witnessed the rape and asked her sister to help her commit suicide.[23]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A former male prisoner reported incidents where women were constantly removed from their cells to private rooms.   The prisoner explains: They had to pass in front of our tent and cried out, Find a way to kill us.[24] Human Rights groups explain that rape for a Muslim woman shames the entire family which is why these women would rather die having suffered a rape.[25] Khamas recalls an incident in which she visited a woman at the Abu Ghraid jail and a female prisoner told her about a rape, but whispered in her ear despite the fact that no one else was present.[26]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Khamas, Mohommed and Hoda Nuaimi, a professor in politics at Baghdad University report that: â€Å"†¦three young rural women from the Sunni Muslim region of Al-Anbar, west of Baghdad, had been killed by their families after coming out of Abu Ghraib pregnant.Nuaimi said that in the case of another such woman, who was four months pregnant, her brother had been reluctant to kill his sister because he considered her a victim.†[27]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding reports that the first information about abuse of female victims at the Abu Ghraib jail, a US facility first came to light by a note smuggled out of the prison by a female prisoner.[28]   In the note the woman claimed that women were being raped by US personnel and many of them had become pregnant.   The note also begged the Iraqis to â€Å"bomb the jail to spare the women further shame.†[29]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Swadi, a female lawyer among seven representing the female detainees indicated that the abuse was not limited to the Abu Ghraib jail and was happening all over Iraq.[30] The shame associated with rape and the consequence for family disgrace were evident in the following account from a female prisoner at al-Kharkh, a US military base: She was the only woman who would talk about her case. She was crying. She told us she had been raped†¦Several American soldiers had raped her. She had tried to fight them off and they had hurt her arm. She showed us the stitches. She told us, We have daughters and husbands. For Gods sake dont tell anyone about this.’†[31]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding also reports that an investigation conducted by the US Military which was headed by Major General Antonio Taguba confirmed the contents of the note smuggled out of the Abu Ghraib facility.   Moreover, digital photographs, according to Tajuba’s findings also depitcted US personnel engaging in sexual contact â€Å"with and Iraqi woman.†[32] Tajuba’s investigation also found videotapes of nude female prisoners.[33]   There are additional photographs of Iraqi women being forced at gun point to â€Å"bare their breasts.†[34] While these photographs have been relased to Congress they have not been released to the public.[35]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In May of 2004: â€Å"an Iraqi woman in her 70s had been harnessed and ridden like a donkey at Abu Ghraib and another coalition detention centre after being arrested last July.†[36] UK Labor Member of Parliament Ann Clwyd investigated the incident and confirmed that it was in fact true.   The Iraqi elderly woman had been held without charge for at least three weeks during which time â€Å"she was told that she was a donkey.†[37]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Luke Harding explains the devastating consequences for female rape victims which only accentuates the abuse involved.   According to Harding: â€Å"Honour killings are not unusual in Islamic society, where rape is often equated with shame and where the stigma of being raped by an American soldier would, according to one Islamic cleric, be unbearable. The prospects for rape victims in Iraq are grave; it is hardly surprising that no women have so far come forward to talk about their experiences in US-run jails where abuse was rife until early January.†[38]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the time of writing, Harding describes another incident of physical and mental abuse agianst female detainees in Iraq in which the private military personnel are activiely involved.   Five women, according to Harding were being held in â€Å"solitary confinement† in cells measuring just 2.5 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width at Abu Ghraib.[39] Captain Dave Quantock who was then in charge of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib told journalists that all female prisoners at Abu Ghraib are kept â€Å"in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day.†[40]   The only entertainment the women are allowed is access to the Koran.[41]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mystery surrounds the grounds upon which the five females in solitary confinement are held.   The general term used is that they are held as â€Å"security detainees.†[42] Swabi maintains that these women are being held â€Å"for who they were married to and their potential intelligence value.†[43] Be that as it may, the degree of abusse cannot be justified.   Under both US and International laws the cruel and inhuman treatement of prisoners at anytime is unlawful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International humanitarian laws contained in the Geneva Conventions 1949 of which the United States ratified since 1955 requires that during times of war and peace all prisoners are to be treated humanly.[44] More over the Geneva Convention IV specifically prohibits rape and indecent assault on women.   Article 27 provides as follows: â€Å"Women shall be especially protected against any attack on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitutiOn, or any form of indecent assault.†[45]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Judicth Gail Gardam and Hillary Charlesworth argue that women have always been at risk of violence in armed conflict.   Although the emphasis has always been on sexual violence there have been other forms of violence against women.   Gardam and Charlesworth note that the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action called for governments worldwide to map out plans for combatting: â€Å"the effects of armed or other kind of conflict on women, including those living under foreign occupation.†[46] The Iraqi conflict and occupation and the violence against women is therefore nothing new.   What is perhaps more surprising is the fact that it could happen in light of international laws and attention to violence against women in the past. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An irony arises out of these reports.   The US invasion has been called â€Å"operation Iraqi freedom† which presupposes a vastly humanitarian effort.   Yet in the course of fighting for Iraqi freedom, those sent to fight for the cause have added to the problem.   Roger Normand alleges that the US personnel in Iraq are: â€Å"†¦violating almost every law intended to protect civilians living under foreign military occupation.[47] While many of   these crimes are being committed by private military companies,   the world at large and the Iraqi populace draw no distinction between the US soldiers and the security companies employed by them to help the cause. The private military and security personnel are agents of the US government and as such the US government is vicariosuly liable for the misconduct of the private miliatary contractors.   As long as they are permitted to continue working with and for the military and as long as they continue to violate international law particularly article 27 of the fourth Geneva Convention, the US must take responsibility for the ills committed by them.   They cannot take the benefit without the burden.    Bibliography Center for Economic and Social Rights.(n.d.) â€Å"New Report Documents Extensive U.S. War Crimes In Iraq†. Available online at: http://www.ccmep.org/2004_articles/iraq/061104_CESR.htm Retrieved December 11 2007 Chatterjee, Pratap. (May 12, 2004) â€Å"Private Contractors and Torture at Abu Ghraib, Iraq.† Democracy Now. Available online at: http://www.democracynow.org/2004/5/12/private_contractors_and_torture_at_abu Retrieved December 11, 2007 Conachy, Jamers. (May 3, 2004) â€Å"Private Military Companies in Iraq: Profiting from Colonialism.†International committee of the Fourth Amendment. Available online at: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/may2004/pmcs-m03.shtml Retrienved December 11, 2007 Fainaru, Steve. (June 16, 2007) â€Å"Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War: As Security Work Increase, So do Casualties.† Washington Post Gardam, Judith, Gail and Charlesworth, Hillary. (Feb. 2000) â€Å"Protection of Women in Armed Conflict†. Human Rights Quarterly Vol. 22 No. 1 pp 148-166 Geneva Convention Harding, Luke. (May 12, 2004)† Focus Shifts to Jail Abuse of Women.† The Guardian. Harding, Luke. (May 20, 2004) â€Å"Rape in Iraq: The other prisoners.† The Guardian. Isenberg, David. (Sept. 4, 2004) â€Å"A Fistful of Contractors: A Case For a Pragmatic Assessment of Private Military Companies in Iraq.† British American Security Information Council, Research Report. Kabbara, Rouba. (May, 29, 2004) â€Å"Human Rights Groups: Iraqi Women Raoed at Abu Ghraib Jail.† Peace Women Available online at: http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Iraq/May04/Women%20in%20Prison.html   Retrieved Deember 10 2007