Impacts of Knife Crime

Impacts of Knife Crime Britain is in the grip of a knife crime epidemic. This is the impression one gets from the media: every week seems to bring new stories of stabbing and murder among city youth. But why are these youngsters engaging in such activity? This quote suggests that young people who carry knives do so protection, status and peer pressure. The media also plays a part by reinforcing the idea that everyone else is carrying a weapon. Finally, the quote claims socially excluded young people from dysfunctional families are more likely to use knives. The first part this essay will first give an overview of the labelling approach and social construction theory, it will then go on to consider whether young people are in fact engaging in knife crime because of the above reasons, or whether it is simply a consequence of the labelling process. The labelling theory devotes little effort in explaining why certain individuals begin to engage in deviance. Rather, it stresses the importance of the process through which society defines acts as deviant and the role of negative social reactions in influencing individuals to engage in subsequent acts. The labelling theorists shift their attention away from individuals and their actions and toward the dynamic of social definition that particular acts or actors are deviant. The first labelling theorist was Frank Tannenbaum (1938), he suggested the person who is labelled, subsequently becomes the thing he is being described as. Whether that label be given by those who would punish, or by those who would reform. In either case the emphasis is upon the conduct that is being disapproved of. The harder the criminal justice system works to reform the evil, the greater the evil will grow and the harder it will become to suppress the bad behaviour. He claimed the way out was through a refusal to dramatize the evil. The less said about it the better. The more said about something else, still better.   Taylor et all (1973) reinforced the labelling theory by suggesting that the way a stop will be put to deviant behaviour is: to create a society in which the facts of human diversity, whether personal, organic or social, are not subjected to the power to criminalize.   Sociologist Haword Becker(1963), recognised deviance is not a quality that lies in the behaviour itself but in the interaction between the person who commits an act, and those who respond to it. A good way to demonstrate this point is by referring to the study of opiate use  by the sociologist Alfred Ray Lindesmith, his findings demonstrated how a person becomes aware of their addiction. In essence it is not the drug that makes the person an addict, the addiction is a result of social definition. When others label them as addicts, then the person too comes to define himself as an addict. In other words behaviour is not inherently deviant or normal but is defined and labelled that way. So how does the labelling process work? Erikson (1975), the founder of the labelling theory, describes two main stages to the labelling process. The first stage involves primary deviance, which is the initial criminal act, after which a person may be labelled as deviant or criminal, but does not yet accept this role. So the person does not view himself as a criminal. It is this lack of viewing that separates primary deviance from the next stage, second deviance. Secondary deviance involves a status degradation ceremony This begins by a formal confrontation between the deviant and the officials, as in the criminal trial; this is then followed by an announcement of the verdict, and finally the deviant is assigned with a special role, like a prisoner which redefines his position in society. According to Tannenbaum (1938), formal proceedings signify the dramatization of evil, whereby the act is publically announced and defined as immoral. News of the formal sanction will then spread across the community leading to others also labelling him as deviant. The individual finally accepts the criminal label; their self concept is changed from normal to deviant. According to Lemert, This becomes a mean of defence, attack, or adaption to the problems caused by societal reaction to primary deviation.  This process can also take place in a more subtle fashion as well. For example, the family of deviant may become withdrawn and distance themselves from hi m in disappointment, regardless of whether a formal charge has occurred. Accordingly, the labelling theory suggests: if the individual accepts this negative criminal label that has been applied, they are then more likely to continue engaging in the behaviour that the label was initially meant to control. In other words the label leads the deviant individual to follow a self-fulfilling prophecy conforming to ascribed label, causing them to lead deviant careers. For example, if a person is caught carrying a knife, but is not apprehended or labelled as deviant, that person is more likely to forgo such behaviour in the future. However, if the person is apprehended and labelled as a criminal, then the person is subsequently more likely to change his identity as a rest of the exclusion felt by the individual from normal routines or conventional opportunities, and increased contact with the deviant groups. Having explained the theory, this essay will now interlink the labelling theory with the quote. The quote itself suggests most young people carry knives for: protection, status and peer pressure. The perceived need for protection is compounded by the sense, reinforced by the media coverage of stabbings, that everyone is carrying a weapon, as well as experience of victimisation. In terms of socially excluded young people from dysfunctional families are more likely to engage in knife use. For young people, the transition from childhood to adult can be rather confusing, their adult identity is not yet developed and so they often become bewildered as to their own position within society. George Herbert Mead claimed an individual develops a sense of self through how others perceive them, he coined this as the looking glass self. He suggested as children develop, they become more aware of their own social position and others around them, and subsequently become concerned about the demands and expectations of others and of the larger society. To demonstrate this point, he used a basketball game as an example, to show children, like basketball players, must take into account the roles of all players, as well as consider their own role.  [8]   This symbolic interaction to the study of deviance focuses on the process by which the wider social audience creates deviance and deviants by defining the acts and actors that way. The problem with defining young people as either knife carriers or knife users is that the term knife crime encompasses a very broad range of offences, and makes no distinguish between actual carrying and using. Furthermore, knife crime statistics are equally as difficult to quantify due to lack of clarity. The offences recorded involve sharp instruments these might actually refer to screwdrivers, broken bottles or glass, not a knife. Similarly offences listed as threatening another person with a weapon might involve sticks, rocks or other objects as well as knives. Furthermore certain types of knife may be carried legally if the carrier has a good reason, for example if it is work related, or for religion purposes. So there is some confusion as to who should be labelled when the definition itself is so br oad, a clearer definition is required in order to prevent sensationalised use of the term. If deviance is therefore just a label, where does the label come from? And how does the label come to be applied to specific behaviour and particular individuals? According to the sociologist Howard Becker(1963), moral entrepreneurs are often ones who create the rules about what constitutes deviant or conventional behaviour.  He believes that moral entrepreneurs use their own perspectives on what they believe is right or wrong to establish the rules by which they expect the rest of society to live, usually for their own political agendas. Furthermore, it has been suggested that these rules as to what is right or wrong are not randomly distributed across the social structure, but are instead more likely to apply to the powerless, the disadvantaged, and the poor. Because of existing stereotypes, which portray criminals as members of lower classes, minorities, urban dwellers, and young adults, individuals who belong to such groups are more likely than others to be labelled delinquent.   So the labelling process is a clear case of double standard, one rule for the rich and one for the poor. A perfect example to show this inadequacy is the recent MP expense row, those in power were stealing from the rest of society, yet their power enabled them to put the issues of youth violence, weapon use and gangs at the fore front, sending out sensationalised messages of a broken society  to exploit their own agendas. So the crime of the powerful is somewhat ignored by shifting societies focus on crimes of the middle and lower class. So is the quote correct in assuming knife users are generally from dysfunctional families? A dysfunctional family is one who has very few values or discipline within the household. An interesting theory to incorporate here is the control theory; this is concerned not with why people commit crime, but why so many refrain from doing so. It suggests those children who grow up with parents who exercise fair and consistent discipline are less likely to offend, and more likely to stay committed to conventional definitions of right or wrong behaviour. Those children who typically engage in knife crime or any other crime for that matter are said to come from broken homes, where they have not experienced love or care. Linking this back to the labelling theory, which suggests the powerless, low class are more likely to lead deviant careers, because they lack bonds with society and law. Subsequently, young people who have dysfunctional families within these communities will more likely conform to stereotypes they face. More so, if their parents informally label them as deviant which is very likely in cases of minorities from lower class; because they engage in more objective deviance.  This appraisal from the parent will influence their further delinquency. The quote also suggests the mass media also plays a part in ones decision to carry a knife, but is this true? Does the medias public labelling have an impact on a young persons decision to carry a knife around for protection? The media is one of the most persuasive features of society. The messages and information society receives through the media plays a huge impact on influencing their opinions and understanding. It sends out an image of the world as unrealistically clear-cut and understandable.  The media messages are in fact cleverly selected and edited, in order to offer identifiable values, interest and normative expectations. Stanley Cohen researched the social reaction of the Mods and Rockers disturbance in 1964; he claimed the media created a moral panic by labelling them as folk devils and exaggeration the initial events.  The original incident simply became an opportunity to exploit and enhance the social status of the moral entrepreneurs. In terms of knife crime or any other crime for that matter, the media is able to cultivate in their audience a belief that the larger social environment is dangerous and frightening, for example, when the mail screams that Shock figures reveal no part of Britain is safe as knife violence spreads everywhere, Thugs committing 350 knife assaults EVERYDAY, as blade menace spreads to rural areas, Britain on alert for deadly new knife with exploding tip that freezes victims organs, these are just a few examples to demonstrate the medias exaggeration. In the last headline, the knife was only sold in America, designed to kill sharks and bears, so no risk was being posed in Britain. But these types of sensationalised reports enhance social control, because the frightened audience are easily manipulated and easily accept what the media presents, and knife crime becomes wider and threatening then it actually is. The media has its good elements too; it helps raise knife crime awareness and also brings to the forefront campaigns against knife crime. The bad news is that the huge publicity devoted to raising awareness has the preserve effect of normalising it. The crime reduction charity Nacro, for example, argued: the suggestion that it is in any sense the norm to carry weapons is likely to increase the number of young people who do so, simply because they fear attack and wish to have the means to protect and defend themselves.  Furthermore the Mothers against Murder and aggression Wales found the way knife crime is portrayed in the news gives out the message that all teenagers are armed, which is a frightening concept, Almost everyone carrying a knife does so because they feel they have to protect themselves as everyone else is doing so.  So the media, like the labelling theory, labels certain groups of people, in this case young people, without any proper justification. Furthermore headl ines such as war on young thugs contributes to the concept that for some young people there is a war being waged against them and they be fighting back.  Furthermore the negative connotations of youths, when the vast majority are law-abiding, can add their sense of being under attack. As a consequence these labelled youths may begin to believe stereotypical beliefs surrounding them, or they may think that these beliefs exist based on their learned perception of what people think about criminals; fearing rejection, they may withdraw from interaction with conventional peers. Goffman (1963) suggests labelling can cause the interaction between normal people and stigmatized youth to be uneasy and embarrassing. These awkward experiences are felt by those who bear the stigma as well as those who do not. According to Goffman (1963 the very anticipation of such contacts can lead normals and the stigmatized to arrange life so as to avoid them. Therefore non labelled adolescents and labelled adolescents may tend to avoid one another in order to avoid uncomfortable interaction dynamics. Feeling isolated from the mainstream of society, and being locked within their deviant role, they may seek others similarly labelled to form deviant subcultures.  The deviant subculture will represent a source of social support in which deviant activities are accepted. A social shelter will be provided by the subculture away from those who react negatively towards the deviant status; it will offer alternative values, habits, interests and attitudes. So if an individual is labelled as deviant from society, then that labelled person is increasingly likely to become involved in social groups that consist of social deviants and unconventional others.  Tannenbaum and Becker highlight the role of deviant networks in explaining how public labelling can increase the likelihood of deviance. A final step in the career of a deviant is movement into an organised deviant group. The deviant group provides opportunities that encourage, support and facilitate deviant behaviour. These deviant sub cultures are made up of leaders and followers, solidarity of intention, clarity of purpose. These characteristics may seem positive in an adult world, even necessary for achieving adult identity and self esteem. However this hierarchy proves to be negative in terms of delinquent groups. Those at the top of the hierarchy, the leaders are often given a prestige status, one which would not be given in the mainstream society. With regards to knife crime, these leaders of the gangs side step the risk of being caught carrying a knife, by pressuring the younger member of the gangs to carry them, some as young as seven, this is often referred to as golf caddy. This often leads to an arm race among young people who feel increasingly threatened by peers carrying blades and so carry knives to protect themselves. So as the quote suggested, protection is rightfully a number one motive for knife carriers. Furthermore, young people will carry knives, out of respect, maybe trying to make a name for themselves on the street and gain respect,  so the status which they lack from mainstream society is obtainable within the subculture, To conclude, having gone through the factors within the quote, it seemingly appears that the quote is incorrect. The factors listed within the quote are simply all a consequence of the labelling theory. Society itself is quick to judge and put a label on everything, it was not so long so ago when gun crime was the cause of concern, and now it is knife crime. The term knife crime itself needs a clearer definition, so a distinction can be made between knife use and knife carrying. Furthermore, those who enjoy the power to label need to put an end to class biasness, as the powerless appear disproportionately in official statistics on deviance, which gives an inaccurate account of knife crime. Moving on to the factors themselves, status is something young people crave in order to develop their own adult identity. Once officially labelled through a status degradation ceremonythe individuals criminal status becomes their master status. The peer pressure elements falls into the equation onc e the individual has united with deviant subcultures, as peer pressure is part of the gang culture. The media also plays a big part, by publically labelling certain subcultures as delinquent. So all the factors form one vicious circle, which an individual will have to go through once labelled, This could be avoided, if the courts refused to dramatise the evil by implementing a system whereby minor crimes would not involve formal sentencing and the status degradation ceremony that goes with it. Instead a rehabilitative therapy and out of court settlement could be introduced in order to give young offenders the opportunity to reform and integrate back into society, not excluding them further.

Value Engineering Management Executive Summery Construction Essay

Value Engineering Management Executive Summery Construction Essay Value Management is structured and systematic process of team based decision making and professional team may involve to the workshop by decision making as per the current situation, condition or issue. VE is a speculated cost control techniques performed by an independent group of experienced professionals. The technique involves an intensive, systematic and creative study to reduce cost while enhancing reliability and performance. Most of investors enthusiastic to have best value for their investment by implementing Value management/ engineering process, through life cycle of the projects. As a result of unstable world economy and political conditions, Al Maya Resident Complex project (Including with 25 no stories and car park in three story basement) client was unable to find necessary funds required for the project. Therefore the cost of construction should reduce as much as possible. Hence it is necessary to carry out a value engineering workshop to find out possible ways to reduce the cost of construction by maintaining the required level of quality, performance and functional requirement. ACKNOWLEDGMENT INTRODUCTION Value Management is well established methodology which can use for maximizing the value for money. Value management strategies can apply at any stage of the life cycle (project from inception to the demolition) of a project. By applying value management strategies since the conception stage of a project, the client will be able to achieve a better value for his investment (money) by providing required level of quality, performance and all necessary functions. The client can carry out Value management / engineering work shops while construction is ongoing also by considering market conditions, economy conditions, political conditions, environmental conditions etc to seek better value for money by finding alternative methods, do changes as necessary etc. MAIN BODY DISCUSSION What Is the Value Engineering/ Value Management? Concept of Value Engineering When study about concept of VE, Lawrence Miles who is the founder of VE in 1940s a purchase engineer with the  General Electric Company  (G. E. C). Miles observed that many of the alternates were providing equal or better performance at a lower cost and from this changed the first definition of value engineering, as per the article of WBDG National Institute of Building Sciences by Scott Cullen (12-15-2010). Value Management Process Value Management is structured and systematic process of team based decision making and professional team may involve to the workshop by decision making as per the current situation, condition or issue. There are few stages in decision making such as; Information phase. Objective phase. Functional analysis phase. Creativity phase. Evaluation phase. Development phase. Reporting and recommendation phase. What Is the different of VE and VM? VE Consider from a tactical point of view, VM consider from the strategic point of view. In simple terms VM address WHY? And VE address HOW? What Is the Value Engineering? The Value Engineering for Wastewater Treatment Works of USA- EPA, noted in it, VE is a speculated cost control techniques performed by an independent group of experienced professionals. The technique involves an intensive, systematic and creative study to reduce cost while enhancing reliability and performance. Why Is it used? To establish the best design alternatives for Projects. To reduce unnecessary cost on the Projects. To improve quality, increase reliability and availability, and customer satisfaction. To improve schedule. To reduce risk. To identify problems and develop recommended solutions. Generally value engineering process can be apply at any point/ phase in a project, However, usually if use in early stage of the project life cycle, will have sufficient benefits on investment. There are three main stages of VEs application, those are describing as below. Planning Phase Planning stage is pre-study preparation phase of VE; there are additional benefits to be resulted from a Value Engineering Workshop. Therefore independent team can be: Review the program. Perform a functional analysis of the facility. Obtain the owner/users definition of value. Define the key criteria and objectives for the project. Verify/validate the proposed program. Review master plan utility options, Offer alternative solutions. Verify if the budget is adequate. Graph showing the potential savings from VE applications Graph 1.1 VE application This graph shows very clear VE benefits of VE application furthermore. (Extracted from Value Engineering for Wastewater Treatment Works of USA- EPA) VE Workshop Phase This is the most important phase of the VE process, generally address as VE workshop, required at least one workshop, typically 40- hour workshop session. As well as, client and designer whom they are decide the location as convenient of them. The first step is prepare of agenda including; Introduction, Briefing of value engineering, Presentation of Project design by project designer, Outline of the project Constrains, Question by VE team members for the designer, Methodology and Approach There are particular identify five-step during the actual Workshop of job plan of the VE study, as prescribed by article of Value Engineering; by Scott Cullen in WDBG program. Information Phase The Value management facilitator gives brief explanation to all participants about the value management process, project and study objectives; roles and rules of the exercise. Information about the project objectives, critical issues and constraints identified at the Strategic Diagnosis meeting, etc. Speculation (Creative) Phase Collecting of creativity ideas from each team member and analyze them to identify which idea is worthy, which one should improve to use, which one not worthy or additional study required to evaluate, etc. Judgment (Evaluation) Phase By evaluating all creativity ideas with cost benefits etc the decision making team will take the final decision about each idea / proposal to incorporate to the final report. Development Phase (Value Management Proposals) In this phase VE team prepare alternative designs with capital and life cycle cost comparison of original design and proposed alternative. And all recommendation supplements with written descriptions, sketches, basic technical information and cost summaries. Presentation Phase (Report/Oral Presentation) In this phase VE team present the summery of it s finding to the owner and designers, explaining the basic ideas of alternatives. Post Work shop phase The Value management Facilitator prepares and presents a report for key stake holders of the project which includes Summary of each phase, decisions made and actions to be taken, alternative methods and materials etc. which provide a complete audit trail. Then client and designers will consider the VE recommendations. Value Engineering Workshop Report of Al Maya Residential Complex Project Introduction This Dubai base multi story residential Complex project; Client is a one of the reputed experienced person in the Construction industry. According to the requirement of the client, he anticipate to reduce the unnecessary cost in the project if available, without touching or disturbing to the original quality, value of the project that planned at the began. This workshop was held in client office and all expenditure bared by client as own budget. Hence Value management and value engineering workshops are conducted according to the following principles: The workshop is held to reduce the cost of the project. All participants are stakeholder of the project. All participants take part and are able to put forward ideas and suggestions. The study was facilitated by Mr. Susan Ali and Mr. Smith De Silva of Sullivan of PMP Pty Ltd in accordance with the requirements of AS/NZS 4183:1994 (Value Management). Project details Type of the project Al Maya Resident Complex including with 25 no stories and car park in three story basement. Participants Client Mr./Ms Al Suwahdi Mohomad Civil Engineer (Contractor) ASCON Construction LLC Project Manager- ALEC Project Management LLC Architect- Design Group LLC MEP Designer- ASCON Construction LLC Quantity Surveyor- TEAMS Consultant LLC Safety Manger- ASCON Construction LLC Value Engineer Team- PMP Value Management LLC Location of the Project Zone 452/5, Block No.115, Emirate garden, Al Kahweenj, Dubai Duration of Construction 24 Months (18 Months remaining for Construction) Agreed Cost of the Contract AED 30.5 million agreed sum Current Issue Reduction of Unnecessary construction cost of the Proposed Resident Complex project through without touching or disturbing the required level of quality, functions and value due to lack of allocated finance. Agenda of Value Engineering Workshop Project: Al Maya Resident Complex including with 25 nos stories and car park in three story basement. Subject: Reduction of Unnecessary construction cost of the Project due to lack of allocated finance. Location: On 12th Nov. 2012 at the Park Building, Dubai. One day basis No. Events Person From To 1. Introduction Clients representative 9.00 am 9.15am 2. Briefing of VE VE Team leader 9.15 am 9.45am 3. Presentation of the Project details Designers 9.45am 10.15am 4. Tea Break 10.15am 10.30am 5. Outline the Project constrain Project Manager 10.30am 11.00am 6. Questions by Value Manger VE member 11.00am 12.00pm 7. Lunch 12.00pm 12.30pm 8. Information Phase VE member 12.30pm 1.30pm 9. Speculation Phase VE member 1.30pm 2.00pm 10. Judgment Phase All Individual members (VE members) 2.00pm 3.00pm 11. Development Phase VE member 3.00pm 3.30pm 12. Tea Time 3.30pm 3.45pm 13. Presentation Phase 3.45pm 4.30pm The VE workshop This Value Engineering Workshop occurred according to the five-stage of job plan that recommended by New Zealand standard (AS/NZS 4183: 1994). The aim of this value Engineering workshop consist of identifying unnecessary cost, developing alternatives, enabling decisions to be made without touching or disturbing the required level of quality, functions and value. Information phase Particularly in this phase of the workshop, client shared relevant information with workshop members, mainly objective of the workshop to ready all participant for ask questions, begin to develop ideas and suggestions and challenge ideas already on the table. The ideas are being to promote innovative alternatives and ideas that may lead to better value outcomes for the project. All participant were presented they ideas asking question at this stage therefore this very important stage of the VE workshop for clearly make understand of the objective further. Client Agent He explained the project background and objectives for all participants clearly, and his expectation getting of workshop finally as unnecessary cost reduction of the project without touching or disturbing the project original scope. Civil Engineer He explained the existing situation of construction and agreed with some proposals given by VE team. Such as local made sanitary fittings and accessories, wall floor tiles, etc. due all make under UK standards Project Manager He explained possibility of mange for all ideas Architect He very much concerned about change of tile and local made sanitary items, eventually, he satisfy and explain those are under similar quality of original design. MEP Designer He explained the possibility of change of lighting system inside the all room without harm to the original quality and value. Quantity Surveyor He explained cost effective for all participant ideas, Safety Manger He explained concerning the safety side for all new ideas, potential incident in future as well as some changes by recommended. Value Engineer Team They explained the their proposals Speculative phase This step of the VE workshop concerned developing creative ideas, the VE team trace all possible methods of providing the required functions within the project at a lower cost to the owner, many of the ideas were generated during the function analysis by detraining the worth of Collecting of creativity ideas from each team member and analyze them to identify which idea is worthy, which one should improve to use, which one not worthy or additional study required to evaluate, etc. Hence, all ideas given by the Value engineering team are as follows, and also the Quantity Surveyor provided possible cost saving by each idea. N Specified work items in Contract Proposed Ideas Comments Original Cost Proposed Cost Potential Savings 1. Important sanitary fittings and bath room accessories UK made as specified. locally made Similar quality instead of import from UK Cost saving, not effect to the quality. AED 4.2 million AED 3.1 million AED 0.9 million 2. 9 cement blocks for internal walls. 4 cement block for internal walls. Cost saving and not change the quality. AED 8.5 million AED 6.1 million AED 1.5 million 3. 100 Lux Normal Incandescent Lights bulbs for all rooms and out sides 100 Lux energizer bulbs instead of specified Incandescent Lights bulbs. Cost saving but the change will effect to the appearance AED 11.0 million AED 8.0 million AED 1.0 million 4. Cast in-suit concrete floor and guard wall of Car park. Precast concrete for car park floor slab and guard walls. Cost saving Possible time. AED 5.5 million AED 5.5 million 5. Electrical panel boards and accessories units import from UK. Electrical panel boards and accessory units should import from china instead of UK made. Cost saving and might not high standard with compare of UK made. AED 10.0 million AED 10.0 million 6. 9 inch thick internal block wall as specified. For all 9 inch brick internal wall should be changed to 4 inch block walls. Cost saving, AED15.0 million AED15 million All participants were noted down the ideas but not judge them at this stage. Later in the workshop all participants would be given the opportunity to judge all proposals for worth and assess whether can be implemented to archive the aim of the VE workshop, hence at the Judgment Phase each of the ideas was evaluated for worth. JUDGEMENT PHASE In this phase the whole group judged the speculative ideas for merit; the purpose being to identify ideas that are likely to reduce cost of the project. Evaluation The following table lists the ideas submitted by participants and they were evaluated in accordance with the following rating system: Each Idea has rated by each participant as how it is effecting to the time, cost and quality of the project. Then it is possible to put rates at the opportunity column according to the given points by professionals. Then the Value Engineering Coordinator can select which proposal should develop, which proposal should reject and also which proposal can directly push for the action, etc. Company: PMP Value Management LLC. Project: Al Maya Residential Complex Project,( 25 storey and Car park in basement) Held on : 05-10-2012 Table of Impact of VE workshop Summary No Description Impact Opp. Action Remarks T C Q 1. Locally made Similar quality instead of import from France made sanitary fittings accessories. 5 5 4 5 A Cost saving 2. 4 cement block for internal walls. 5 4 5 5 A Cost saving 3. 100 Lux energizer bulbs instead of specified Incandescent Lights bulbs. 5 3 3 4 R Effect to Appearance 4. Precast concrete for car park floor slab and guard walls. 5 5 5 5 D To be identify possible areas 5. Electrical panel boards and accessory units should import from china instead of UK made. 3 5 4 4 A Cost saving but should order again 6. For all 9 inch brick internal wall should be changed to 4 inch block walls. 3 5 5 5 A Cost saving but design to be done back Code of Rating Opp = Opportunity, Impact= T Time, C Cost, Q Quality Rating of Impact = 1 Possible/Low, 5-Very Possible/High Action=A (Accept), D (Develop), R (Reject) This identified ideas with the potential of cost saving or improvements to the project shall be identified for further development under development phase. DEVELOPMENT PHASE In this phase participants have the opportunity to make specific recommendations and proposals based on outcomes of the earlier phases. Workshop outcomes and a specific action plan are also produced pending the post workshop report. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSAL The proposal was supported by participants because it: Support to local traders, Improves efficiency of lighting system, Provides safety of workmanship during the construction, Provides an alternative energy savings, and environmental safe. Issues that detract from the proposal It requires more evaluation for life cycle cost of maintain period and functioning, as well as it does not include infrastructures work review. CONCLUSION/ RECOMMENDATION Value Management strategies can apply for any stage of any project. It is very much use full to apply Value Engineering/ Management strategies since the connectional stage of a project. Also these strategies can be applying to any project till the demolition phase its, thus for the life cycle of the project. Any client can have a great value for his investments by applying Value management/ engineering strategies for his/ her investment. It is highly recommended to carry out the proposals which proposed by the vale management team and also it is highly recommended to carry out further value management workshops to find out further more possible ways to reduction the construction cost.

Arab Israeli Conflict and Holocaust. :: essays research papers

The Holocaust was the almost complete destruction of Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II, which lasted between1939 and 1945. We can learn much from this event and ways to prevent similar events from happening again. However, it can be compared to today’s Arab Israeli Conflict, which is the cause of a dispute over the land of Palestine. The Holocaust was the worst genocide in history. The Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler wanted to eliminate all Jews as part of his plan for world power. Jews were not the only victims of the Nazis during W.W.II. The Nazis also killed millions of other people whom Hitler regarded as racially lower or politically dangerous. After World War II began in 1939, Germany's powerful war machine conquered country after country in Europe. Millions more Jews came under German control. The Nazis killed many of them and sent others to concentration camps. The Nazis also moved many Jews from towns and villages into city ghettos. They later sent these people, too, to concentration camps. Although many Jews thought the ghettos would last, the Nazis saw ghetto imprisonment as only a temporary measure. Sometime in early 1941, the Nazi leadership finalized the details of a policy decision labeled "The Final Solution of the Jewish Question." This policy called for the murder of every Jew (man, wo man, and child) under German rule. The first Nazi concentration camps were organized shortly after Hitler came to power. These facilities held tens of thousands of political prisoners arrested by the Nazis. Later on (around 1940’s), several new camps were established, with specially constructed gas chambers disguised as showers. When the Jews arrived at a camp, a physician singled out the young and healthy while the others were sent directly to the gas chambers. For identification, camp personnel tattooed a number on the arm of each person. The prisoners were forced to work long hours under cruel conditions. When they were too weak to work any longer, they too were killed or left to die. During the Holocaust, the Nazis kept their actions as secret as possible, and they misled their victims in many ways to prevent resistance. Initially, the Jews in the ghettos either were not aware of the slaughter planned for them or simply could not believe it was happening. The Arab – Israeli Conflict is similar in a way like the Holocaust.

Wind Power as the Future Energy Source Essay -- Energy Power Global Wa

Wind Power- the Future Energy Source Abstract: We are facing an energy crisis on Earth. Burning fossil fuels are harming the atmosphere; this global warming and affects produces chemicals that hurt our body. People are starting to think about using alternative energy. Wind power would be our first choice, because it’s clean, inexhaustible and renewable. Today, wind power is mainly used in Europe. We believed wind power would be the main source of alternative energy for world use. Introduction: Since 400-500A.D, people used windmill energy in farms for grain grinding and water pumping. In 1888, the first wind turbine that generated electricity was discovered by Charles F.Brush in Ohio, USA. However, there are limitations on speed. People did not pay much attention to it; rather, they used fossil fuels. In the 1920s, the improvement of windmill energy was widespread in some rural area in the U.S. and Europe. (Dodge 2006). Later in the 1970s, people realized the shortcomings of fossil fuels; they started looking to alternative energy. Wind is costless, clean and renewable. (Brown 2005). When sun heats on the earth, wind cools down the surface of the Earth. Thus, as the sun shines, there will be inexhaustible wind blowing. Windmill energy uses the power of wind through a generator to generate electricity to urban areas. (2005). Wind Power 3 Results and Discussion: Currently over 50 percent of the electric energy is comes from coal. (See Figure 1). The oil prices started to increase dramatically in 2000. Many people can’t afford it. The capacity of using this energy was low. Coal uses grows 2.5 percent annually. However, wind power grows almost 30 percent annually. (Brown 2006). In the early 1980s, the wind generator in Califo... ...Power Expand in 2006 Earth Policy Institute retrieved July 30, 2006 http://www.earth-policy.org/Indicators/Wind/2006.htm GWEC (2006, February) Record year for wind energy: Global wind power market increased by 40.5% in 2005 Global Energy Council retrieved July 30, 2006 http://www.gwec.net/index.php?id=30&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=21&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=4&cHash=d0118b8972 No author (2005, September) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S department of energy retrieved July 30, 2006 http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_technologies.html No author(July 2006) Electric Power Monthly Energy Administration Information http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/epm_sum.html retrieved July 30th, 2006 No author (2005, December) Wind Energy- Energy from moving Air Energy Kid’s Page http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html

Frankenstein Today :: essays research papers fc

Is the Technology of Today Ready to Create Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein†? When the novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, by Mary Shelley came out in 1831 the general public was introduced to the idea of man creating another man, scientifically without the use of reproduction. The disasters that followed, in the novel, demonstrated the horrid fact that creating humans was not natural. That was in 1831, when the knowledge of science had not yet evolved enough to act on such an idea. Now as the start of a new millenium approaches, having the capability to scientifically produce one human who is genetically identical to another, or cloning a human, has a lot of people questioning weather or not it is our moral right to do such a thing. It is a classic debate between principles of science and principles of religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The more we know about genetics and the building blocks of life the closer we get to being capable of cloning a human. The study of chromosomes and DNA strains has been going on for years. In 1990, the Unites States Government founded the Human Genome Project (HGP). This program was to research and study the estimated 80,000 human genes and determine the sequences of 3 billion DNA molecules. Knowing and being able to examine each sequence could change how humans respond to diseases, viruses, and toxins common to everyday life. With the technology of today the HGP expects to have a blueprint of all human DNA sequences by the spring of 2000. This accomplishment, even though not cloning, presents other new issues for individuals and society. For this reason the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) was brought in to identify and address these issues. They operate to secure the individuals rights to those who contribute DNA samples for studies. The ELSI, bein g the biggest bioethics program, has to decide on important factors when an individual’s personal DNA is calculated. Such factors would include; who would have access to the information, who controls and protects the information and when to use it? Along with these concerns, the ESLI tries to prepare for the estimated impacts that genetic advances could be responsible for in the near future. The availability of such information is becoming to broad and one needs to be concerned where society is going with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next step after scientists have identified and studied adult DNA would be to copy it.

Personal Response to Dear Daddy Essay

The short story Dear Daddy by Lee Maracle brought me back the tears that I, too, had as a child. I felt pitiful for the main character’s experience and deeply impressed by the thirteen-year-old girl’s courage of getting over her negative feelings for the past and going on with her life. The story, written in the form of a letter, shows the process of a thirteen-year-old girl becoming more mature as she expresses her grievances from her tragic childhood. At the beginning of the story, she described both the emotional and physical difficulties her family suffered through because of the absence of her father. She felt lonely, insecure and confused as she hoped that her father would come back. â€Å"Sometimes I had bad dreams. I would dream the welfare took us away and no one missed us, not even mommy. Daddy where were you?† (Page 163) At the end of the letter, however, the girl started to understand that her view of the world before was unbalanced and incomplete, â €Å"through a thin veil full of small holes†. (Page 165) She felt more released and started to notice â€Å"the greatness of the world†. (Page 165) She began to treasure all the memories she had with her family instead of thinking about her misery all the time, â€Å"we carried on living.† (Page 165) There was a great transition of her character from the beginning to the end of the letter. The girl’s story reminded me of myself. Although I did not have a childhood filled with misery, I did have similar feelings as her when I first came to Canada at the age of thirteen. Unlike a lot of people, I did not have enough time to get ready for a new environment. My parents told me that we were immigrating to Canada exactly one week before we left China. It almost felt like my feet were already on the Canadian land before I knew it. For a long time I felt extremely lonely, unsecure, and uncertain about my future. I missed my friends, my old teachers, and the nice big house we had in China. For the thirteen years of my life in China, I had have depressions, but never as hard as this one because I always had a best friend that could support me and comfort me. This time, I had no one. Like the mother in Dear Daddy, my parents had to work, so it was almost impossible to express my feelings to anyone. â€Å"It was hard, now that mommy was working.† One midnight when I woke up from a bad dream, I saw two tiny mice climbing on my bedroom window. I was horrified as I had never seen a real wild mouse before. Because of my parents’ hard work during the day,  they were in deep sleeps. Like the girl in the story, I did not make a noise when I cried. â€Å"It took me such long time to stop crying and finally fall asleep. I knew better than making noise—just tears trailing down my cheeks.† (Page 163) For the same purpose as the girl’s letter in the story, to express myself, I started to write journals every day. I gradually thought about my past less and less. Instead, I started to study hard and try to make new friends and â€Å"carried on living† like the thirteen-year-old girl. I greatly admire the girl for her courage of moving on with her life instead of thinking about the past all the time. I have done the same before and I knew that it was very hard especially when her life was such a misery. I believe that the lesson the story tries to teach people is that sinking in the past can only bring more misery, while life is wonderful if we view it with tolerate and tranquil eyes.

World Religions and Places of Worship

Religious expression The statement of â€Å" Money should be spent helping people, not decorating a place of worship† is a very controversial one. It could either be true or false, depending on the place, time and size of the church. It is completely true that the money used for decorating a place of worship such as a church or a mosque could be better-spent helping people as mentioned in the previous statement. However, I agree and disagree with this statement to certain extents.I agree because, taking Christianity and churches as an example, it is taught in the bible that modesty is an important aspect of life that must be met. However, many churches seem to do the exact opposite. Decorating their walls with paintings, using stained glass windows and placing gold crosses within the church. Other religions such as Islam also spend a lot of money on the interior and exterior decoration of mosques. Filling them with golden calligraphy and a number of minarets that are all expen sively done.This money could have been used to help the less fortunate and other people who are in need of financial aid. I disagree due to the following reasons; firstly with places of worship being fancily decorated, expensively or not, it increases the amount of respect people have to that place. It also shows respect to, in some religions, god or the person of worship for that religion. Taking the Notre Dame as an example, the amount of money it brings to the tourism of France is extremely high. People visit it for pilgrimage, examining its intricate architecture and design and even to repent.The extra money this church brings in could help the less fortunate in many ways. Thus proving the previous statement controversial. Secondly, the aim of showing god the sacrifices and financial efforts that were made to his satisfaction and in satisfaction of his worshipers. This reduces the effect that the statement has on the decoration of places of worship. In conclusion, I both agree a nd disagree with the statement of â€Å" money should be spent helping people, not decorating a place of worship†.Due to the numerous reasons and examples above and taking into consideration the main point of money that could have been spent helping people, spent on decorating a church that would positively impact the economy of a country and then helping people. The statement could work both ways, and if the place of worship was properly decorated, attracting enough people to it, it can gain enough money to help people in need of help and improving their lives from all aspects is possible.