Second World War Essay Example for Free

Second World War Essay The First World War was truly a significant event in history. The tension that began in Europe evolved into a global conflict which lasted for four long years. The war claimed the lives of both soldiers and civilians, and resulted in the massive destruction of property. After the war ended, the countries involved undertook measures which sought to avoid another global conflict. One of those measures was the drafting of several peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. This agreement punished Germany and made it solely responsible for the occurrence of the war. Unfortunately, the treaty caused bitterness from the Germans and paved the way for another world war to occur. Coincidentally, it was the Second World War which resolved the unaddressed issues of the first Great War. Indeed, the Versailles Treaty caused the occurrence of the Second World War, which ended the problems of the First World War. The Versailles Treaty considered Germany to be the only nation liable to the occurrence of the First World War. It must be noted that Germany did initiate the establishment of the alliance system, which guaranteed increased conflict in Europe (Perry, 1989). As an outcome of its triumph in the Franco-Prussian War, Germany acquired the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. In an attempt to secure these former French territories and prevent France from regaining them, the Chancellor of Germany Otto von Bismarck allied with Italy and Austria-Hungary. Germany continued its aggression after Bismarck was removed from office. When William II assumed the throne, Germany demanded more territory and began to increase its naval strength. However, Germany was not the only nation to blame for the First World War. In fact, Serbia was responsible for starting the war. It was a shooting incident which triggered the widespread conflict: a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife (Heyman, 1997). Austria sought to attack Serbia in return, and turned to Germany for assistance. Hence, the starting point of the First World War was the conflict between Austria and Serbia (Perry, 1989). The end of the First World War brought about several attempts at the restoration of peace, but it was prevented by intentions of the affected parties. Prior to the end of the First World War, U.  S. President Woodrow Wilson had already drafted a program for peace which he presented in Congress through the â€Å"Fourteen Points† speech (Perry, 1989). One of the major points he suggested in his speech was â€Å"peace without victory† (as cited in Perry, 1989, p. 647). Wilson wanted the other countries to practice fairness towards Germany, for he thought that severely penalizing the nation would only force it to avenge their losses. He simply wanted a fair settlement which would guarantee improved foreign relations between the victors and the defeated countries. Unfortunately, Wilson’s hopes ran against the bitter feelings which were developed during the war. The European Allies suffered massive losses, which in turn caused hatred between countries. Among all Allies, France was most affected by the First World War; majority of the battles which happened in the western front took place in French territory. While more than three million French citizens were wounded, more than a million French soldiers died in the war. Hence, it was to be expected that France desired severe punishment for Germany and sought to be compensated for its damaged properties (Perry, 1989). The Versailles Treaty did not guarantee fair treatment towards Germany, as it imposed harsh sanctions on the defeated nation. The settlement was evidently disadvantageous for Germany; it was created to decrease their power and territory. The treaty was beneficial for France; not only did it regain Alsace-Lorraine, but it also obtained control over the Saar coal mines (Halsall, 1944). Germany also lost territory to Poland and Britain (Perry, 1989). In addition, the Versailles treaty significantly reduced the military capability of Germany. The agreement required the German army to be limited to 100,000 people, all of which were to be volunteers (Halsall, 1944). Germany was also asked to demilitarize their territories in both sides of Rhine River. More importantly, the treaty demanded Germany to pay other nations due to the damages which resulted from the war. Germany was supposed to pay $33 billion worth of reparations, an amount only determined two years after the nation signed the treaty (Perry, 1989). In general, the Versailles Treaty blamed Germany for the First World War and severely punished it as a result. Consequently, the Germans were angered by the conditions of the Versailles Treaty and provoked them to start yet another world war. Germany was enraged by the demands for reparations; they thought that the amount given for them to pay exceeded the nation’s financial capacity (Perry, 1989). Germans also disagreed with treaty on grounds of being solely responsible for the outcome of the war. They upheld the belief that Germany must not be singled out, for all the nations involved in the war must be held accountable for its consequences. After the First World War, Germany became a part of the League of Nations, the organization which was created for the purpose of developing peace and cooperation between countries. The country also participated in other postwar activities directed at maintaining peace. Despite these efforts, majority of the Germans were still not ready for peace. Most of them remained bitter towards the Versailles Treaty. The animosity was derived from humiliation after defeat; after all, the settlement disarmed their nation, reduced their territories and required them to pay a great sum (Bergen, 2002). The Weimar government attempted to modify the treaty through peaceful means. When Adolf Hitler came into power, he completely undermined the Versailles Treaty (Perry, 1989). With Hitler as leader, Germany violated the Versailles Treaty and started the path to the Second World War. Hitler quickly broke the conditions of the treaty; he disregarded the limitations imposed on the country. He immediately increased the army to 550,000 men and rearmed it (Sulzberger, 1985). Hitler also sent troops in Rhineland; this action was clearly a violation of the demilitarization in the area as demanded in the treaty. In what seemed to be a response to the loss of lands due to the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sought to expand German territory by uniting all German-speaking people (Sulzberger, 1985). All of the aforementioned aggressive acts committed by Hitler sparked another global conflict and eventually resulted in what everybody feared: the Second World War. Ironically, the problems of the First World War were resolved by the Second World War. One of the problems of the Great War was self-determination, the principle wherein national groups choose their own political state (Perry, 1989). The reason behind Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination was the Serbs’ desire to unite all Slavic peoples. President Wilson included the principle of self-determination in his â€Å"Fourteen Points,† yet it proved to be problematic. Hitler even used the principle to invade other countries. After the Second World War, self-determination was no longer proposed. Instead, the Atlantic Charter drafted by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed the self-government to peoples. Meanwhile, the restoration of peace was also a dilemma after the First World War. The nations tried to restore peace through various peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. However, the treaty exacerbated the war problem. After the Second World War, there was already an international organization established to maintain peace among countries. Rather than make individual peace treaties to each Axis power, the Allied countries sought peace as the United Nations. This move proved to be more effective in restoring global peace and order (Perry, 1989). The First World War was a genuinely significant experience. The armed conflict was caused and characterized by tension, so there were many efforts to avoid yet another war from taking place. The Versailles Treaty was a peace settlement, but it did not contribute to the restoration of peace. Rather, it caused the Second World War by provoking Germany to seek revenge over its sanctions. Fortunately, with the occurrence of the Second World War, the problems of the Great War were settled.

Nepals Participation In UN Peacekeeping

Nepals Participation In UN Peacekeeping Nepal has been taking part in UN peacekeeping missions since three years after it became a member of the UN, and has contributed numerous peacekeepers in multiple missions. Nepal commemorated 50 years of participation in UN peace support operations in 2008 and was the fourth largest troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in 2004 and fifth largest in 2009.  [1]  Nepal considers its contribution to UN peacekeeping operations as a tool for implementing Nepalese foreign policy, which is guided by the principles of UN Charter.  [2]   Historically, Nepals shift towards internalization was an effort to pursue foreign policy goals. The Nepalese Armys peacekeeping participation was part and parcel of that effort. The UN has provided an important forum for smaller countries like Nepal to pursue its national interests and exercise foreign policy with dignity and sovereignty.  [3]  It has also provided small countries with moral and physical security from aggression, interference, and encroachment.  [4]   Nepals major engagement in UN peacekeeping operations came during the second democratic period, 1990-2005. Nepal started sending troops under the provision of Chapter VII of UN Charter, when its troops participated in peace enforcement mission in Somalia in 1993. The Nepalese Army (NA) acquired some experience and professionalism by operating with other professional armies. Taking part in UN peacekeeping missions is also an opportunity to be operational in the field.  [5]  Before its involvement in counterinsurgency operations in Nepal in 2001, the NA had a very few opportunities to deploy its soldiers in the field to hone their skills. In addition, working with civilians during peacekeeping missions has considerably altered its approach to deal with different problems. However, from 1990 through the end of 2000 was a decade characterized by policy inconsistencies between the militarys internationalism and the governments internal orientation. The NA was solely focused on its international peacekeeping mission, while the political parties were entangled in domestic politics. There was a clear gap between the states approach and the functioning of one of the instrument of national power, the military. At the strategic level, Nepal lacked a coherent policy that would allow it to institutionalize the experience gained in international missions. Even after political change of 2005, this trend seems unceasing. My effort in this paper would be to analyze this divergence in Nepal. Before dwell upon the core issue, I attempt to give a brief account of the Nepalese peacekeeping participation in different political scenarios. Nepalese Participation in UN Peacekeeping Missions in Different Periods After becoming a member of the UN in 1955, Nepal participated in the 1958 peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNOGIL. Nepal has since contributed to UN missions in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. The first Nepalese battalion-sized contingent, the Purano Gorakh Battalion, was deployed in Egypt with UNEF II in 1974. Throughout the whole Panchayat period, the NA participated in six different peacekeeping missions.  [6]  Nepalese peacekeepers have since made major contributions. There was a surge in NA participation in peacekeeping missions after the establishment of multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy in 1990.  [7]  The establishment of a multiparty democratic system in Nepal was a result of the worldwide third wave of democratization. Other parts of the world saw similar political agitation, conflict and transformation. During this period, the majority of NA troops were deployed in peace enforcement and multidimensional peacekeeping operations in wh ich internal armed conflicts constituted the major problems. When the Maoists launched an armed struggle against the government, the NA faced a challenge to continue participating in peacekeeping missions. However, with the gradual increase in the size of the NA after its involvement in counterinsurgency operations, participation in peacekeeping operations was no longer hindered. Nepal has taken part in peacekeeping missions in various conflict zones, and some of the NAs high ranking officers have filled key appointments in peacekeeping missions. Not only various force commanders and high-ranking officials who directly monitor and supervise international peacekeeping in the field say that the NAs mission performance is commendable, but also UN Secretary General has praised Nepalese peacekeepers.  [8]  Its peacekeeping contributions allowed Nepal to become an organizational committee member of the UN Peace Building Commission for 2008/2009 in the category of troop-contributing countries.  [9]   As of May 2010, Nepal has contributed 76,610 troops in 35 missions around the globe, and at present, the NA has deployed more than 4,420 peacekeepers in 12 different missions in the capacity of military observers, military liaison officers, staff officers in mission headquarters, and as contingent members. The government of Nepal has signed to make 5,000 troops available, as and when requested, to the UN Standby Arrangement System (UNSAS).  [10]   There has been no change in the trend of Nepalese peacekeeping participation since its first involvement. However, Nepal faces some challenges in peacekeeping. Apart from some logistical and management difficulties, allegations of human rights violations are also causing some problems in recent years.  [11]  Despite these problems, peacekeeping participation has been continuing. The interim government led by the Nepali Congress party, the Maoist-led government, and the CPN (UML) government all emphasized and praised the Nepals peacekeeping participation wholeheartedly. Most NA members have participated in a UN peacekeeping mission at least once in their military career. After serving for a few years in the army, almost all NA officers participate in UN peacekeeping missions more than once. Participating in UN peacekeeping is an opportunity for professional enhancement for many Nepalese soldiers. Apart from gaining experience, Nepalese Army personnel also receive monetary benefits that help raise their living standards and keep them motivated during peacekeeping activities and in their own country. The UN allowance is four to eight times higher than a standard salary in Nepal. At the institutional level, economic benefits from peacekeeping have become an important source for the welfare fund. At national level it has significantly contributed to national economy and foreign currency deposit. This shows that peacekeeping missions have become the NAs one of the major roles.  [12]  The Nepalese Armys uninterrupted participation in peacekeeping miss ions during two major political revolutions in 1990 and 2006 and during its active involvement in counterinsurgency operations indicate that the NA has been transforming into a peacekeeper military as described by Paul Shemella.  [13]   In its many years of UN peacekeeping missions, Nepal has undergone through various experiences and evolution processes. The concept of peacekeeping missions emerged from the concept of collective security founded in the concept of collective defense that seeks to form alliances against any state which commits an act of aggression. During the Cold War, peacekeeping was limited to interposing troops between belligerent parties, supervising and verifying cease-fires, and observing, monitoring, and reporting. Peacekeeping duties were limited to maintaining the status quo, and emphasis was given on impartiality and minimum use of the force, in which neutral countries like Nepal, rather than the permanent members of the UN Security Council, played a crucial role.  [14]  These missions were mandated by Chapter VI of UN charter. Nepal contributed peacekeepers to missions under Chapter VI. The mere presence of blue helmets was enough to restrain the conflicting parties from further hostil ities. Non-enforcement was the norm of traditional peacekeeping. Parties were deterred from relying on force; deployment of peacekeepers began after fighting halted; peacekeepers used to create buffers without seizing territory; and rather than taking territory, peacekeepers aimed to restore order or defend the territory. During those days national contingents did not have to make their own logistical arrangements, as the Wet Lease provision provided everything from toilet paper to tanks. Such arrangements made UN peacekeeping participation less challenging to developing countries like Nepal. Government and armed forces peacekeeping responsibilities were limited to making political or operational decisions to participate in particular missions. The nature of conflict changed with the end of the Cold War, requiring a new approach to peacekeeping missions and the advent of the second and third generations of peacekeeping missions.  [15]  The new multidimensional peacekeeping operations focused on facilitating political processes; creating a secure and stable environment and strengthening state security apparatus; and providing a framework for ensuring that all UN and other actors pursue their activities with close civil and military cooperation as the key to success. Although Nepal participates in most of the multidimensional peacekeeping missions, the lack of civilian participation in the Nepalese Armys peacekeeping efforts has impeded the most needed changes in the present context of multi-dimensional peacekeeping efforts. The government treats Nepalese peacekeeping participation as the sole prerogative of the NA, showing a lack of enthusiasm to coordinate and supervise these activities. The Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not been active enough in managing peacekeeping efforts. The process of selecting, training, equipping, projecting and maintaining peacekeepers in conflict zones has not been very effective in the changing context.  [16]  This is one of the reasons why, despite long and successful involvement in international missions and interactions with other professional armed forces, the NA could not become as efficient as it should have been. The inability to bring prompt synergic effect of peacekeeping and diplomatic efforts on the recent allegation of cholera outbreak in Haiti may have long term implications on Nepalese peacekeeping. These problems can cause a great setback in peacekeeping efforts by tarnishing the image of Nepal and the NA. The inability to demonstrate the desirable competence of civilian and military institutions has resulted in inadequate performances in diplomatic as well as operational aspects of peacekeeping.  [17]  Also, lacking a symbiotic relationship between the military and civilians with regard to peacekeeping involvement, foreign policy and security, Nepal has not been able to achieve maximum output. Foreign Policy Aspects of the Nepalese Peacekeeping The Interim Constitution of Nepal (2007) states, the Foreign Policy of Nepal shall be guided by the principles of UN Charter, nonalignment, the Panchasheel, International law and the norms of world peace.  [18]  The previous Nepalese constitution, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (1990), also states that the UN Charter shall be one of the five guiding principles of Nepalese foreign policy.  [19]  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that Nepal has consistently supported UN efforts to maintain peace and security by its continued participation in the UN.  [20]   The first democratic period from 1950 through 1960 was a time of political upheaval and transformation in Nepal. This was also the period of establishing national identity and preserving national integrity and sovereignty. The political parties and leaders considered the UN to be the protector and the guarantor of national identity, integrity, independence and sovereignty.  [21]  Thus, the decision to participate in UN peacekeeping missions in 1958 was a crucial one, a watershed moment in Nepalese foreign policy. When Nepal sought UN membership in 1949, the Soviet Union raised the question of Nepalese sovereignty. Nonetheless, Nepal became a UN member in 1955.  [22]  The fluid domestic, regional and international political situation made Nepals survival as a nation state of primary importance during 1950s and 1960s. In an address to the 15th Session of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Bisheswar Prasad Koirala said: The foreign policy of Nepal is wholly inspired by the purposes and principles of UN. We regard UN not only as a bulwark of our independence and security, but also as the protector of our rights and freedomà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We believe in the independent exercise of our judgment in considering international issuesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦While we welcome and are grateful for the help that is being given to us by friendly governments-those of India, the United States, China, the USSR, the United Kingdom and others-as well as by UN, we do not want any country to tell us how we should think, or how we should conduct our internal affairs.  [23]   After the Rana rule and until 1960, the various governments in Nepal had different foreign policy preferences.  [24]  But the king wanted to have a balanced relationship between the two giant neighbors and to maintain the sovereignty of Nepal. While the king was searching for opportunities, he found that participating in international peacekeeping missions under the aegis of the UN was the best way to retain sovereignty and national independence. From 1961 through 1971, King Mahendra played a key role in shaping and implementing foreign policy, seeking to achieve three main objectives: maximization, diversification and mobilization. He first tried to expand the playing field of foreign policy by exploiting the preferences and the clash of interests between India, China and other major powers. Then he sought to go beyond a limited reliance on a few resources. Finally, he utilized Nepals active participation in international forums like UN and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to pressure and mobilize regional and international powers in Nepals favor.  [25]   To utilize peacekeeping participation as a tool to protect Nepals sovereignty, the king dovetailed the armys peacekeeping efforts with countrys foreign policy objectives, adopting an internationalist approach to foreign policy.  [26]  This internationalist approach produced a synergic outcome by effectively utilizing the NAs peacekeeping participation to search for Nepals space in international forums. The internationalism came to fruition when Nepal was chosen for important responsibilities in the UN. For instance, Nepal led the Commission of Investigation into the Conditions and Circumstances resulting in the tragic death of then Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who was killed in a plane crash at Ndola in Lusaka in 1961.  [27]  The internationalist approach also helped Nepal to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 1969-70 and in 1988-89 by an overwhelming majority. Nepals Zone of Peace Proposal, based on Panchasheel, was a reflection of Nepals aspi ration to achieve and maintain its sovereignty, integrity and independence without interference from neighboring countries.  [28]  A total of 116 countries supported the proposal, including four permanent members of the UN Security Council. Additionally, this approach helped Nepal to project its image to the international community and to maintain its sovereignty, independence and national integrity. The outcome of the internationalist approach during 1970s and 1980s was positive and significant.  [29]  But the democratic government formed after 1990 could not formulate any new policy or vision for employing the army in peacekeeping missions, nor did it wholeheartedly continue existing policies. Thus the internationalist approach became dormant. The NAs profound contribution to UN peacekeeping missions could not be fully utilized to support foreign policy objectives and national interests. The Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also kept a low profile. Without a dedicated defense minister and without the Ministry playing an effective role in peacekeeping activities, peacekeeping remained solely the armys private domain. Since political attention to the internationalist approach was not sufficient, the NAs participation in UN peacekeeping missions continued without meaningful political-diplomatic congruity.  [30]  This resulted in diplomatic setbacks. For instance, by eliminating Nepal, Indonesia was elected as the UN Security Councils non-permanent member for a two years term starting in January 2007.  [31]  There could be many reasons for this failure including the weakening of Nepali diplomacy on various fronts. However, some posit that it also points to the ineffectiveness of recent Nepalese peacekeeping initiatives. Chiran Thapa writes, Despite Nepals contribution to numerous UN led peace operations, the rejection of Nepals candidacy by an overwhelming majority at the General Assembly clearly suggests that the international community deems Nepal as less capable of serving global security interests.  [32]  In the face of Nepals widely lauded participation in peacekeeping, why Nepal is less capable in international forums is a serious issue. Conclusion Over fifty years, the NAs participation in UN peacekeeping has been remarkable. Although Nepals first democratic period (1950-1960) was full of chaos, the political forces in the country realized the necessity of taking an internationalist approach. Therefore, this period was a watershed in Nepals peacekeeping participation as well as its approach to foreign policy. Although an authoritative regime, the Panchayat period was an extension and consolidation of the same policies with enhanced participation. The positive outcome of the peacekeeping effort was seen during the 1970s and 1980s. After the reestablishment of democracy in 1990, Nepalese peacekeeping efforts increased tremendously, but foreign policy did not go along the peacekeeping contribution. The democratic forces could not fill in the authoritative vacuum created by the political change between the two instruments of national power, military and diplomacy. Despite some shortcomings, Nepals performance in peacekeeping missi ons has been very successful and widely acclaimed. Nepal could have benefitted highly, both diplomatically and politically, but did not. Nepals peacekeeping participation is being continued in the same pace even after the establishment of republic system. Despite many political ups and downs and changes in political system, there is no difference in opinion in Nepal about its participation in peacekeeping operations. This clearly indicates that there is a consensus among the Nepalese political parties that peacekeeping participation contributes to Nepals vital interests. Therefore, the time has come to reassess the gap between the Nepalese peacekeeping participation and foreign policy goal and rectify existing inconsistencies and digressions before it becomes too late.

Human Rights Of Individuals And Amnesty International Criminology Essay

Human Rights Of Individuals And Amnesty International Criminology Essay Human rights are the basic rights of any individual regardless of the fact that the individual may belong to any religion, country, and background. Human rights are collective set of rights which an individual enjoys to live. These are rights that apply to all human beings. Human rights ensures that the dignity of an individual is protected, people are given respect within and in other societies. Human rights expresses the idea that all human beings should be treated equally and with justice and the moral values should be same and applied on all humans. The Human rights are majorly categorized as religious, civil, political, social and economic rights. (a) Civil rights comprises of rights which an individual enjoys as a citizen including right to life. It includes freedom to live, protecting people from discrimination as gender, religion, immigrant status, age etc. This includes the rights the state provides being a citizen. (b) Political rights comprises of the right to vote, having the right to express and the right to political participation. (c) Economic and social rights includes the basic rights an individual enjoys, promoting equality in society. It comprises of the right to proper education, right to a living in a safe environment, adequate housing and food, right to proper health facilities and right to social security. Economic rights includes the right to employment. (d) Cultural rights constitute the right of a society linked to cultural freedom. The right to perform cultural practices, to speak ones own mother language and the right to rituals and indigenous land. The protection of these rights are essential for the sustainability and survival of humanity. Human rights benefits people in ways that they can be protected from any social, legal and political violence. Violation in the human rights means to deny the basic rights of an individual. Violation of human rights lead to unbalanced society. Human rights are sheltered by national and international laws. FIVE INTERNATIONAL CASES ON VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS Throughout the course of human history, there have been many examples of violation of human rights. Some examples of violation of human right laws are given, 1. The most tragic case of human rights violation took place in China where due to hukou household registration system, millions of rural migrants are denied basic facilities including education for children. This distinction is based on the place of residence which has categorized citizens to be eligible for certain socioeconomic benefits. This system limits the rural from some socioeconomic facilities as education, health facilities, and better sources of income which their urban dwellers enjoy. 2. The failure of the Mexican military court system to provide justice in cases involving military abuses against civilians is a another examples of human rights violation. In many such incidents sliders detained civilians, held them captive, tortured and abused them and even applied electric shocks. No investigation are done on such cases and no action taken by military against the soldiers involved in such incidents despite medical proofs of tortures. 3. Another example of human right violation is the forced evacuation of Roma Gypsys by the Italian government. In a controversial plan, the Italian government is evacuating nomadic camps which will result in the destruction of 100 camps, leaving 1,000 people homeless resulting in violation of rights of these peoples. 4. In one incident of Human right violation, Iraqi prisoners of war are held by Britain in legal black holes similar to US at Guantanamo Bay, without trial for more than five years. Two Iraqis Faisal Attiyah Nassar al-Saadoon, 56, and Khalaf Hussain Mufdhi, 58 were accused of execution of British soldiers but both men denied any involvement in the fighting. 5. Cases of detention of journalists and scholars in Iran, restricting their right of freedom of speech and academic freedom are sad examples of human rights violations. Two Iranain brothers and physicians Kamiar and Arash Alaei were charged for allegedly communicating with enemy governments because of their participation in global health conferences. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Amnesty international founded in London In 1961 aims at providing justice and rights to those whos rights have been violated. It aims at protecting the dignity of every individual belonging to any society, ethnicity, religion or country. People worldwide face many problems which results in violation or in some cases complete denial of their basic human rights. Amnesty International works globally by collecting information on issues societies are facing and focuses on reducing the abuses to peoples through campaign locally and globally. People in Amnesty International are involved in many activities worldwide ranging from helping free prisoners, stopping violence against women and children, settling disputes between nations, abolishing death penalties and to free people from the discrimination they face which results in violation of their basic rights. Amnesty International emphasizes the Governments to provide security to their citizens when they face a challenge or harsh condition. MAJOR ROLES AND FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL The main function of Amnesty International is to record any kind of human right violation worldwide and work against it. Amnesty International stress that the Governments of every country should work to meet its responsibility to protect, respect and promote the human rights of every citizen. Following are the major key areas on which Amnesty International works on, 1. Ending Violence against women: People in Amnesty International are involved in campaigns, working against violence against women and girls worldwide. This includes ending all type of violence against women ranging from domestic violence and abuse, sexual abuse, torture and discrimination. Enforcement of laws on violence against women and abolishing laws on women discrimination. It also involves empowering women so that they can protect themselves from the discrimination and work as an active citizen. 2. Stopping violence against Children: Worldwide children faces many abuses and are denied their basic human right. Children suffer many types of violence ranging from torture to death penalties. Amnesty International aims at protecting the rights of children worldwide providing them education and against imprisonment of children. It is also working towards reducing the discrimination of girls education. Amnesty International works to end the employment of children into armed forces and to reintegrate former child soldiers back into civilian life. 3. Abolish Death Penalty and torture: Amnesty International opposes the death penalties, regardless of the fact that what the crime is. Death penalty is an inhuman punishment and results in violation of right to live. 4. Protecting Rights of Refugees, migrants and Internally displaced persons (IDPs) : Millions of people are forced to leave their homes and move to new areas as a result of war, poverty and natural disasters. These people move to other areas in their own country or to other countries in search of homes and better standard of living. Unfortunately they face many situation which results in violation of their basic human rights. As in case of Iraq where many people have migrated to other places as a result of war, Amnesty International is calling on US, UK and other developed countries for resettlement of these refugees who are in urgent need of shelter, food and medical care. 5. Rights of Prisoners of Conscience : Amnesty International has been working for Prisoners of Conscience and has succeeded in helping in release of many such prisoners. Prisoners of Conscience are those prisoners who been imprisoned either because of lawful expression of their beliefs or are human rights defenders facing government intimidation, individuals at risk of execution, or those languishing in arbitrary detention. 6. Protection of Human dignity: To protect human dignity is the main function of Amnesty International. Amnesty International focuses on promoting the respect of every individual belonging to any religion, country, gender or ethnicity. Protecting the moral values of every individual. EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE FREED AFTER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE There are many success stories of release of prisoners after international pressure. Such stories area great hope for the human rights activists. Following are some of the success stories, 1. In 1998, two OCESP members, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera were arrested by military and were tortured to confess to arms and drugs-related crimes. Amnesty International took up their case and found that they were found guilty on basis of false evidence. National and international pressure in the case forced President Vicente Fox to order their release from prison in 2001. 2. On 16th September 2005, Felipe Arreaga Sà ¡nchez, environmental activist, founder of the Peasant Environmentalist Organization of the Sierra de Petatlà ¡n was released after international pressure. He was arrested in November 2004, accused of a murder that took place in 1998. 3. In February 2009, Ayman Nour was unpredictably released from prison after four years due to International pressure. He was a prominent political dissident and a one-time presidential candidate. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Though there have been records of cases and incidents in developed countries but the rate of human rights violence is higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries due to many reasons. In developed countries institutions are strong and corruption rate is low. In developing countries freedom of speech and human rights is not well appreciated. In some societies major rights are not even considered as human rights in the first place. Due to lack of resources, unequal distribution of resources, injustice, unemployment and increase in violence the rate of human rights violation is increasing. The increase in war on terrorism is also resulting in human rights violations. War its self creates disturbance, depriving people of basic rights, where fear, mistrust and violence increases in societies. The main reasons resulting in violation of Human Rights in developing countries are, 1. Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and casts systems: The discrimination done on basis of cast system, ethnicity, family background results in human rights violation. For example as in India the cast system which has divided the Hindus into different casts, restricts them from adopting a better standard of living. People who belong to lower classes do not have the right to eat and sit between people belonging to high casts. 2. Democratic and institutional weakness: One reason for violation in civil and political rights is because of bad governance, democratic and institutional weakness in developing countries. Power exists in the hands of few people or in hands of those awarded through heredity. People are not given right to vote; right to choose the kind of life they want to live. 3. Economic instability, Lack of resources and unequal distribution of resources: Economic instability is major factor in failure of certain developing countries in human rights violations. These societies do not have the means to facilitate their citizens with basic social and economical rights. Another reason for human rights violation in developing countries is the lack of resources. Inefficiency in allocation of resources such as food and health facilities, housing and other results in violence in society. In this way people are forced to live in bad situations. Unequal distribution of resources creates differences in society where large differences are created between rich and poor. 4. In many societies a number of human rights violations are accepted culturally. There are certain practices taking place in these societies which are not considered as violation of human rights. In fact these practices have been part of the culture of the area for such a long time that these practices have become traditions. No one looks at it as violation of human rights. Such as in some societies of the developing countries womens are not given right to vote, girls are denied right to education and practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) have become traditions in these societies. 5. Corruption and violence is a major contributing factor in violation of human rights in developing countries. Major threats of human rights faced by these nations is the result of corruption. Violence created as a result of the above factors are depriving humans of their basic needs and resulting in violation their basic rights. ASPECTS OF POVERTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS Poverty is condition in which an individual, a family or society is deprived from basic economic necessities required for living. Poverty leads to human rights violation. A poor person faces many types of abuses, stress and difficulties. When an individual does not have the right to proper standard of living, proper food, proper health facilities, education, to adequate housing and income, results in violation of human rights. Most of the various aspects of poverty can be considered as the denials of ones right to a decent living. Poverty leads to bad standard of living. Everyone has the right to live a life in which all basic facilities are available. Some aspects of poverty and human rights are given below, 1. Poverty and Child labor: In developing countries the ratio of child labor is very high due to the fact that in these countries as there is economic instability, discrimination and poverty, families of poor people have to work very hard to earn and compete for a proper living. In such societies children work along with their parents due to which the child gets no education due to which the ration of child labor has increased in the past few years in developing countries. 2. Poverty and Women rights: Over one million people around the world are living a life of poverty and majority of them are females. Poverty results in discrimination in women rights in many ways. It results in limitation of a womens access to power, education, health facilities, job etc. In some cases it has been seen as there is increase in poverty, the female of the house would limit everything and focus on her family so as to meet their needs. This way the female neglects her own basic rights just for the sake of her family. Increase in domestic and sexual violence is a major factor resulting in women poverty. 3. Poor societies face much discrimination: Poor societies are treated unfairly which is a major barrier to achieving their human rights. Poor people do not have access to many facilities. In some societies ethnic background and racism leads to poverty. As example of India is coated earlier where due to cast system people face discrimination whereby human rights of an individual or community is violated or completely denied. When people do not have the basic necessities and live a life of poverty, it results in imbalance in society, creating violence and an unsustainable society. Poor communities do not participate in decision making which leads to bad policy making. 4. Violence and poverty: Violence in poor communities is caused as a result of poverty. When people are denied their basic rights (right to food, adequate living, health facilities, employment and freedom), they adopt certain methods which results in violence in society. Discrimination between poor and rich in providing jobs and education creates frustration which results in violence leading to violation of human rights. 5. Poverty leads to unsustainable living: When individuals in a society or country are not given the basic rights of living leads to an unsustainable living. ASPECTS OF TERRORISM AND SECURITY ASPECTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS The increase in conflicts with nations and the religious conflicts has initiated the increase and deterioration of human rights globally. 1. Migration: Increase in war on terrorism has resulted in migration of thousands of people within their own countries or to other countries. People leave their homes and property in search of a peaceful place to live. First their right to live is deteriorated and secondly the area they migrate to is totally new to them. These people face many problems. They live in tents no matter how harsh the climatic conditions are, they are treated as strangers in the new place, have difficulty in getting employment and are treated as violence creators. There are many examples of such incidents; the recent is the Roma Gypsys from Italy. 2. Increase in prisoners and abductions: Terrorism has increased the abduction of people to places where human rights are totally violated. Disappearance and detention of prisoners and keeping them in jails without trail or fair trial. Human abuse is increasing with the increase in establishment of detention cells and camps like Guantanamo Bay and increase in handing of suspects to be engaged in terrorist activities. Up till now no one knows how many detention cells or camps are present and up till now due to this so called war on terrorism, how many individuals including men, women and children have been detained or killed. 3. Security is the basic right of every citizen of a country, which is the duty of the Government and other local agencies. But unfortunately Governments have adopted such methods to control terrorism as torture, which are resulting in increase in insecurity of citizens. Killing and incidents of abuse, rape, kidnapping, robbery increases. 4. Terrorism creates an environment of distrust, violence, affects human security and dignity, destroys democratic setup of society, creates fear in society, negatively affects the social and economical development of the country, results in violation of human rights and threatens the security of the state. 5. One aspect of increase in terrorism and insecurity affecting the human rights is the destruction and disturbance these activities cause. These activities causes mass destruction of public, private and personal buildings. It creates fear in society. The daily routine lives of citizens is badly affected. As in the case of suicide attacks in any country or such acts results in violation of human rights. People do not feel safe and decrease their outdoor activities. Damage to property, shop, office or factory decreases the labor of an individual thus affecting the livelihood and income in an already economically instable country. REFRENCES: http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGAMR410382005lang=e. http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.1.108305094 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/15/china-migrant-workers-children-education http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/04/29/mexico-hold-military-account-rights-abuses http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/army-accused-of-human-rights-abuse-in-case-of-iraqis-held-without-trial-for-five-years-847457.html http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146286.php

Racism, Prejudice, Fear and Silence :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

Fear and Silence There are some experiences that have such an impact they change your life forever. The tragedy that occurred on September 11th was certainly one of those. After the bombing, my mom and brother forbade my grandmother to leave the house because of all the discrimination against Muslims. We were scared for her because she wears a scarf. Then the question of how she would attend my brother's wedding became an issue. My brother asked her to take off her scarf during the wedding. I don't blame him for asking because he had good intentions, but I still feel that he should have let her decide for herself. My grandmother, who lived in Iran for many years, is a very simple, but intelligent woman who has her principles. "Take off my scarf? Are you crazy?" was her response. My grandmother has been wearing her scarf since she was a child when the Shah ruled in Iran. The Shah forbade anyone to wear a scarf and would order his police to take them away. It was very difficult for her to go out because of that. To think, she has been through so much and still managed not to take off her scarf - at least until now. The wedding was marvelous. The band played, people danced and happiness set the stage for the momentous day. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, except one miserable old woman. She sat at the far end of the room with no scarf to cover her short hair, no sense of pride, and not a drop of happiness in her. She was hiding in a place where no one could have eye contact with her. Her expression revealed her discontent. It looked like her heart was shattered into many pieces. She was cajoled into doing this, and even though I had not participated in persuading her, I still regret not having done something. With this incident in my mind, I recently visited the mosque with my family. As I peered out the window of the car I saw police cars. I was told they were there to protect the mosque from harm, and a strange feeling came over me. I knew why the police were needed, but the thought of people trying to harm us because some lunatic and his whole crew of idiots were Muslim made me furious. Racism, Prejudice, Fear and Silence :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays Fear and Silence There are some experiences that have such an impact they change your life forever. The tragedy that occurred on September 11th was certainly one of those. After the bombing, my mom and brother forbade my grandmother to leave the house because of all the discrimination against Muslims. We were scared for her because she wears a scarf. Then the question of how she would attend my brother's wedding became an issue. My brother asked her to take off her scarf during the wedding. I don't blame him for asking because he had good intentions, but I still feel that he should have let her decide for herself. My grandmother, who lived in Iran for many years, is a very simple, but intelligent woman who has her principles. "Take off my scarf? Are you crazy?" was her response. My grandmother has been wearing her scarf since she was a child when the Shah ruled in Iran. The Shah forbade anyone to wear a scarf and would order his police to take them away. It was very difficult for her to go out because of that. To think, she has been through so much and still managed not to take off her scarf - at least until now. The wedding was marvelous. The band played, people danced and happiness set the stage for the momentous day. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, except one miserable old woman. She sat at the far end of the room with no scarf to cover her short hair, no sense of pride, and not a drop of happiness in her. She was hiding in a place where no one could have eye contact with her. Her expression revealed her discontent. It looked like her heart was shattered into many pieces. She was cajoled into doing this, and even though I had not participated in persuading her, I still regret not having done something. With this incident in my mind, I recently visited the mosque with my family. As I peered out the window of the car I saw police cars. I was told they were there to protect the mosque from harm, and a strange feeling came over me. I knew why the police were needed, but the thought of people trying to harm us because some lunatic and his whole crew of idiots were Muslim made me furious.

UML and its fit in the business community :: essays research papers

UML in the Business Community In the modern world, business analysts use UML as a communication tool to relay business needs to the IT professionals. What is the Unified Modeling Language (UML)? Here is a definition of UML according to the Object Management Group (OMG) specification. â€Å"The Unified Modeling Language is a graphical language for visualizing, specifying, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of a software-intensive system. The UML offers a standard way to write systems blueprints, including conceptual things such as programming language statements, database schemas, and reusable software components.† First I will start out with a brief discussion on the history of UML. I will then briefly go over the different modeling aspects. Last, I will cover the different UML diagram types. What do you get when you take the different concepts of Booch, OMT, OOSE and Class-Relation then integrate them all into one single modeling language? Do you give up? You create a common and widely usable modeling language such as UML. UML strives to be the standard modeling language which can monitor both concurrent and distributed systems. According to Wikipedia, the OMG has in fact made UML into an industry standard by calling for information on object-orientated (OO) methodologies that might create a rigorous software modeling language. Many industry leaders answered this calling to help create the standard. There are three different aspects of the modeled system which are handled by UML. These three modeling aspects are the functional model, object model and the dynamic model. The functional model is concerned with how the system functions from the user’s point of view. This model includes use case diagrams. The object model deals with the structure and substructure of the system using objects, operations, associations, and attributes. This model includes class diagrams. The dynamic model deals with the internal behavior of the system. This model includes sequence diagrams, activity diagrams and statechart diagrams. There are many types of UML diagram types. These diagram types consist of use case diagrams, class diagrams, collaboration diagrams, sequence diagrams, statechart diagrams, activity diagrams, and deployment diagrams. Use case diagrams are used to obtain system requirements from a user’s perspective. The use case diagram can be thought of as an interaction that a user has with a system to achieve a goal. Class diagrams represent static structure of the classes and their relationships in a system. Interaction diagrams consist of both sequence diagrams and collaboration diagrams.

Le Petit Chef Case

Le Petit Chef Case 1) What should Gagne do? Specifically, which projects should she fund and why? How should she handle the executive meeting? A fair assessment of the situation at Le Petit Chef is that there are far too many projects on the table. This overflow has led to missed deadlines and therefore missed profit. The gap between LPC and other microwave manufacturers is closing fast and action is required. Essentially, Le Petit Chef needs a cornerstone development.There are five proposed projects: A new intelligent (fuzzy logic) line of microwaves, a low-cost version of an existing microwave line, an entirely new low-cost line, a quick heating model, and a larger cavity Liberte. When choosing which projects to fund, Gagne must evaluate them on three basic criteria: will this project differentiate one product from the next? Will this project spread the r&d team too thin? , and will this project provide a competitive advantage? For the short term, LPC should not attempt to enter th e low-cost microwave market.Le Petit Chef is correlated with high end, high performance appliances and trying to tackle a low cost market that is dominated by large companies such as Samsung and GE would not be appropriate. Because of this, both projects associated with a low end line should be crossed off Gagne’s list. However, perhaps in the future when the company is on more solid footing a low-end line can be attempted. Adding a larger cavity to the Liberte should also be cut because this just adds another component into the mix.Too many components that don’t overlap from one product to the next increases total cost and adaptability. Another reason to cut the larger cavity is because it really does nothing major to differentiate the product. Next, LPC should fund the implementation of a Fuzzy Logic microwave line. This would differentiate the product among high-end competitors, not put too much strain on r&d according to a senior design engineer, and promote the hi gh-class label associated with Le Petit Chef. This project is absolutely necessary to undertake.Another project that should be funded is the development of a â€Å"Liberte-express† with a more powerful magnetron. This adds another vital differentiating feature, will be easy to develop, and be finished relatively quickly (6 months). At the meeting, Gagne simply needs to list the facts to the executives since there shouldn’t be too much convincing to do. She needs to present her product choices listed above rationally and stress the need for the company to stay true to its reputation by focusing on high-end appliances.She needs to alert the execs about how thin r&d is spread and she should probably prepare a list of projects that could be easily axed. She needs to stress the importance of allowing r&d to focus on less projects. The primary theme of her presentation should be realigning Le Petit Chef as the frontrunner in the microwave business. She also needs to outline the current financial issues and how the proposed projects will affect them. 2) What factors explain Le Petit Chef’s poor performance? What actions would you recommend to remedy the situation?Le Petit Chef’s poor performance can be largely attributed to the recent influx of competition from abroad. Essentially, the Asian manufacturers such as Samsung and Sharp infiltrated the low-end market which in turn forced European microwave companies to move into the previously Le Petit Chef dominated high end market. One statistic that basically tells the entire story is that the price of the microwave oven had dropped by 10% each year from 1996 to 2000. In an attempt to ward off competition, LPC spent hefty sums in advertising. This was overkill and caused financial issues.Another key factor was the r&d team being spread so thinly across so many products. Exhibit 9 highlights this by showing the products branching out in an almost ridiculous manner. Quite frankly, LPC needs to reduce its projects. In order to remedy the situation, LPC needs to do a handful of things. First, they need to realize that they cannot compete with the large foreign companies. Therefore, any thoughts of entering the low-cost market should be heavily discouraged. LPC has a niche in the high end market and they need to stick to their guns.By focusing on the high end marked, R&D is also not as overextended. Next, LPC needs to differentiate their products from the competition. They need to give the buyer some incentive to fork over more cash for their expensive microwaves. Another thing that LPC should try to do is to make more components that are interchangeable between models in order to lower costs. LPC should also focus on the appearance of their microwaves, because to sell a high-end product it has to appear that way. Essentially, the appearance is the ultimate differentiating factor.

Inquiry Proposal: Serial Killers Essay

1. Description. The topic that I have chosen to cover for my proposal is serial killers. The term â€Å"serial killer† was established in the 1970’s by Robert Ressler (former director of an FBI program). He chose â€Å"serial† because these types of murders are crimes in series. Murderers become serial killers after three or more victims with quiet periods of time in between the murders. The US holds 76% of the world’s serial killers. According to the latest FBI study in 2007, there are approximately 400 serial killers in the US and 80% of them have emerged since 1950. Statistically, the average serial killer is a white male with a lower to middle-class background and is usually in his twenties or thirties. It seems ludicrous that serial killers often have families, homes, are employed, and appear to be normal members of a community. There are many myths about serial killers such as, they are dysfunctional loners, they are all white males, they all travel, they can’t stop killing, and that they are insane. My proposal is figuring out what may be true about these serial killers. I find it interesting how something brought into this world as an innocent baby could turn into a serial killer. 2. Guiding Questions. Here are some of the questions that are the major components behind my proposal. Where did the term â€Å"serial killer† come from? What makes a person a serial killer? How many are there in the U.S? Why do they do it? What happened throughout their life? What makes them tick? How do they get caught? I believe that these are important questions that need to be answered, as each one gives us a better understanding as to what makes a person not only murder but murder multiple people over periods of days, weeks, and even years. 3. Research Gathered. Coming into this, I thought it would be easy to figure out exactly what is going on in these serial killers minds but it’s not. It’s hard to say precisely what is going on in their head and what led up to it without being them but with inside information from interviews with serial killers and interviews with detectives, you get a feel of what made them act the way they do. Profiling a serial killer is important in catching a serial killer. Determining the  signature and what the serial killer had to do for the crime are big aspects of profiling. Studies from doctors and information from past murders create the profile along with crime-scene information and witness statements. For instance, if the crime scene shows evidence of careful planning, the killer is likely to be intelligent and older. Not all profiles are perfect but they are usually on point. Serial killers begin to surface around their twenties and once they reach a certain point, there is no going back. De tectives also have to profile the victims because they are the key to catching the serial killer. They were picked because something stimulated the serial killer to do so. The only way to prevent the becoming of a serial killer is to go back to their childhood and break up the peculiar patterns. Just like all human beings, serial killers are the product of their heredity and the choices they make throughout their life. Their behavior is influenced by life experiences and biological factors. Humans are in a constant state of development from the moment they are born to the moment they die. Behavior is affected by a stimulus that is processed by the nervous system. According to neurobiologists, our nervous system is environmentally sensitive which allows the individual nervous system to be shaped throughout a lifetime. In saying that, failure to develop social coping mechanisms as a child can result in violent behavior. There are important periods of time in which it is essential that kids learn basic rules on how to interact with people and if they aren’t learned during that period of time, it could be impossible to learn later on in life. Serial killers often exhibit three behaviors in their childhood and they are bed-wetting, arson, and cruelty to animals. They are also likely to come from broken homes and have been abused or neglected. Serial killers act completely normal in front of others and are said to be good members of their community. They are generally intelligent, organized, and some can be very social. The two most common theories as to motives of serial killers include childhood neglect and abuse, and mental illness. Many, if not all serial killers experience neglect and abuse as children. They are often physically and or sexually abused as children or are witnesses of abuse. This pattern of neglect and abuse forces them to grow up without a sense of anyone other than themselves. Mental illness is a big factor in determining whether or not the killer was conscious and aware of his or her actions. Many serial killers try to use the excuse that they  are psychotic but only few have been diagnosed. According to the Diagnostic & Standard Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a psychopath is a person with an antisocial personality disorder (APD). As said in the DSM-IV, a person with APD follows a pattern of â€Å"disregard and violation of the rights of others occurring since the age of 15.† This pattern includes seven factors but three have to be met for diagnosis and those are, â€Å"failure to conform to social norms, irritability and aggressiveness, and lack of remorse.† Psychopathy is manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others while satisfying their selfish needs. Although serial killers possess many traits consistent with psychopaths, all psychopaths don’t become serial killers. Psychopaths who become serial killers don’t value human life and are extremely callous when interacting with their victims. Along with mental disorders, is brain damage. Damage to areas such as the frontal lo be and the hypothalamus can result in extreme aggression, loss of control, and loss of judgment. For instance, Henry Lee was a convicted serial killer and was found to have extreme brain damage in both the frontal lobe and hypothalamus which was a result of childhood abuse including malnutrition and alcoholism. After gathering information on the motives and behaviors of serial killers, I realized there is no specific combination of traits or characteristics that all serial killers possess. There isn’t a generic template that determines a serial killer. They are driven by their own unique motives or reasons. Catching a serial killer is difficult because they are just your average looking man or woman living across the street. Serial killers only get caught after making a mistake. Information from the crime scene and autopsy are collected and entered into a date base where similar crimes are matched up by the killer’s signature. For instance, some killers position the body a certain way or leave them in a certain place. Investigators look at the method of procedure which reflects what the killer had to do in order to commit the crime. The crime reflects their personality and the victim is the key to catching the serial killer. Detectives have to piece together who the potential serial killer may be by matching up victims that are similar in area and most commonly, their looks. Detectives have to know how to spark the serial killers emotions and make them tick. For instance, John Douglas (FBI serial killer profiler) was asked to assist in a trial involving a  serial killer because he had manipulated the jury into believing that he wasn’t capable of doing such a thing. John told the prosecutor to physically touch the serial killer and violate his personal space because it will make him think that he isn’t superior and in return, will drive him crazy. He then asked the accused serial killer what it was like to wrap his fingers around his victim’s throat. The serial killer then had a major outburst and went crazy because he was recalling what happened and it excited him. The jurors finally saw another side to the man and it turned the whole case around. You have to know what makes them tick in order to catch them. 4. Optional Primary Research. I decided to find documentaries on two of the most notorious serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. The first documentary I watched was â€Å"Biography: Ted Bundy: The Mind of a Killer (1995).† Ted Bundy was a boy scout, a college graduate, a law student, and a star in Washington State politics. Growing up, Ted was told that his actual grandparents were his mother and father and that his actual mother was his older sister. His grandmother (mother) had health issues such as depression and panic attacks and was eventually introduced to electro-shock therapy and his great grandfather was known to be extremely violent and frightening. His family began noticing at the age of three that Ted wasn’t adjusting well. His first incident happened when he was being babysat by his aunt and she was taking a nap. Ted’s aunt woke up to him placing all the kitchen knives around her body in an outline with the blades pointing towards her. After the incident with his aunt and fighting with his step-father a lot, Ted was forced to move to Tacoma, WA and it devastated him because he thought of his great grandfather as a father and he didn’t want to leave him. Once in Tacoma, Ted’s peers thought of him as a shy person. He stuttered a lot and didn’t date. He really isolated himself from the crowd and started becoming a peeping Tom. Ted started to consider himself above the law. While in college, Ted met a girl named Stephanie and was particularly attracted to her beautiful long hair that was parted in the middle. Stephanie was wealthy, sophisticated, and worldly; everything Ted wished he was. They were together for a year and in that time, Stephanie had taken Ted’s virginity. While Ted was in love, Stephanie didn’t see a future with him and broke it off becau se she didn’t think that he was very serious about his future. Ted became devastated and dropped out of school. He then went to visit his  relatives to figure out who he really was and ended up finding out that his so called â€Å"sister† was actually his mother. After hearing this news and the horrible break up with Stephanie, Ted became extremely resentful. He felt that his mother and girlfriend destroyed his life and therefore wanted revenge. A couple years later, he met back up with Stephanie and seemed to be a new and improved man to her. Stephanie agreed to marry Ted and then he dumped her right away for revenge but it didn’t stop there. It all began in 1974 when Ted was twenty-four years old. Ted began going to the Washington college pretending to be hurt with crutches and that is how he would lure his victims in. He pretended to drop his books right by his van and while the woman would bend down to pick it up, he would hit her over the head with a crow bar and throw her in the van. He would then take them to the woods and sexually assault them. Ted was hurt that Stephanie took his virginity and broke his heart so now he was going to sexually assault and kill all his victims. Ted’s ideal victim was a small framed female with long parted hair in the middle and beautiful just as Stephanie was. While still attending college, Ted studied the procedures that the police task force would use to catch him. Ted was eventually caught and admitted to killing more than thirty women. Ted told the court that he felt entitled to ruin women’s lives after two women ruined his. On January 24, 1989 at 7:00 AM, Ted Bundy was granted his electric execution at the age of forty-nine years old. Ted’s story goes to show how something in his childhood led up to factors that would make him a serial killer. It also shows the motive that he had which was killing only women because two women ruined his life and killing women who looked like Stephanie. Ted said he was sor ry for killing those women but only he knows if he really is sorry or not. It’s hard to determine what went on in Ted’s head but we can see the correlation he made between the women he killed and why he did it although it doesn’t make sense to us. The other documentary I watched was â€Å"Biography: Jeffrey Dahmer (2000).† Jeffrey Dahmer was the perfect child. He loved playing with other kids and was really outgoing. He had a fascination with animals and was an extremely curious child. He always wanted to feel things and their texture. When he was ten, his mother was hospitalized and treated for anxiety. His parent’s marriage was crumbling and they had to move away. Jeffrey then all of a sudden became socially awkward. He started to become fascinated with what animals looked  like on the inside so he began collecting road kill as a young teenager. In an interview, his dad says that he is convinced that everything started going downhill when Jeffrey began collecting road kill and dissected them. Dahmer realized as a teen that he was attracted to men and at the age of fourteen, he started having thoughts of violence and sex. Dahmer knew the thoughts and urges kept getting worse. One of his fantasies was to lie next to an unconscious man. In saying that, Jeffrey devised a plan to knock out a local jogger with a bat and lay next to him but the jogger never went by that day and it made Dahmer think that maybe he shouldn’t be thinking about that kind of stuff. Dahmer started becoming a heavy drinker and even drank during school. He started going to houses that allowed the exchange of sex with gay men and that is where he found his first victim. After his first victim, Dahmer couldn’t hold in his urges anymore and it was the start of a killing spree. He began meeting men at gay bars and once there, he would drug them with sleeping pills, take them back to his home, and lay there next to them and listen to the sounds of their bodies. After getting bored with listening to their bodies, Dahmer would have sex with them while they were drugged, would kill them, cut up their body, and save their bones or private parts as trophies. At one point, he even started eating his victims saying that â€Å"it felt like they were a part of him.† Dahmer was eventually caught because of a foul odor coming from his apartment which was his victims. Dahmer blamed alcohol when he was caught saying that if he hadn’t been so drunk, he wouldn’t have been caught. He also placed the blame for the murders on his atheistic beliefs and the theory of evolution. He believed that he was equal to the devil. Dahmer stated â€Å"if it all happens naturalistically, what’s the need for a God? Can’t I set my own rules? Who owns me? I own myself.† Dahmer believed that he was above all and the media didn’t help that. He received so much attention from the media that he started getting cocky about it. He once told a detective â€Å"when I tell you what I tell you, you’re going to be famous.† Dahmer wrote a 159 page confession consisting of thirteen years and seventeen victims. Dahmer pleaded guilty but insane and was served a 937 year prison sentence. Once in prison, Dahmer decided he wanted to be baptized and get back into his religious state of mind. It all ended for Dahmer on November 29, 1994 when an inmate who called himself â€Å"Christ† beat Dahmer with a metal rod from the  prison gym and was pronoun ced dead on the way to the hospital. Once again, I don’t understand why he tortured and killed his victims the way he did but just like Ted Bundy, his behavior drastically changed when he was young and for both men, it is was seemed to be the turning point in their life. 5. Info to be collected, Analysis. I have gathered a good amount of information on how serial killers evolve to the person they have become. From here, I hope to learn more about what triggers different emotions in their brains. The main thing I want to figure out is how they become so violent and how they are capable of committing such horrid acts of violence. I believe the most effective method of analyzing serial killers was reading articles and watching documentaries. The articles were from reliable resources such as the FBI, and gave a lot of good information as to what their motives and behaviors were. The documentaries were a good way of analyzing serial killers because I got to see the way they acted and hear their stories to figure out w hat led up to the killings and what exactly their motives were. I am going to continue to watch documentaries on not only Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer but other serial killers to see if their behaviors and motives match up somehow. Although all serial killers aren’t the same and don’t share the same motives, they do share the same urges. The purpose of this would be to see if my explanations of the motives, behaviors, and childhood experiences of these serial killers are in fact true for others as well. This analysis may help me in learning about the brain and how it works. Another interesting explanation as to triggers for serial killers is a chromosome abnormality. Some researchers are starting to believe that there is a change associated with the male chromosome make up. There is an ongoing investigation on if and how the gene changes and why it does. The end point of this assignment for me is to follow up with the study of similar chromosome changes in these men that become serial killers. 6. Timeline. I currently still have some questions as to what other similarities might occur between serial killers such as chromosome abnormalities or brain defects. I will be continually checking these doctors and researcher’s information gathered from their testing and experiments to hopefully receive new and improved information. One of the most helpful things to do is watch movies and documentaries on not only serial killers but their families, the detectives, doctors, and the researchers. The one  problem that I feel I might encounter is not having enough evidence and consistent information to back it up because it is a new study being done. Although I have continuing questions, I believe that I have covered my research topic to the best of my ability and now my own curiosity will keep me wondering and wanting to know more information than what has been given to me. Citations Freeman, Shanna. â€Å"How Serial Killers Work.† How Stuff Works. A Discovery Company. 02 October 2007. Web. 20 March 2014. Mueller, Robert. â€Å"Serial Murder.† The FBI. US Government, US Department of Justice. 02 September 2005. Web. 20 March 2014. Bardsley, Marilyn. â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer.† Crime Library. Criminal Minds & Methods. 04 August 1991. Web. 20 March 2014. Montaldo, Charles. â€Å"The Myths about Serial Killers.† Crime/Punishment. About.com. July 2008. Web. 20 March 2014. Rogers, Abby. â€Å" A Terrifying Glimpse into the Mind of a Serial Killer.† Business Insider. 08 June 2012. Web. 20 March 2014. Scott, Shirley. â€Å"What Makes Serial Killers Tick?† Crime Library. Criminal Minds & Methods. 04 October 1991. Web. 20 March 2014. Gregg, Allan. â€Å"Interview with FBI Profiler John Douglas (1996).† Dark Documentaries. 29 November 2011. Web. 20 March 2014. Montaldo, Charles. â€Å"Characteristics of the Psychopathic Personality.† Crime/Punishment. About.com. July 2008. Web. 20 March 2014.