Chronic pain management- article critique Lab Report

Chronic pain management- article critique - Lab Report Example 225, par 1). Health-related quality of life (HQRL) indicating individual’s state of physical and mental health and coping, pain intensity, HQRL, and patient satisfaction could be assessed in response to a multidisciplinary pain management program in order to examine whether these are amenable to change (p. 225, par 1). In the purpose statement, the multidisciplinary pain management program is the independent variable, and the pain intensity, coping strategy, and HQRL are dependent variables, and they have been clearly identified. The population identified includes a wide range of patients who have chronic pain symptoms, and the authors identifies significance of the study in terms of the need of development of a multidisciplinary pain management program that accommodates biophysical, psychosocial, and emotional aspects of chronic pain and treatment of them in a holistic manner. The author proposes to examine further to see if there is any positive change in pain symptoms after introduction of the proposed therapy in terms of coping, HQRL, and pain symptoms so a rehabilitative care plan can be developed. The literature review guides a reader for a possible treatment program for pain and rehabilitation that would call for a multidisciplinary approach to improve coping strategies and health-related quality of life (p. 225, par 1). The mechanism of coping as a cognitive-behavioral adjustment has been reviewed in detail. The rationale is well supported by evidence from literature that HRQL is considered to be an important outcome of interventions in chronic conditions like pain. Adequate conceptual definitions have been provided as derived from the literature (p. 225, par 2). For this, the authors have cited many specific references, 37 in all, all of them are direct. For example, they have cited the basic concept of modern

Trafficking Of African Women and Girls Essay Example for Free

Trafficking Of African Women and Girls Essay Part 1: Problem: Human trafficking tarnishes the global scene today, as slavery used to decades ago. The women and girls are vulnerable to exploitation within the country as well as out of the country. The trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is a big business. The horrific experiences of migrant women and girls, who have very little choice or control over their lives is a sad tale. Women are made to work in extremely exploitive conditions of sexual exploitation, forced to risky practices, high levels of exposure to HIV, threat, violence and even murder. The trafficking of women is th third largest profit making business which runs in the form of organized crime. It is just little behind the practices in the field of drug deals and arms deals. Human trafficking denotes business with human souls and spirit, which is inhuman. Africa needs to establish stronger laws against trafficking of women and girls, supported by Commonwealth, Amnesty International, Human Rights and other world forums. International Law under the rules defined by human rights with the support of United Nations, needs to play a very proactive role in safeguarding and protecting the victims who have been subjected to trafficking. The doctrine of International law needs to be more defined to help and support individual within the state rather than the protection of the state alone. In the past â€Å"International Law was notorious for the ease with which it sanctioned violence against non-western people† (Bal Krishnan Rajagopal, 2003.p.11) in the colonial set-up. The advocates of International Law should avoid the previous path of resistance to interfere in the issues related to domestic events and violence. Rather it should actively get involved to address such issues and help the government and the local bodies take effective steps to control such problem. The law enforcement authorities need to put together an effective plan to ensure safety and forced exploitation. The cross border laws need to get tighter so that loopholes may not be wrongfully used by people to migrate across borders illegally for better prospects and then being exploited to prostitution and forced labor. The universal definition of trafficking as formulated by Human Rights can be briefed in this summary and statement. It defines trafficking in persons as the employment, carrying, transfer, possession or delivery of persons, by the use of intimidation or compulsion in which some kind of kidnapping, cheating, deceit, oppression and exploitation is used. It further states that any exchange (giving or receiving) of expenses in the form of payment or profit to induce a person to give consent in the situation when a person is having control over the other person, for the deceptive purpose of exploitation ( even if the person has given consent) comes under the practice of trafficking. Exploitation has been further expanded to define exploitation for the purpose of prostitution which means sexual exploitation in various models. It also includes forced labor of services, slavery or practices similar to slavery in some form of servitude. This definition has been formulated as the draft of the international definition of trafficking so that there is universal understanding with clear guidelines which can help identify the problem of trafficking in different regions and different communities. This can help prevent, stop and punish the trafficking persons especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. (Raymond and Hughes, 2001) The international recognition of a common definition would help come to uniform legal action taken against the perpetrators so that effective law and enforcement can be executed. Some of the key questions which have been addressed are who are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation whether it is across borders or within countries, with or without their consent, through force, fraud, deception or abuse of the victim who is vulnerable. Human trafficking is what leads to prostitution, so any measures taken to make anti-trafficking policies should take into consideration the issue of organized prostitution and domestic trafficking. Human Rights legislation against trafficking must apply to the international as well as domestic women across the platform. (Raymond and Hughes, 2001) Human trafficking is one of the most inhuman and harsh crimes which give rise to innumerable victims, mostly young women and girls, who are forced into prostitution or forced labor. They have to live their everyday life under threat, violence and captivity with no hope and no direction as to where there life will lead. This is a life worst than an animal. Most of the exploiters are men or sometimes women who have been through such abuse themselves. Mostly this results from a rosy dream to have a better life, a financial burden, acute poverty and abuse. Human trafficking is mostly an underground activity involved in providing sexual services to legitimate clubs, brothels and agencies. The most unique aspect of this type of trade is that in this case a human body is traded instead of commodity. (2006) Part 2 International Law:Migration It is very urgent to recognize that women rights should be applied universally to grant women equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity like all other deserving human beings. These rights and principles are enshrined in international instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1993). This resolution will strengthen the process to address that violence against women is an obstacle in achieving equality, development and peace, so serious strategies need to be implemented to fight violence and abuse and exploitation against women. Most of the women who entered United States came on tourist visas and overstayed their visas. Sometimes they would use fraudulent travel documents. Some of the legal means by which they entered United States were on spousal visas, student visa, and work permit and on rare occasion with an immigration green card. These variety of different ways in which a person can enter another country, are major loopholes which are used by the traffickers to be successful in their mission. It requires more strict check on the part of the law enforcement and immigration officials. The success of the trafficker is often supported by the network of the local legitimate businesses such as hotels, bars, travel agencies which flourish as the result pf cooperation and corruption of the immigration and law enforcement agents worldwide (Raymond and Hughes, 2001). Trafficking flourishes for the major part because the victims want to migrate to a particular country other than their own for innumerable reasons. This requires cooperation and great deal of border crossing from one country to another. It is greatly affected by the demand and the supply, as determined by the current wave. The demand and the supply aspect of human commodity has not always been the same. Over last twenty years four waves have been seen to influence the migrants heading to Europe. The first wave was characterized by women from Far East, especially from the Philippines and Thailand, this was immediately followed by the second wave of women originating from Latin America, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, the third wave consisted of women from Africa, and in particular Ghana and Nigeria followed in nineties by women from Ukraine and Moldova. (2006). Most of the trafficking groups have networks which are of a multinational and multi-ethnical nature; this makes the cross-border operation an easy route for vast majority of trafficking cases. Most of the people who are involved in this discreet business and perpetrate trafficking are restricted to the confines of the geographical boundaries of the country or the countries where the victims are recruited, the countries where they are transported and finally the countries where they are ultimately and eventually exploited. Very few traffickers have moved up to the level of international scale of operation and network, where they recruit and transport to different countries. Some of the names which crop up significantly in this field are the Albanian traffickers, the Nigerian traffickers and the Turkish traffickers (2006) The general studies in organized crime reveal that women are not very involved in the crime activities, but in the world of human trafficking which is dominated by male, women play the roles of the accomplices in three different ways: they are the recruiters, sometimes former victim becomes offenders and in case of Nigerian groups: women play very important role in trafficking as a culturally embedded involvement. The strategy used by the trafficking organizations is to deploy women as the recruiter to help them get the first initial contact, which can further be manipulated to overcome the initial suspicion of the victim. Thus women play the safe role to entice, comfort and then exploit the other women. Several reports mention that women are used as a trap by showing off their wealth and social status, to get the younger women to aspire and aim for the same glitter and shine, leading to the path of darkness and dungeon. In Nigeria these women perpetrators play a very important role and are referred to as Madame. These Madame’s are former victims and they work as intermediary between the prostitutes and the traffickers. Nigeria plays a very significant role in the organized trafficking specially in the European countries. The study done by the Nigerian Ploice Force and the Women Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) has come up with the estimate that the number of women who are trafficked out of the country shows sharp increase in the numbers from 1126 in 1999 to 5000 in the year 2001. Nigerian women constitute to about 80% of the workers in the sex industry of Italy. Some of the other European countries which are common destinations for these women are Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria and the United Kingdom. The destinations vary in their acceptance and legal privileges. Italy is the only European country where majority of legally resident Nigerians are women. (2006). There is a clear connection between the trafficking and its roots in Nigeria, this is directly related to high level of corruption in both public and private sectors. The trafficking is a self propelling vicious cycle, which moves on from victims becoming trafficker. It always begins with a pact, which keeps on increasing with penalties and punishments, and the best option to clear the debt is to continue to work for freedom and eventually become a Madame. In Nigeria traffickers do not always have to recruit victims; many times victims come to them. It is a very open trafficking market, where many times girls are put under pressure by the family to get involved with trafficking. . â€Å"In Nigeria the ‘classy lady’ is called the Italo: women who return to Nigeria after a couple of years of prostitution in Italy†. (2006). International Law needs to play a dynamic role in the internal momentum to curb corruption and support international institutions to take active role in creating awareness and safeguarding the rights of its women and girls. There are several push and pull factor of economic, political and social nature which encourages the victim, to fall prey to the trafficker. The victims are vulnerable and dependent on the trafficker for they are involved in a business which is illegal and ill-reputed. It is a very complex regulation issue for the law enforcement authorities to control and regulate the complex nature of human trafficking. The migrant women and girls have very limited choice or control over their lives. In this new era of globalization, these women and girls are the new slaves of the contemporary era. The attractiveness of this industry on the international level as an organized crime network is estimated at $7 billion USD. The monetary return keeps the practice alive and creeping at a very high rate. A trafficker can buy a girl in China for $20/- to $30/- USD and can sell her in San Francisco for $3000/- USD. Monzini, Paola (2005). Human trafficking, the modern euphemism for slavery, is a major problem in Africa. The trafficking in women and girls is now considered the third largest source of profit for organized crime, behind only drugs and arms. This situation has resulted in a very high number of women who are forced to compete for work in the conditions of excessive social exploitation and are forced to risky practices which ultimately leads to very high levels of HIV, brutality and slaughter. The practices which are considered standard in this kind of marketplace are often very harsh and extremely brutal. It is like slow, dark and dreadful death of the body and the soul (Mon zini, Paola (2005). The term declaration of â€Å"violence against women† implies any act of gender based violence which causes or is likely to cause any kind of physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to the women. These acts are very well defined as acts of intimidation and force or illogical withdrawal of the freedom in the public or the private life. Women like men are allowed to have pleasure and gratification just like men. They also need the security of all human rights and fundamental freedoms which are considered necessary for good living. They need for their growth and development freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field. They need the sanction of the same rights as the right to life, equality, liberty and security as an individual. They also need the right of equal protection under the law, freedom from all forms of discrimination, the right to seek the best physical and mental health, right to work in just and humane conditions. They specially need the right to be protected against torture or cruelty, where inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment is practiced. The state has the responsibility to attack such practices of violence against women and should restrict any such customs, traditions and religious practices which enforce such inhuman practices. State should immediately and forcefully intervene in curbing any such practices by introducing a sound policy which enacts without delay to eliminate violence against women. The different branches and the specialized agencies of the United Nations within their respective fields of operation should acknowledge the recognition of the rights and principles which has been mentioned and acknowledged within the Declaration. The Declaration is like the flashlight highlighting the misery of the women and showing them the course of action which could save them from this peril. It gives the essential guidelines for awareness and self recovery (1993). Part 3 Viable Change: Poverty, social disruption and family pressures and even natural disasters sow the seeds for the practice, while armed conflict, corrupt governments and a universal demand for cheap labor help reap the crops of new victims. Africa needs to establish stronger laws against the trafficking of women and children on and from the continent as well as better child-labor laws, a former U.S. ambassador to Madagascar told members of the newly reconstituted Africa, Global Human Rights, and International Operations. One should investigation into the causes and forms of violence against women, looking at the relationship between poverty, militarization and discrimination.. Amnesty International shows how women have led campaigns against all forms of violence and have achieved dramatic changes in laws, policies and practices. This is an inhuman condition which cannot be allowed to emerge, as it tarnishes the color of human race and civilized society. There is a complex push and pull factors which determine the nature of trafficking and the vicious cycle which it creates. It is a complex mixture of circumstances and the reasons why people want to leave their country to migrate to another country with dreams of better and brighter future. Some of the key factors which push the victim to take such a drastic step can be categorized as socio-economic push factor which is a lure to amore wealthier country for escape from poverty and desire for better or wealthier lifestyle. Sometimes the decision to migrate is backed by desire to support the family financially and dream to ensure better future for the children. Some just want to have high social status with modern and emancipated lifestyle. In some societies and cultures women are not given the freedom to growth and good life. These cultural factors can push a woman to leave their woman-unfriendly atmosphere where she does not have the same chance as men to education and career. Political circumstances, turmoil and civic unrest can also be factors which may motivate a woman to take refuge to some other country where difficulty and threat to life would be less. Some of the other factors which might play a significant role in migration could be alcoholism, drug addiction, criminality, maltreatment in the social proximity of a person. These factors lead to unemployment and poverty, which leads to migration and trafficking. Some of the pull factors are opportunities for better life and future, with employment and lack of poverty. The prospect of brighter and wealthier lifestyle in the west is a great lure. The demand for prostitutes and the demand for services, in wide variety of areas can be a temptation for taking the step to leave the security of the country to migrate in another country. (2006). A very serious concern for national and international institutions should be the health effects of sex trafficking and prostitution. The investigation in medical and social sciences indicate rates of high incidence of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in certain populations of women in prostitution. The physical and emotional effects and aftereffects of trafficking and prostitution on women is also a great concern for health care providers and social service providers. A considerable number of women suffer from various health problems related to violence and sexual exploitation. The nature of their injuries is similar to those of women who are battered, raped and sexually assaulted. Their situation is grim and their plight is miserable. The fundamental source of trafficking is the lack of awareness, insufficient support, lack of education, vulnerability of women as a gender. On an international scene explosion of organized crime and easy access to transportation of â€Å"Humans: women and girls† across border with a promise for better and brighter picture. The dependant status of this gender further encourages trapped into such practices, even without conscious will. The national consciousness’, international legal support and geographic migration laws have to join hands to bring about effective change in the depressing condition of women and girls in Africa. The human rights should play a forceful role backed by powerful countries to support in aid and legislation with severe penalties for the offenders. This is an inhuman condition which cannot be allowed to emerge, as it tarnishes the color of human race and civilized society. Countries, organization and people should unite to fight against and encounter the grim condition emerging on the African soil. One should tap into the greatest resource in Africa: Women and give them a bright and promising future. Rajgopal, offers great insight into this field with his research experience in South and Southeast Asia, South Africa and Brazil. His current investigation into four areas of research: : new democratic and legal strategies for making operational the socio-economic rights, especially rights to water, food, land, housing, and environment in India, South Africa and Brazil; the impact of globalization and decentralization on protection of human rights; the accountability of international organizations; and corporate compliance with human rights law. He helped establish first human-rights field office in Cambodia Helped establish the first human-rights field office of the United Nations in the mid-1990s and has been a consultant to several international organizations and NGOs on development-related human rights and legal issues. Member of the Asia Advisory Board of Human Rights Watch, the Executive Council of the American Society of International Law and the International Advisory Board of the Robert Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights. The idea of International Human Rights is western in origin; rather non-western societies did not have a conception of human rights. Now that the world has become so global the countries should unite to fight this war of exploitation and slavery hideously practiced by the traffickers hiding under the mask of businesses, law enforcement and predators. Jack Donnelly puts it. â€Å"human rights represent a distinctive set of social practices, tied to particular notions of human dignity, that initially arose in the modern west in response to the social and political changes produced by modern states and modern capitalist market economies†. (Bal Krishnan Rajagopal,2003, p.175) International Law should find a way to penetrate and resist the violence and torture of any kind inflicted on any woman and girl, in any country, by implementing forceful laws which issue severe penalties, restrict illegal migration and punish the organized trafficking institution. The government should protect the victim, raise their realistic awareness and provide safer domestic environment. The recognition of the rights and the penalties for the offenders can ensure the safety of these victims, who are waiting to be saved from the tyranny of physical torture, psychological degradation and social elimination. They deserve a normal human life like every other individual and they should be guaranteed this without condition. Annotated Bibliography 1. Akintunde, Dorcas Olu Labeodan Helen (2002) WOMEN AND THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE IN TRADITIONAL AFRICA. Nigeria, Sefer Books Ltd. This is a collection of essays first presented at the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians on February 5, 2002. These papers look at a variety of issues concerned with womens rights in Africa. The authors describe the realities of equal rights policies, sex and power, cultural roots of insecurity. 2. Amnesty International (2004) ITS IN OUR HANDS: Stop Violence Against Women. United Kingdom: Amnesty International. This is an investigation into the causes and forms of violence against women, looking at the relationship between poverty, militarization and discrimination. Amnesty International shows how women have led campaigns against all forms of violence and have achieved dramatic changes in laws, policies and practices. 3. Bal Krishnan Rajagopal.( 2003) International Law from Below : Development, Social Movements and Third World Resistance. United States, Cambridge University Press. The emergence of transnational social movements as major actors in international politics as witnessed in Seattle in 1999 and elsewhere has sent shockwaves through the international system. Many questions have arisen about the legitimacy, coherence and efficiency of the international order in the light of the challenges posed by social movements. This ground-breaking book offers a fundamental critique of twentieth-century international law from the perspective of Third World social movements the first ever to do so. It examines in detail the growth of two key components of modern international law international institutions and human rights in the context of changing historical patterns of Third World resistance. Using a historical and interdisciplinary approach, Rajagopal presents compelling evidence challenging current debates on the evolution of norms and institutions, the meaning and nature of the Third World, as well as the political economy of its involvement in the international system. 4. Commonwealth Secretariat (2003) REPORT OF THE EXPERT GROUP ON STRATEGIES FOR COMBATING THE TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN. United Kingdom: Commonwealth Secretariat. The trafficking in women and girls is now considered the third largest source of profit for organized crime, behind only drugs and arms. This concise report describes the political and social background to the trade across the Commonwealth and looks at prevention strategies and assistance to victims. Bib 5. Hallam, Rebecca (1994) CRIMES WITHOUT PUNISHMENT: Sexual Harassment and violence Against Female Students in Schools and Universities in Africa. United kingdom: African Rights. This is a discussion paper addressing the widespread and persistent problem of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in educational institutions in Africa. The paper also deals with wider problems of teenage pregnancy and lack of sex education in schools, and the specific problem of rape by forces of the state, such as soldiers and policemen. 6. Human Rights Watch (2002) THE WAR WITHIN THE WAR: Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in Eastern Congo.USA Africa Watch/ Human Rights Forces on all sides in the Congo conflict have committed war crimes against women and girls, Human Rights Watch said in a new 114-page report. The report documents the frequent and sometimes systematic use of rape and other forms of sexual violence in the Rwandan-occupied areas of eastern Congo. 7. Monzini, Paola (2005) SEX TRAFFIC: Prostitution, Crime, and Exploitation.United kingdom: Zed Books. The trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is big business. This book focuses on the experiences of migrant women and girls who have very little choice or control over their lives. Women are forced to compete for work in conditions of extreme sexual exploitation, often being exposed to risky sexual practices, high levels of HIV, violence and murder. This book examines the techniques of recruitment, methods of transportation, and forms of exploitation abroad, and focuses on womens own experiences of migration. It explains the mechanisms of supply and demand and assesses attempts at controlling trafficking and strategies for resistance and change. 8. Oguli Oumo, Margaret; Molokomme, Imelda M.; Gwaba, Monde M. Mogegeh, Valencia K.D (2002) PROMOTING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO COMBAT GENDER BASED VIOLENCE: A training manual. United Kingdom: Commonwealth Secretariat This is a manual promoting an integrating approach to combat gender based violence with governments, non governmental organizations, private sector and international organizations working together. It includes instructional material and case studies for training trainers, middle level professionals, development workers and extension agents 9. (20 December 1993). Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from Office Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights Web site: www.ohchr.org/english/law/eliminationvaw.htm (1993) 10. Raymond and Hughes, Janice G. and Donna M. (March 2001). SEX TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Web site: action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/sex_traff_us.pdf (Raymond and Hughes, 2001) 11. (2006). TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS:. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from Assesing Organized Crime Web site: www.assessingorganisedcrime.net/publications/AOC-DLV17-vR3.pdf

Essay --

Dr. Goodall is a well-known British primatologist who has discovered a substantial amount about primates in her many years of research. She has written numerous books, including one that we will be going into depth about called, â€Å"Through a Window.† Her book contains personal experiences, research findings, and even pictures to help the readers visualize her scientific breaking moments from her thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. She states that there is are minor differences, and several similarities between humans and the chimpanzees. We will discuss these differences and similarities through their social behavior, intellectual ability, and emotions. To conclude, examine Goodall’s research to adopt what her findings can tell us about our early ancestors, and whether or not her study coincided to the steps of scientific methodology. To start, research shows that there are a striking number of similarities between humans and chimpanzees in context to their social behavior. Next, we will see comparisons between humans and chimpanzees through their intellectual abilities. ...

Trinidad Education

In Trinidad, The Ministry of Education has the policy of free education for all. They preach that this ‘free’ education is not based on class, wealth, race, gender or ethnicity but rather is a way to ensure that the entire nation is educated. Though these are the promises on Trinidad’s and Tobago’s Education Policy Paper, how is it that only nine of every one thousand people continue onto college, university or any higher education after secondary school? Twenty-one percent of Trinidadians live in poverty, which means that twenty-one percent of citizens do not have access to running water or proper health care. Because of this, many children in these poor families immediately enter the world of work or become ‘beggars’ to help feed their family. This shows the importance of social class on the initial decision of whether a child will be educated or not. This is not common as only two percent of Trinidad’s population is illiterate. I would categorize myself in the middle to high status class in my country and this has, in many ways affected my educational opportunities. I lived in a town known as Diego Martin and though my neighborhood mostly consisted of people within my same social class, the town itself has many neighborhoods consisting of people living in poverty. Pre-school education is not considered by government policies and therefore, there are no public pre-schools and if a family wants to enroll their child in preschool they would have to do so privately and with their own money. This goes to show that the first level of education in Trinidad is in fact not free. Because of this, my parents enrolled me in a private pre-school, which would indeed have to be paid for with their own money. This shows the immediate impact that class has on one’s education from just the first steps. Pre-school in Trinidad usually takes about two years and here is where a child learns his numbers and letters and therefore these children living under the poverty line are somewhat ‘robbed’ of these essential learning years. After this, a child must then be signed up for primary school where he or he will spend the following seven years. There are two hundred and sixteen primary schools in the country, one hundred and sixty-three of which are funded by various religious institutions, thirty-two of which are funded by the government and therefore are completely free of charge, and twenty-one of which are privately run. I attended a privately run school as these had higher success rates in the SEA or Secondary Entrance Assessment examination that all primary school students are prepared for in order to gain placement in the school of one’s choice. Once again, though there is an availability of free primary level education, the members of the middle and higher social class send their children to privately run schools in order to ensure that teachers are constantly present and not on strike due to low government wages, and that their children receive a more well-rounded education as there are funds now for sports and other recreational activities. Personally, attending a private school made me not only feel safe, as there were not usually guards present in government funded institutions due to high cost, but to also gave me the opportunities to join different sporting teams and go on school ‘outings’ to various national attractions and the necessary preparation to gain a placement in the secondary school of my choice- the number one girls secondary school in Trinidad. The entrance examination is one aspect that I can truly say that had absolutely nothing to do with class, race or ethnicity as each student was given an identification number and placement into choice schools was done based on results. These secondary schools were again a seven-year course. Therefore, in total one should spend sixteen years at school in order to complete what is considered a general education but the average number of years spent at school in Trinidad is eleven. This means that the average student ‘drops out’ of secondary school after two years. As a female in the top all girls’ institution, I became very gender bias as my school continuously obtained the most government scholarships year after year. Not only that, but nationally women received a significant number of scholarships more than the men did. This may have wrongly shaped my idea that women are in fact smarter than men based on what I experienced at home. Tertiary education for many Trinidadians is extremely class bias. There is one university known as the University of the West Indies and though it is extremely renowned in engineering and mathematical studies it can only facilitate a very small percentage of graduates every year. Therefore, if one wishes to study, he or she may have to look at schools abroad which is a huge expense for any family. Studying in the United States has been a great privilege for me that would never have been possible if I belonged to a lower social class. Overall, my social status granted me opportunities unimaginable for many residents in my country. Despite government efforts to better the education levels of the country there is still a lot to be done in order to meet the goal that class does not determine one’s level or education.

International Institutions and Realism

Becky, Tam Hing Lui Prof. Chan Ding Ding GPEC 5002 Challenges to the Global System: Insecurity of the World 17 November 2012 HOW CAN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FACILITATE COOPERATION? WHAT WOULD A REALIST SAY ABOUT INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS? Nations call for cooperation especially during and after crisis. One example was the Bretton Wood system created in 1944, with the purpose to revive the global economy after the serious damage in WWII. After the 2008 financial crisis, nations again asked for more international regulations and monitoring on the global financial system and suggested the â€Å"Bretton Wood II†.When we step back and think again, does the international regime facilitate cooperation between nations to solve global issues? The school of Liberalism puts more emphasis on the role of international institutions. Robert Keohane defined institutions as â€Å"persistent and connected sets of rules, both formal and informal, that prescribe behavioral roles, constrain a ctivity, and shape expectations† (1). By definition, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO) are formal institution while Bretton Wood Agreement, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) are informal.Under the anarchy environment in the international platform, it is possible to facilitate cooperation through the establishment of international organizations by two specific features: Centralization and Independence (2). It is the independence and neutral characteristic of the international organizations that enhance the legitimacy of its actions, causing states willing to gather together and authorize the international organizations to centralize the activities and ultimately achieve cooperation. This reduces transaction costs and increase efficiency.Institutions coordinate activities including setting up forums and conferences, managing substantive operations, norm elaboration, neutral information provider, acting as trustee/arbiter, i ntervention and enforcement (2). We have identified 5 signature international institutions (IMF, World Bank, Bretton Wood System, GATT, WTO) as examples below to illustrate how the conduct of the above mentioned activities through the international organizations facilitate cooperation in the modern history. (I) IMF, World Bank, the Bretton Wood System and GATTBoth IMF and World Bank were established since the Bretton Wood system began. After WWII, countries suffered from poor economy as global production and trade were dampened during the war period. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, countries attempted to shore up their failing economies by sharply raising barriers to foreign trade, devaluing their currencies to compete against each other for export markets, and curtailing their citizens' freedom to hold foreign exchange. These attempts proved to be self-defeating. World trade declined sharply, and employment and living standards plummeted in many countries (3).There was st rong common interest amongst the states to boost up the economy. To facilitate trade and production, a stable monetary system is necessary and this is where the Bretton Wood system began. The US took the lead to stabilize the international monetary system by pegging USD into gold at a fixed rate (USD35 / ounce of gold) while the remaining 44 countries agreed to keep their exchange rates pegged to USD at rates that could be adjusted only to correct a â€Å"fundamental disequilibrium† in the balance of payments, and only with the IMF's agreement.The IMF therefore became the independent clearing house of the balance of payments and to ensure the exchange rate mechanism worked as specified. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), now the World Bank Group underwrite private loans to stimulate economy. Both the organizations obtained the legitimacy from their independence and neutrality hence was able to manage the substantive operations between states efficie ntly and effectively. Members in General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) agreed on reduction in tariffs and trade barriers amongst members.The GATT, unlike the IMF and World Bank, was not an independent organization but rather a forum within which countries met. This provides a platform for elites to negotiate and reach agreement and avoid conflicts and adverse competition. With the GATT rounds held between 1947 and 1967, most barriers have been removed and tariffs have been the lowest. With the Bretton Wood framework in place along with the newly established international institutions which provide free market, long term capital and stable monetary system, global trade and production exploded during the period.Over the first 25 postwar years, the volume of world trade doubled every 10 years (4). This has been proven as a successful international cooperation in the modern history. (II) World Trade Organization (WTO) Established under the Marrakech Agreement in 1995, the Geneva based WTO replaced GATT as the center of world trade system. Its core principles are to promote market liberalization, non-discrimination and provide legal structure for international trade. Same as GATT, it provides forum for trade negotiations and administers trade agreements.In addition, WTO also supplies mechanism through which governments may resolve trade disputes, review and propagate the national trade policies, provide useful data and information, and to ensure the coherence and transparency of trade policies through surveillance in global economic policy-making. The Decision making process is transparent, rules based and members driven. Each member government has one vote. WTO members have agreed that, if they believe fellow-members are violating trade rules, they will use the multilateral system of settling disputes instead of taking action unilaterally.The Dispute Settlement Board consists of the Appellate Body, the WTO Secretariat, arbitrators, independent experts and several specialized institutions (WTO website). According to WTO data, world merchandise exports worth over $5 trillion in 1998. In real terms, that represents an 18-fold increase over 1948. Exports of manufactures were 43 times larger than 50 years earlier. Over the same period, world output grew 8-fold, and world production of manufactures 10-fold. It is the independent and fair decision making process and the neutral dispute settlement mechanism given the legitimacy of WTO to attract members.The monitoring role and dispute settlement mechanism allow states to overcome â€Å"market failures† in international relations. Hence WTO can fully perform its functions to facilitate cooperation in order to promote trade. From the above examples, international institutions while maintaining independence and neutrality, promote states cooperation and achieve objectives by increasing the efficiency of collective activities, reducing conflicts, facilitating communications and negotiatio n and implementation of agreements. Realist a had different interpretation in the role of these international institutions.Traditional realists recognize that institutions are a vital part of the landscape of world politics. Traditional realism assess the effectiveness of institutions in 2 ways (5): [A] Institution as tools of empowerment enable hagemon to rule others and to manage regional and world affairs more effectively and efficiently than would be possible in their absence. [B] Institution as constraint such as balance of power politics and Concert diplomacy guide and direct Great Power behavior in accordance with the established rules of the game. We will continue with the example of 1944 Bretton Wood System to illustrate the above 2 points below.Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes, the architect of the Bretton Wood System, was disappointed by the final evolution of the Bretton Woods institutions, for Keynes believed that the politicians were perverting the original i deas. The final design guaranteed predominance of the US due to various reasons including emphasis on USD by linking all currencies to USD, dominance of US power in the weighted percentage vote in IMF. However, this is inevitable in the realities of power politics as US was the lender while rest of the world were the borrower and US was the only superpower at that time.This explained the point A above that the hagemon (US) dominance to rule others and able to manage the international trade and monetary system more effectively and efficiently by putting the states into the Bretton Wood agreement and establishment of the institutions. The US and other states were constrained within the agreement and monitoring by the institutions as described in the above point B. While US constrained the other states by the guaranteed predominance in the system, US at the same time was constrained by losing its freedom on domestic policy as USD is pegged at a fixed rate to gold.Neorealists tend to do wnplay the role of institutions on cooperation. John Mearsheimer described international institution as â€Å"a set of rules that stipulate the ways in which states should cooperate and compete with one another† and claims that institutions â€Å"matter only on the margins† and â€Å"have minimal influence on state behavior† (6). Structural realists in the Waltzian vein also paid little attention to international institutions. Neorealists argue that institution cause states to behave in ways they otherwise would not behave, for example foregoing short term, self interest in favor of long-term community goals (Jervis 1983).In contrast, neoliberals claim that institutions matter because they enable states to do things they otherwise could not do, that is, achieve mutual gains from cooperation. Neorealists conceptualize institutions as constraints on state behavior; neoliberals see them as enabling states to reach mutually beneficial, cooperative outcomes. Neoreali sts emphasis on relative gains distribution amongst the actors within the institutions, while Neoliberals emphasis on maximizing overall absolute gains obtained in the community.The first point made by neorealists on the role of international institutions is â€Å"the emphasis on relative gains among actors could critically inhibit international cooperation†. Therefore, they may sometimes abstain from cooperation even when it would be beneficial for them in absolute terms. The overall result is that international institutions are more difficult to create and harder to maintain than neoliberals would have to believe. The likelihood for an institution to be put in place and to be stable is the greatest when the expected gains are balanced such that relative losses do not accrue (7).Without a higher power, states must worry about any state gaining a relative advantage through cooperation, because â€Å"today’s friend may be tomorrow’s enemy in war† (8). Just like what we have seen today, most of the institutions were first led by US as a higher power. States not only concern about cheating but also worry over the distribution of relative gains must be overcome for cooperation to blossom. One example would be the refusal of states to join the binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries in the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol at UN climate talk in November 2011.While the biggest emitting countries – US, China and India refused to join, the existing countries in Kyoto Protocol, including Canada, Japan and Russia have already refused to sign on for a second commitment period, objecting to the lack of legal constraints on the world’s biggest carbon polluters. Europe says it can accept a continuation, provided China and the United States show they are serious about major cuts in the coming years. This evidenced when there is relative gains distribution issue and worries on cheating, cooperation is not possible.The second point is that â€Å"institutions are epiphenomenal, that they merely reflect power and interest† (9). They challenge the Independence of the international institutions. Institutions existed but do not mitigate in any way the anarchy of the international system and is the same world of power politics familiar to realists – institutions represented by powerful to serve their interests, and they are dissolved when power and interest shift. To illustrate, we will continue with the example of Bretton Wood system.During the late stage of Bretton Wood system, US power was declining as relied heavily on deficit spending while the other states growing surplus and gaining economic power. The intrinsic value of USD was declining due to deficit spending, over-investment outside US, spending on maintaining the military bases and the two wars US was fighting (Vietnam War and the large increase in social spending known as the War on Poverty) (4). While USD was officially pegged to gold at USD35 per ounce, USD was overvalued and investors and governments rushed to sell USD for gold.From 1961 until 1968, 7 billion dollars was cashed in, which took up more than 40% of US gold reserve. In 1971, US announced stopping the conversion of USD into gold and devaluation of USD. After the second devaluation of USD in 1973, all the states quitted the fixed exchange rate system and hence the Bretton Wood system officially collapsed since then together with the significantly reduced importance of IMF and World Bank. In my opinion, both schools of thoughts are important to explain different matters in different scenario.There is no one single answer towards whether international institutions facilitate cooperation or the opposite. As explained with the example of Bretton Wood system throughout the whole article, both liberal institutionalism and realism explained the setup of the system from different perspective while realism explained the end of th e cooperation. It appears that the effective cooperation induced by institutions is more transient in nature while power politics between the states is driving the backbone of the story.I believe realist view on international institution is more relevant to explain many of the critical outcomes in modern history. However, with globalization becomes the main theme of 21st century, role of state is diminishing as the dominance of multinational corporations does not preclude the characters of state. This creates more common interests between states, which make cooperation easier. The role of international institutions may be gradually enhanced and we may reach another conclusion. Works Cited 1. Keohane, Robert O. International lnstitutions and State Power: Essays in International Theory.Boulder: Westview Press, 1989 2. Abbott Kenneth and Snidal Duncan. The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, Ch. 11 , â€Å"Why States Act through Formal International Organizations. † Jour nal of Conflict Resolution. , 1998 3. IMF website. Cooperation and reconstruction (1944–71) http://www. imf. org/external/about/histcoop. htm 4. Frieden Jeffrey A. Global Capitalism Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century. United States of America: Norton Paperback 2007 5. Schweller Randall and Priess David. A Tale of Two Realisms: Expanding the Institutions Debate.Mershon International Studies Review, Vol. 41, No. 1 (May, 1997), pp. 1-32 6. Mearsheimer, John. The False Promise of International Institutions. International Security. 1994/95 19(3):5-49. 7. Hasenclever Andreas, Mayer Peter and Rittberger Volker. Integrating Theories of International Regimes. Review of International Studies, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Jan. , 2000), pp. 3-33 8. Grieco, Joseph M. , Powell Robert, and Nidal Duncans. The Relative-Gains Problem for International Cooperation. American Political Science Review 1993 87:729-743. 9. Stein Arthur A. Neoliberal Institutionalism Chapter 11 p. 206