Battle of Corregidor, 1942 - World War II

Battle of Corregidor, 1942 - World War II The Battle of Corregidor was fought May 5-6, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) and was the last major engagement of the Japanese conquest of the Philippines. A fortress island, Corregidor commanded access to Manila Bay and housed a multitude of batteries. With the Japanese invasion in 1941, American and Filipino forces withdrew to the Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor to await assistance from abroad. While fighting raged along the Bataan line in early 1942, Corregidor served as the headquarters for General Douglas MacArthur until he was ordered to leave for Australia in March. With the peninsulas fall in April, the Japanese shifted their attention to capturing Corregidor. Landing on May 5, Japanese forces overcame fierce resistance before compelling the garrison to capitulate. As part of the Japanese terms, Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright was made to surrender all American forces in the Philippines. Fast Facts: Battle of Corregidor (1942) Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)Dates: May 5-6, 1942Armies Commanders:AlliesLieutenant General Jonathan WainwrightBrigadier General Charles F. MooreColonel Samuel Howard13,000 menJapanLieutenant General Masaharu HommaMajor General Kureo TanaguchiMajor General Kizon Mikami75,000 menCasualties:Allies: 800 killed, 1,000 wounded, and 11,000 capturedJapanese: 900 killed, 1,200 wounded Background Located in Manila Bay, just south of the Bataan Peninsula, Corregidor served as a key element in the Allied defensive plans for the Philippines in the years after World War I. Officially designated Fort Mills, the small island was shaped like a tadpole and was heavily fortified with numerous coastal batteries which mounted 56 guns of various sizes. The wide western end of the island, known as Topside, contained most of the islands guns, while barracks and support facilities were located on a plateau to the east known as Middleside. Further east was Bottomside which contained the town of San Jose as well as dock facilities (Map). Looming over this area was Malinta Hill which housed an array of fortified tunnels. The main shaft ran east-west for 826 feet and possessed 25 lateral tunnels. These housed the offices for General Douglas MacArthurs headquarters as well as storage areas. Connected to this system was a second set of tunnels to the north which contained a 1,000-bed hospital and medical facilities for the garrison (Map). General Douglas MacArthur, 1945. Library of Congress Further to the east, the island tapered to a point where an airfield was located. Due the perceived strength of Corregidors defenses, it was dubbed the Gibraltar of the East. Supporting Corregidor, were three other facilities around Manila Bay: Fort Drum, Fort Frank, and Fort Hughes. With the beginning of the Philippines Campaign in December 1941, these defenses were led by Major General George F. Moore. The Japanese Land Following smaller landings earlier in the month, Japanese forces came ashore in force at Luzons Lingayen Gulf on December 22. Though attempts were made to hold the enemy on the beaches, these efforts failed and by nightfall the Japanese were safely ashore. Recognizing that the enemy could not be pushed back, MacArthur implemented War Plan Orange 3 on December 24. This called for some American and Filipino forces to assume blocking positions while the remainder withdrew to a defensive line on the Bataan Peninsula to the west of Manila. To oversee operations, MacArthur shifted his headquarters to the Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor. For this, he was derisively nicknamed Dugout Doug by the troops fighting on Bataan. Allied anti-aircraft gunners on Corregidor, 1941/2. Photograph Courtesy of the US Army Over the next several days, efforts were made to shift supplies and resources to the peninsula with the goal of holding out until reinforcements could arrive from the United States. As the campaign progressed, Corregidor first came under attack on December 29 when Japanese aircraft began a bombing campaign against the island. Lasting for several days, these raids destroyed many of the buildings on the island including the Topside and Bottomside barracks as well as the US Navys fuel depot (Map). Preparing Corregidor In January, the air raids diminished and efforts commenced to enhance the islands defenses. While fighting raged on Bataan, the defenders of Corregidor, consisting largely of Colonel Samuel L. Howards 4th Marines and elements of several other units, endured siege conditions as food supplies slowly dwindled. As the situation on Bataan deteriorated, MacArthur received orders from President Franklin Roosevelt to leave the Philippines and escape to Australia. Initially refusing, MacArthur was convinced by his chief of staff to go. Departing on the night of March 12, 1942, he turned over command in the Philippines to Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright. Traveling by PT boat to Mindanao, MacArthur and his party then flew to Australia on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Back in the Philippines, efforts to resupply Corregidor largely failed as ships were intercepted by the Japanese. Prior to its fall, only one vessel, the MV Princessa, successfully eluded the Japanese and reached the island with provisions. As the position on Bataan neared collapse, around 1,200 men were shifted to Corregidor from the peninsula. With no alternatives remaining, Major General Edward King was forced to surrender Bataan on April 9. Having secured Bataan, Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma turned his attention to capturing Corregidor and eliminating enemy resistance around Manila. On April 28, Major General Kizon Mikamis 22nd Air Brigade began an aerial offensive against the island. A Desperate Defense Shifting artillery to the southern part of Bataan, Homma began a relentless bombardment of the island on May 1. This continued until May 5 when Japanese troops under Major General Kureo Tanaguchi boarded landing craft to assault Corregidor. Just before midnight, an intense artillery barrage hammered the area between North and Cavalry Points near the islands tail. Storming the beach, the initial wave of 790 Japanese infantry met fierce resistance and was hampered by oil which had washed ashore on Corregidors beaches from the numerous ships sunk in the area. Hospital in the Malinta Tunnel, Corregidor. US Army Though American artillery exacted a heavy toll on the landing fleet, the troops on the beach succeeded in gaining a foothold after making effective use of Type 89 grenade dischargers known as knee mortars. Fighting heavy currents, the second Japanese attack attempted to land further east. Hit hard as they came ashore, the assaulting forces lost most of their officers early in the fighting was largely repulsed by the 4th Marines. The survivors then shifted west to join with the first wave. Struggling inland, the Japanese began to make some gains and by 1:30 AM on May 6 had captured Battery Denver. Becoming a focal point of the battle, the 4th Marines quickly moved to recover the battery. Heavy fighting ensued which became hand-to-hand but ultimately saw the Japanese slowly overwhelm the Marines as reinforcements arrived from the mainland. The Island Falls With the situation desperate, Howard committed his reserves around 4:00 AM. Moving forward, approximately 500 Marines were slowed by Japanese snipers which had infiltrated through the lines. Though suffering from ammunition shortages, the Japanese took advantage of their superior numbers and continued to press the defenders. Around 5:30 AM, approximately 880 reinforcements landed in the island and moved to support the initial assault waves. Four hours later, the Japanese succeeded in landing three tanks on the island. These proved key in driving the defenders back to concrete trenches near the entrance to the Malinta Tunnel. With over 1,000 helpless wounded in the Tunnels hospital and expecting additional Japanese forces to land on the island, Wainwright began to contemplate surrender. Surrender of American troops at Corregidor, Philippine Islands, May 1942. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives Records Administration Aftermath Meeting with his commanders, Wainwright saw no other option but to capitulate. Radioing Roosevelt, Wainwright stated, There is a limit of human endurance, and that point has long been passed. While Howard burned the 4th Marines colors to prevent capture, Wainwright sent emissaries to discuss terms with Homma. Though Wainwright only wished to surrender the men on Corregidor, Homma insisted that he surrender all remaining US and Filipino forces in the Philippines. Concerned about those US forces that had already been captured as well as those on Corregidor, Wainwright saw little choice but comply with this order. As a result, large formations such as Major General William Sharps Visayan-Mindanao Force were forced to surrender without having played a role in the campaign. Though Sharp complied with the surrender order, many of his men continued to battle the Japanese as guerillas. The fighting for Corregidor saw Wainwright lose around 800 killed, 1,000 wounded, and 11,000 captured. Japanese losses numbered 900 killed and 1,200 wounded. While Wainwright was imprisoned in Formosa and Manchuria for the remainder of the war, his men were taken to prison camps around the Philippines as well as used for slave labor in other parts of the Japanese Empire. Corregidor remained under Japanese control until Allied forces liberated the island in February 1945. USS Claxton provides fire support during the Battle of Corregidor (1945). Photograph Courtesy of the US Government

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Awesome Blog Posts - Freewrite Store

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Awesome Blog Posts - Freewrite Store These days, everyone seems to be blogging. It’s the ‘cool’ thing to do. Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress make starting your own blog simple. But you only have to spend a short time perusing other blogs to discover that there’s much more to it than making it look pretty. Virtually anyone can write a blog post. Writing awesome blog posts that others are eager to read takes much more effort and skill. When you’re just starting out, that can seem like looking up a huge mountain. You wonder if you can achieve those blogging dreams. I know.   I’ve been blogging for almost ten years and I’m still learning new tricks to make my posts more engaging and readable. One question I get asked most as a writing coach is if there’s an easy way to consistently write awesome blog posts. I’d never describe writing captivating content as easy - but it’s easierwhen you have the right tools. In this ultimate guide, I’ll show you how. The Key Ingredients Fine-dining chefs know that the quality of their culinary masterpieces depends on the quality of their ingredients. Likewise, the best blog writers understand that the quality of their writing depends on a set of ingredients that can’t be compromised on. As a writer, you’ll know that different types of writing need different skills. Writing a blog post isn’t like writing a novel - and if you’re used to writing long pieces of content, writing blog posts can be a sharp learning curve. To make it more complex, there are different types of blog posts, too. Listicles, articles, how-to-guides†¦ the list is endless. But, blog posts of all kinds share common key ingredients you can use as a kind of formula to create blog posts that your readers will find irresistible. 1. Hard-Working Headline Headlines are like hooks that snare your readers in and entice them to keep reading. For centuries, newspaper editors have been using headline psychology to increase readership. Yet when it comes to blogging, writers often fall into the trap of thinking the body of your posts matters more than the headline. It doesn’t. Well, technically the content matters more to give value to your readers - but without a hard-working headline, no one will read the blog post, anyway. You can see how that’s a problem. I know writers who spend more time writing their headlines than they do their content - and they’re the writers who see their blog posts go viral. Go figure. So, what makes a headline hard-working? These kinds of headlines are powerful, persuasive - and tell the reader what to expect. Smart bloggers use psychology to get into the heads of their audience and write headlines that can’t be ignored. The best way to learn how to write these kinds of headlines is to Google your topic - and see what the top ranking blog headlines are. Study them. Learn from other bloggers who’ve been where you are now and have reached that pinnacle of success you’re aiming for. Want to perfect your headline-writing technique to make creating epic blog posts easier? Spend an hour every day writing headlines - and re-writing them to make them better. Practice makes perfect - plus, you’ll be generating hundreds of blog post titles for future use. Types of headlines include: How-to... List (tip - use an odd number, e.g. 7, 13, 45) Warning! (exploit the reader’s FOMO) The ultimate guide to... Why... Headlines that tease your reader without giving too much away virtually guarantee they’ll read your post. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers - and write the kinds of headlines that would make you click and read.   2. Irresistible Intro The headline hooks your reader. The intro convinces them to keep reading. To write irresistible intros you need to understand your readers, be able to relate to their problems, know what they’re looking for - and speak to them in a language they ‘get’. My background is in Linguistics, so when I first wrote blog posts, they were dire. Not because I didn’t know how to write - but because I was used to writing academic papers. My blogs would have delighted my professors - but they didn’t speak to my readers. A powerful and irresistible intro uses empathy to convince your readers you get them. You care about them. You want to help them with some problem or give them something they’re looking for. Exploiting emotions is another trick you can use to craft enticing intros. Which emotions you exploit depends on the post you’re writing - but before you start writing, know what feelings you want to cultivate in your reader. Learn from bloggers who’ve been in your shoes. Look at how they do it. The top ranking bloggers are at the top of the search results because they’re at the top of their game. Study their techniques - and start practicing. 3. Epic, Valuable Advice Want your readers to love your blog so much they can’t wait to share it on Facebook or Twitter? Of course you do - that’s how you grow your readership and build your reputation as a kick-ass writer. But we’re a consumer-culture. You don’t get anything for nothing. You want your readers to do something at the end of the post? Give them something valuable in return. I don’t mean you have to buytheir recommendation. You want to compel them to take action, not force them. The value is in what your blog post offers them. Do you have a solution to their problem that no one else has suggested? Can you help them learn a skill they need? Figure out what your readers will value most, and give it to them. Prove that you know what you’re talking about - and get them eager to read your next blog posts, too. But don’t just stop there. Give them more than they’re expecting from a blog post. The more you give them, the more they’ll love you. It’s really that simple. If other bloggers are giving 10 tips for something, give 15, 20 or even 25 - and maybe throw in a PDF they can download (in exchange for their email address). Make your advice easy for them to read, digest, and act on. This part of your blog post is the meat - and if you don’t make it easy to digest, you risk losing your reader - no matter how valuable your advice is. Subheadings and short paragraphs are the blogger’s best friend. If a paragraph is over four lines long, it’s too long and needs breaking up. Watch the length of your sentences, too. Tons of people read blogs and more on smartphones - and long paragraphs on a desktop are even longer on a smartphone. You’re aiming to improve your reader’s life - so don’t make it hard for them to read! 4. Kick-Ass Conclusion Finishing your blog post strong is sometimes harder than starting it. How do you close your post off with a bang when you’ve already delivered so much? It takes practice to get this part right. You want to motivate your readers and get them coming back for more. But you also need to keep it short and punchy. What you must avoid in your conclusion is adding new information. Readers hate that. All the hard work you’ve done so far can be undone with a poorly thought out conclusion. The key to writing a powerful, motivating conclusion is to write it to yourself. Yes, that sounds weird, but it works. You’re an expert on the topic, so you’ve been in your reader’s shoes. So, what would you write to your former self now you’ve overcome the challenges? What did you wish someone had said to you back then? What encouragement did you long to hear? Maybe you didhear it. So give your readers a pep talk, empower them - and give them the confidence to put all your valuable advice into action. Style Matters That’s the ingredients taken care of. But you can’t throw a load of ingredients into a pot and expect a culinary masterpiece to emerge. There’s more to producing consistently awesome blog posts than the ingredients. Your style matters, too. The style of your posts will vary according to your audience. It’s easy to forget you’re writing for them, not for you. Don’t make that mistake. To write to your readers and forthem: Use the language and style they use Speak to them directly Avoid jargon they won’t understand Present information logically Readability Readability is a big thing in the blogging world. The Flesch Reading Ease scale is a great tool for bloggers to use to check how easy your writing is to read. There are tons of different tools you can use to measure it. Keeping an eye on your readability score can really improve your blog writing. It helps you focus on your reader’s comprehension, not on using big words and technical jargon. You should aim for a readability score of 60 or more. Since I’ve been using a readability tool, my score’s gone from an average of 58-60 to an average of 78-82. It works. Putting in Your Personality Allowing your personality to shine through your writing adds a personal touch to your blog posts that readers love. They’re more likely to subscribe to your blog posts - or at least bookmark your blog - when you add that human element. It creates a kind of relationship - and makes your blog posts sound different from all the other blog posts competing for your readers’ attention. Breaking Grammar Rules Writing consistently awesome blog posts means you have to break rules. Grammar rules, that is. All those things you were taught in school about split infinitives and contractions - your readers (mostly) don’t care about. Unless you’re writing a blog about grammar, of course. Blogs are much more informal. You’re speaking to your readers, not writing them an essay. Writing in a style they can relate to matters so much more than maintaining the rules of grammar. Polishing Your Posts Never hit the publish button until you’ve polished your posts. Ever. Your first draft might be perfect. It might be utterly awesome and epic. But don’t publish it yet. Please. Every writer’s different. Some leave their writing for a few days before they edit. Others leave it a few hours. It’s up to you - as long as you edit. When you come back to your blog post, you’re looking to polish till it’s perfect: Cut unnecessary words Add more emotion Break up any paragraphs that look too long Fact check Check the flow Add highlights Spark the senses Check your consistency Creating Irresistible Content, Consistently You want to write irresistible blog posts your readers will love, and you want to do it easily. The good news is that you’ve now got a formula for awesome blog posts. The bad news is that the formula makes it easier rather than easy. Writing awesome blog posts takes effort. It takes time. It takes practice. But you can do it. You’ve got all the tools you need to write blogs your readers will love. Yes, you’ll have moments of doubt. We all do. That’s just part of being a writer. You’ll look at the blog posts that the top ranking bloggers have written and wonder if you can ever compete. You can. You can’t let fear or intimidation stop you. You wouldn’t be reading this post if you didn’t believe, somewhere deep down inside, that you have it in you to write consistently awesome blogs. Learn from the writers who have gone before you - but don’t be intimidated by them. They were in your shoes not so long ago, and look where they are now. You’ll never get there if you don’t start, though. Start today. Start with hard-working headlines, and work your way up until it’s your blog that’s sitting at the top of the rankings and you that the world is turning to for advice.       About the author: Ariella is an experienced copywriter, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Driven by a passion for writing and content creation she takes pride in producing articles that deliver the latest information in an engaging manner and marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results. Ariella has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Creative Writing (First), an MA in Theology and Ministry, and is a published author of three novels and a bestselling non-fiction book. A creative at heart, Ariella has 14 years’ industry experience and always aims to keep abreast of current trends and developments. She lives in the UK with her three beagles Zeke, Hope, and Sandy, who always make life interesting. The Ultimate Guide to Writing Awesome Blog Posts - Freewrite Store These days, everyone seems to be blogging. It’s the ‘cool’ thing to do. Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress make starting your own blog simple. But you only have to spend a short time perusing other blogs to discover that there’s much more to it than making it look pretty. Virtually anyone can write a blog post. Writing awesome blog posts that others are eager to read takes much more effort and skill. When you’re just starting out, that can seem like looking up a huge mountain. You wonder if you can achieve those blogging dreams. I know.   I’ve been blogging for almost ten years and I’m still learning new tricks to make my posts more engaging and readable. One question I get asked most as a writing coach is if there’s an easy way to consistently write awesome blog posts. I’d never describe writing captivating content as easy - but it’s easierwhen you have the right tools. In this ultimate guide, I’ll show you how. The Key Ingredients Fine-dining chefs know that the quality of their culinary masterpieces depends on the quality of their ingredients. Likewise, the best blog writers understand that the quality of their writing depends on a set of ingredients that can’t be compromised on. As a writer, you’ll know that different types of writing need different skills. Writing a blog post isn’t like writing a novel - and if you’re used to writing long pieces of content, writing blog posts can be a sharp learning curve. To make it more complex, there are different types of blog posts, too. Listicles, articles, how-to-guides†¦ the list is endless. But, blog posts of all kinds share common key ingredients you can use as a kind of formula to create blog posts that your readers will find irresistible. 1. Hard-Working Headline Headlines are like hooks that snare your readers in and entice them to keep reading. For centuries, newspaper editors have been using headline psychology to increase readership. Yet when it comes to blogging, writers often fall into the trap of thinking the body of your posts matters more than the headline. It doesn’t. Well, technically the content matters more to give value to your readers - but without a hard-working headline, no one will read the blog post, anyway. You can see how that’s a problem. I know writers who spend more time writing their headlines than they do their content - and they’re the writers who see their blog posts go viral. Go figure. So, what makes a headline hard-working? These kinds of headlines are powerful, persuasive - and tell the reader what to expect. Smart bloggers use psychology to get into the heads of their audience and write headlines that can’t be ignored. The best way to learn how to write these kinds of headlines is to Google your topic - and see what the top ranking blog headlines are. Study them. Learn from other bloggers who’ve been where you are now and have reached that pinnacle of success you’re aiming for. Want to perfect your headline-writing technique to make creating epic blog posts easier? Spend an hour every day writing headlines - and re-writing them to make them better. Practice makes perfect - plus, you’ll be generating hundreds of blog post titles for future use. Types of headlines include: How-to... List (tip - use an odd number, e.g. 7, 13, 45) Warning! (exploit the reader’s FOMO) The ultimate guide to... Why... Headlines that tease your reader without giving too much away virtually guarantee they’ll read your post. Put yourself in the shoes of your readers - and write the kinds of headlines that would make you click and read.   2. Irresistible Intro The headline hooks your reader. The intro convinces them to keep reading. To write irresistible intros you need to understand your readers, be able to relate to their problems, know what they’re looking for - and speak to them in a language they ‘get’. My background is in Linguistics, so when I first wrote blog posts, they were dire. Not because I didn’t know how to write - but because I was used to writing academic papers. My blogs would have delighted my professors - but they didn’t speak to my readers. A powerful and irresistible intro uses empathy to convince your readers you get them. You care about them. You want to help them with some problem or give them something they’re looking for. Exploiting emotions is another trick you can use to craft enticing intros. Which emotions you exploit depends on the post you’re writing - but before you start writing, know what feelings you want to cultivate in your reader. Learn from bloggers who’ve been in your shoes. Look at how they do it. The top ranking bloggers are at the top of the search results because they’re at the top of their game. Study their techniques - and start practicing. 3. Epic, Valuable Advice Want your readers to love your blog so much they can’t wait to share it on Facebook or Twitter? Of course you do - that’s how you grow your readership and build your reputation as a kick-ass writer. But we’re a consumer-culture. You don’t get anything for nothing. You want your readers to do something at the end of the post? Give them something valuable in return. I don’t mean you have to buytheir recommendation. You want to compel them to take action, not force them. The value is in what your blog post offers them. Do you have a solution to their problem that no one else has suggested? Can you help them learn a skill they need? Figure out what your readers will value most, and give it to them. Prove that you know what you’re talking about - and get them eager to read your next blog posts, too. But don’t just stop there. Give them more than they’re expecting from a blog post. The more you give them, the more they’ll love you. It’s really that simple. If other bloggers are giving 10 tips for something, give 15, 20 or even 25 - and maybe throw in a PDF they can download (in exchange for their email address). Make your advice easy for them to read, digest, and act on. This part of your blog post is the meat - and if you don’t make it easy to digest, you risk losing your reader - no matter how valuable your advice is. Subheadings and short paragraphs are the blogger’s best friend. If a paragraph is over four lines long, it’s too long and needs breaking up. Watch the length of your sentences, too. Tons of people read blogs and more on smartphones - and long paragraphs on a desktop are even longer on a smartphone. You’re aiming to improve your reader’s life - so don’t make it hard for them to read! 4. Kick-Ass Conclusion Finishing your blog post strong is sometimes harder than starting it. How do you close your post off with a bang when you’ve already delivered so much? It takes practice to get this part right. You want to motivate your readers and get them coming back for more. But you also need to keep it short and punchy. What you must avoid in your conclusion is adding new information. Readers hate that. All the hard work you’ve done so far can be undone with a poorly thought out conclusion. The key to writing a powerful, motivating conclusion is to write it to yourself. Yes, that sounds weird, but it works. You’re an expert on the topic, so you’ve been in your reader’s shoes. So, what would you write to your former self now you’ve overcome the challenges? What did you wish someone had said to you back then? What encouragement did you long to hear? Maybe you didhear it. So give your readers a pep talk, empower them - and give them the confidence to put all your valuable advice into action. Style Matters That’s the ingredients taken care of. But you can’t throw a load of ingredients into a pot and expect a culinary masterpiece to emerge. There’s more to producing consistently awesome blog posts than the ingredients. Your style matters, too. The style of your posts will vary according to your audience. It’s easy to forget you’re writing for them, not for you. Don’t make that mistake. To write to your readers and forthem: Use the language and style they use Speak to them directly Avoid jargon they won’t understand Present information logically Readability Readability is a big thing in the blogging world. The Flesch Reading Ease scale is a great tool for bloggers to use to check how easy your writing is to read. There are tons of different tools you can use to measure it. Keeping an eye on your readability score can really improve your blog writing. It helps you focus on your reader’s comprehension, not on using big words and technical jargon. You should aim for a readability score of 60 or more. Since I’ve been using a readability tool, my score’s gone from an average of 58-60 to an average of 78-82. It works. Putting in Your Personality Allowing your personality to shine through your writing adds a personal touch to your blog posts that readers love. They’re more likely to subscribe to your blog posts - or at least bookmark your blog - when you add that human element. It creates a kind of relationship - and makes your blog posts sound different from all the other blog posts competing for your readers’ attention. Breaking Grammar Rules Writing consistently awesome blog posts means you have to break rules. Grammar rules, that is. All those things you were taught in school about split infinitives and contractions - your readers (mostly) don’t care about. Unless you’re writing a blog about grammar, of course. Blogs are much more informal. You’re speaking to your readers, not writing them an essay. Writing in a style they can relate to matters so much more than maintaining the rules of grammar. Polishing Your Posts Never hit the publish button until you’ve polished your posts. Ever. Your first draft might be perfect. It might be utterly awesome and epic. But don’t publish it yet. Please. Every writer’s different. Some leave their writing for a few days before they edit. Others leave it a few hours. It’s up to you - as long as you edit. When you come back to your blog post, you’re looking to polish till it’s perfect: Cut unnecessary words Add more emotion Break up any paragraphs that look too long Fact check Check the flow Add highlights Spark the senses Check your consistency Creating Irresistible Content, Consistently You want to write irresistible blog posts your readers will love, and you want to do it easily. The good news is that you’ve now got a formula for awesome blog posts. The bad news is that the formula makes it easier rather than easy. Writing awesome blog posts takes effort. It takes time. It takes practice. But you can do it. You’ve got all the tools you need to write blogs your readers will love. Yes, you’ll have moments of doubt. We all do. That’s just part of being a writer. You’ll look at the blog posts that the top ranking bloggers have written and wonder if you can ever compete. You can. You can’t let fear or intimidation stop you. You wouldn’t be reading this post if you didn’t believe, somewhere deep down inside, that you have it in you to write consistently awesome blogs. Learn from the writers who have gone before you - but don’t be intimidated by them. They were in your shoes not so long ago, and look where they are now. You’ll never get there if you don’t start, though. Start today. Start with hard-working headlines, and work your way up until it’s your blog that’s sitting at the top of the rankings and you that the world is turning to for advice.       About the author: Ariella is an experienced copywriter, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Driven by a passion for writing and content creation she takes pride in producing articles that deliver the latest information in an engaging manner and marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results. Ariella has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Creative Writing (First), an MA in Theology and Ministry, and is a published author of three novels and a bestselling non-fiction book. A creative at heart, Ariella has 14 years’ industry experience and always aims to keep abreast of current trends and developments. She lives in the UK with her three beagles Zeke, Hope, and Sandy, who always make life interesting.

Human dignity and diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human dignity and diversity - Assignment Example The next stage is where the persons begin to accept that they are either gay or black or non-white but then try to merge into the desired traits. They end up being hypocritical about themselves by either marrying a woman for a gay person or marrying a white person in the case of a black person. Such identification, they hope will gain the acceptance. Gay people are especially encountered with the challenge of not expressing themselves in public by holding hands or kissing. The society although impliedly and by the law in support of human rights fails to comply to its promises in action. The society is hence hypocritical in support of gay people and such discrimination as concerns racism. For Yoshino who was both gay and Asian American living amongst Americans, the challenge is a personal experience and observation. It is therefore important from his insistence that the law follows to the letter such cases of human rights and discrimination in the society so that these groups are free to be themselves. Americans on the other hand along with other superior groups may focus on being central and not necessarily

Telecommunication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Telecommunication - Essay Example Today communication is carried out over long distances using pictures and audio, which compromises of music and voice. The sound at present, transfers throughout the world through electricity. Electricity is, therefore, an important part of communication. Radios and television produce the output of various visual and audio signals. They act as the final point where the data that has been transferred from the stations offering audio and video. The audio and video are transmitted through equipment that helps in converting to electrical signals, which are then transferred over long distances (Noll, 1995). Signals are an important part of communication. They are classified according to the frequencies they have. The various signals are used in radios and television where audio and video are transmitted over different frequencies. UHF and VHF are the frequency bands related to television. The transmitter sends the audio and video through the communication channel. Signal carry visual and audio through transmission channels to the point of final output. The radios and television receiver the signals from the receiver and a person can tune to get the audio or videos. Spectra helps to differentiate between the various waves and the frequencies of the waves. Different electromagnetic waves characterize the signals transmitted over a communication channel. They are used in delineating the various media and communication channels and signals. Bandwidth is usually allocated to communication channels depending on the different frequencies in the signal. Electricity plays an important part in communication since in the modern world signals transmitted with the help of electricity. Power circuits are affected by inductance and capacities, which helps in filtering the various signals. Inductance and capacitance play a greater role in differentiating the signals into the different frequencies and thereby enabling the transmitted message to reach the intended point. The

Ethical Dilemma: Brain Death

Ethical Dilemma: Brain Death The ethical dilemma is a situation that is common in many places of work including the nurse’s career. These dilemmas are always hard to solve since technically they weigh equally in the eyes of the professional nurses in question (White, 2001). Nursing as a career like any other has diverse ethical dilemmas. This paper aims at describing an ethical dilemma in relation to declaration of brain death by the nurse and refusal of this fact by the patient’s family. The work will entail the definition of ethical dilemma; main moral issues that arose in the scenario given; description of two bioethical principles and giving a view of how they relate to this scenario; explain my personal morality and how it relates to the dilemma of declaration of brain death and finally the conclusion. Ethical Dilemma and How it Affects Nursing According to Ong Yee (2012), ethical dilemma is a situation that needs one to choose one from among two or more morally acceptable options or between equally unacceptable courses of action, whereby one of the choices prevents the selection of the other. Increase in economic stress, advances in medicine, rise in self determination of patients and differing values between patients, their family and health workers, especially nurses are among the many factors that contribute to the frequency and complexity of issues that are ethical in the healthcare. Example of these ethical dilemmas includes truth-telling and disagreement over the management plans. This therefore needs the nurses to be in a good stead so as to be aware of these issues and adopt a suitable approach towards dealing with such dilemmas. In addition, the health care facilities management should have a responsibility to ensure that systems are in place to minimize the occurrence of dilemmas and to ensure that in case it ha ppens, staffs, including nurses, are supported on how to get through the process of resolving dilemmas and conflicts that may arise afterwards. An ethical dilemma can also be a situation or state in which one must select between two or more adoptions that are equally unacceptable, where this is â€Å"Conflict between two or more nursing ethical principles and each solution may contain unpleasant outcomes for one or more involved parties†; and in my case the parties are the bereaved family and the management staff (Miwa et al, 2012). The effect of a brain death and the family refusal scenario may be of great emotional impact of the nurses. Some might even end up losing it all, according the historical findings, but it always appropriate to note that these effects will differ from one nurse to another. The grade to which one feels a dilemma will always differ from each nurse and also differs in terms of the nurses educational background, how much clinical experienced is the nurse and also one’s nursing moral (Miwa et al, 2012). The dilemma consequences are always frustrating and upsetting nurses and more so when one does not have adequate experience dealing with the matter. The suffering that the nurses go through is known as the moral distress (Epstein Delgado 2010). This is meant to happen since the nurses know the ethically correct action to take in reference to the brain death but feels powerless to take the action. This might lead to some nurses leaving their jobs, or even the profession altogether. Main Moral Issues Raised In a situation of ethical dilemma in the declaration of brain death and refusal on the part of the family, the main moral issues include the fact that the family is legally authorized to make decisions in relations to the patient even though they do not have the medical knowhow they desire an action; not declaring the patient brain death thus the patient will still be assumed to be alive and thus treated. On the other hand, the nurse who has the clinical knowledge opposes the idea and is about a desire for action that the patient should be declared clinically and legally dead so that other follow up procedures could be taken (Epstein Delgado 2010). This means that there are two courses of action, both of which can be justified ethically and neither of which is of lesser weight. If the desires of the family are followed, the patient will be in the hospital assumed alive and treated like any other patient. One may ask how beneficial is this to the family and what are the costs of this action? On the other hand, if the desire of the staff is followed, the patient will be declared dead and there is the likely hood of the family feeling abandoned and opinion, neglected thus angry thus would lead to other repercussions like court battles a situation that one would like to avoid due to the costs that come with it (Epstein Delgado 2010). Bioethical Principles According to Crisham (1985), the bioethical principal has evolved over the years with some elements added and others removed until now we have only four broad bioethical principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and autonomy. In this case will discuss autonomy and beneficence. This does not mean they override all other moral considerations, but they are the perfect match for this kind of ethical dilemma. Autonomy Ethics entails the respect for autonomy. This is the principle of permission. In minimal terms, autonomy requires to decide for the as an individual and free from the control of others and with sufficient level of understanding that you will provide a meaningful choice. Autonomous persons should be capable to deliberate a course of action and develop an action plan then implement it. This principle comes with its share of problems, especially when the person is incompetent for our scenario the bereaved family. The issues, therefore, rise since the family is to give informed consent to the declaration of the patient’s brain death. The principle holds that there is a need for competence, disclosure, voluntariness and comprehension when it comes to the informed consent making the declaration even more difficult for our car (Gordon et al, 2011). In relation to the ethical dilemma therefore, there is a need for informed consent from the parents for the declaration to take effect. And the fact that the family denies the declaration simply means they do not consent to it thus rendering it null and void (Gordon et al, 2011). Beneficence This principle requires that we contribute to the welfare of others as an ‘embodiment of the Golden Rule’ (Gordon et al, 2011). This principle can be divided into two: utility and positive beneficence. The positive beneficence principle requires that there is provision of benefits from the moral staff while the utility principle requires that the nurses weigh the benefits and deficits as a means of producing the best result. There is therefore need for a risk benefit analysis. In the scenario of brain death declaration and refusal from family, I will be preventing the ethical losses on part of the health facility by declaring that the patient is brain dead while I will be like issuing a loose statement to the patient’s family. The utility principle, therefore, requires me to weigh the risk associated with the declaration and come up with a sound decision (Gordon et al, 2011). Personal Morality Naturally, I am an empathetic person with great compassion, thus pride myself being a nurse. I always try to put myself in the patients and family shoes and try to understand the situation that they are in. I made great sacrifices on behalf of my career as a nurse and just to see that my role as a nurse is felt in the health facility. I am open and ready to lean in all the environments. I also enjoy socializing and comparing notes with my colleagues to ensure that the product of my decisions is holistic and meet the threshold that is set. My compassion has enabled me to appear friendly for both the patients and their family and friends. I always believe that am suppose to be dedicated to my place of work through hard work and ensuring flexibility whenever need be (White, 2001). The majority of these qualities is what I would call that makes part of me as a nurse if not all and therefore a situation that brings a collision between these qualities and the my occupation as a nurse does not only cause great confusion but perplexes. The scenario of declaring the brain death and refusal of the family is therefore a hard nut to crack on my part. One side of the puzzle is, given the fact that I have been appearing to be the ‘friend’ of the patients and their family members and friends, and such a declaration will make me lose one of the morality that I intend to keep. Compassion is the morality that keeps me going in my career as a nurse (White, 2001). Empathy makes me understand the situation of the family and the pain that they are going through thus making the declaration even harder. On the other hand, a declaration is my duty in place of work. I have to declare that the child is brain dead to ensure me being a benefit to the facility. Failure of which will be like a denial to do an activity which is actually the same reason why I am a nurse. This might lead to results such as being sucked. The declaration of brain death and refusal by the family is therefore an ethical dilemma. This is from the fact that it brings forward the controversy between the two bioethical principles: autonomy and beneficence. It is hard to determine whether to do what one is expected to do in the career or do what one views is right while all this does not solve the solution at hand; this is the scenario that comes with this ethical dilemma. The values of compassion and empathy makes enable one to understand the situation better and feel for the family even more and may end up forgetting his or her role as a nurse. In this case, the declaration of a brain death would be still a great ethical dilemma on part of the nurses if the family is against the declaration. References Beauchamp, T.L. (2011). Making Principlism Practical,Bioethics, 25(6), 301-303. Crisham, P. (1985).Moral: How Can I Do What’s Right? Nursing Management, 16 (3), 42A- 42N. Epstein, E.G., Delgado, S., (Sept 30, 2010) Understanding and Addressing Moral Distress. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(3), Manuscript 1. Gordon, J.S., Rauprich, O. Vollmann, J. (2011). Applying the Four-Principle Approach. Bioethics, 25(6), 293-300. Ham, K. (2004). Principled Thinking: A Comparison of Nursing Students and Experienced Nurses. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 35(2), 66-73. Miwa, Y., Shizue, M., Masako A. (2012). Ethical Dilemma Factor in Regarding Physical Restraints to Elderly of Female Nurses with the Living Together Experience. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 3, 328-334. Ong, W. Y., Yee, C. M. , Lee, A. (2012). Ethical Dilemmas in the Care of Cancer Patients near the end of Life. Singapore Medical Journal, 53 (1), 11-6. White, G. (2001). Issues Update: The Code of Ethics for Nurses. The American Journal of Nursing, 101(10), 73-75.

Technology

Today the whole world's image of technology is negative. Author Alex Williams, essay Quality Time, Redefined shows negativity for technology also positive things that technology can do, such as bringing families together. Making relationships stronger between two married couples. Technology can in many ways make families bonds stronger. In the past people would Just write letters to family members who lived far away. Now Technology has improved the life of people. Life has evolved over time with the help of technology.I agree with Alex Williams in how much technology can help families bond stronger closer, also being connected to each other throw many APS, such as Backbone, twitter, emails, testing, also keep. These technology developments help the whole entire world to be more social and connected. Negative sides of technology that people see is how can a small phone can take the focus of someone that they love. Technology can in so many ways have negative sides to it. Making the ey es weaker, making the brain tired. Technology, has many negative sides to it as it has positive sides to it.Many people would disagree on technology on having a positive side. Ms Vary agrees when she says † The family was in the same room, but not together. † (pig. 94) People when using technology get connected into the technology, and can't focus and do multicast while using technology, its kind of like it absorbs your brain cells Just to focus on one task. The culture has changed so much as when people read Just books, and playing bored games at night. Looking at it from one point books are as much focus taking as technology.As many people miss the old culture of America where he whole family sits and talk about how their day was or what are they planning for the next day. Ms. Vary acknowledges, † An evening like that can bring more closeness than a night spent huddling over a board game back in the days of analog. † (pig. 99) Ms. Vary agrees with using tec hnology in a family as everyone would be doing what they wish to. The father would be reading a news paper, the daughter studying, the son playing games. Makes the environment much happier and excited evening for all the family members.In the old days none of the technology excited but bored games books and stories excited where one family ember wither didn't like the bored game or didn't like the story, even though they would have sat throw the evening either listening to a story or playing something that they refuse to like. For example back in my country technology is not as big as it is in the United States, which has made an big impact on the people who live in the United States. When I was younger I remember we never sat at any time of the day and talk about each others daily life or about a sport.Moving to the United States we picked up the American culture, which one of them is having so much technology in he house. We all had our own phones and laptop and pads. I then sudde nly started getting super close to my mom. Testing My mom everything about my day, how everything went throw out my day. Which made me close with my mother until she passed away 4 months ago. â€Å"life keeps going. † a quote explaining how much I adored my mother when I started to know her and all about her childhood and boyfriend problems, which we never would have talked about if we were back in my country, we would Just be helping the moms clean up every mess.Technology has done life much easier for humans, made people have critical thinking about life. Would you want to live in the old world and have no technology Just have some bored people who try to go throw their days? Or have technology which can make life border? Knowing that technology could do Just so much in someone life, that actually makes them emotionally closer with the family, and more involved in their siblings life throw APS, Backbone, Twitter, Keep connecting them to each other no matter what country, ci ty they live in. I am someone who believes technology does not apart families or married couples, it can only make it stronger.Today's culture connections often occur when the participants are miles, or even continents, apart. There are so many communication opportunities provided such as cell phones, laptops, and pads that keeps two couples together or meet in one country and stay in touch. Makes the relationship gets much stronger, by talking everyday about your emotions without worrying about how you look or care what you wear. Being yourself makes the relationship it self become stronger, and a love that is fought for. Alex Williams talks about many different topics in his essay one of them is allegations, and technology.For example Dry. Elevate mentions † Your task to keeping the relationship vital and refreshed is managed togetherness and separateness. Technology could be used as a tool to assist that. † (pig 99) Humans can't be around one person the whole entire t ime, they get bored and start fights and their love goes from being in a healthy relationship to a exotic relationship. Where its all arguments, and not being able to handle seeing each other. Technology is one of the strongest tools that takes a humans focus, and take them to a whole another world.Everybody deeds time to their self, while using technology helps keep the relationship between two couples healthy. Not being around each other all the time or have to be facing one and another, forced to talk about anything to keep the atmosphere comfortable for both couples. Their relationship can also stay very fresh, makes that bond of love stronger and stronger each day, missing someone makes you love them like no other. Dry. Hillman claims † People get up from their laptops, come together on one screen. † (pig. 98) Technology is so big that it has came to a point where people meet horror APS, come together and meet.Different culture different believes, they still come to gether because of a talking bond they have with each other. For example I met my fiance throw Backbone which is an app that you get to meet people throw out the world. My fiance lives in Turkey Istanbul, which is a continent away from me, he can't come and visit the United States because of the wars and they won't give him his Visa. I went to meet him in Istanbul and we already had planned what we wanted to do where to go, we had so much things in common where we found out by talking o each other testing or keep.The only ways we communicate and make sure we are still wanting each other is technology. Seeing him throw the app Keep makes me cherish having him in my life. We see each other once a year, through out the year we keep on using technology to keep us together and not separate, it also gives us our own time to our self to relax and think straight, know if this is the right person or not for you. My question for the people who always think negative about technology is â€Å"h ow can we have a social life when we have no technology in life? How can that alp our associate and make us more open to the real word? Technology can assist to keep the bond stronger between two married or engaged or in a relationship couple. The world needs to change their negative image because there are so many positive things about technology that helped us reach where we are today and where we will be in the future with the technology growth in our lives. Love is a strong word that can't be found easily. Technology allows people to find love all around the world. Cell phones has a huge impact on our life that keeps us in touch with our partners also families.I think technology can grow so much bigger that people will start loving technology, and actually see the bigger picture of how technology helps us stay connected to the real world. As Alex Williams claims in his essay that there are many positive effects of technology that helped and still helps families. In sass people h ad no technology which kind of made them like robots they only knew what they were exposed to around their city. As if now people know so much more about other countries, seeing pictures of beautiful nature gives the hope to a better life and border thinking. Technology Technology is defined as the combination of technique, skills, methods, basic tools and processes that are made use in the production of goods and service. In other terms it is called the ‘science of craft'. While the Global Economy refers to the economy that encompasses the whole world, it is thought as the international exchange of goods and services that's translated in monetary terms. (wikipedia, 15 April 2018). In a vague sight of the contemporary economic history there are two trends in the world economy it suggests: first innovations in technology are uprising to be a significant contributor to economic well-being. Secondly nations in global economy are pointing towards being interdependent and open in a growing way. Innovators from different parts of the world are coming together rapidly, this means that there is no denying that technology has a significant percentage in shaping the global economy.Is technology still fulfilling the role and purpose it was embraced for?In this research I intend to find out whether or not technology is still being regarded as it was when it was first embraced in the earlier times. This is based on how technology has empacted the world economy and its markets. The purpose of technology is clearly judged on how and why it affects the global economy.Before the analysis of how technology Is impacting the world economy it is rather of great importance to first be enlightened even slightly so as to how technology was introduced to economies in different countries comprising of the global or world economy at large. Just as important is also to bear in mind the coming about of economic growth. The History of TechnologyTechnology forms part of a perplexed and diverse body of knowledge and devices through which man in an ongoing way manage to perfect his natural environment. The history of it is rather inclusive of wild and not properly defined. The findings for the complication of the study, dates to the modern time where there is a contrast of technological history than that which as popularized by the story of political and intellectual development. During the nineteenth – twentieth of the human story will be touched on briefly. The Old Stone Age man referred to as the Paleolithic were few and scattered they managed to come up with not much to give them the ability to conquer their environment. Then came the Middle Stone Age referred to as the Mesolithic, they were named this because it was a period of transition between the end of the last ice age an d the early stages and era of human settlement and cultivation. Again there is the Neolithic Man, this is a man emerging from savagery and holds the solution of the basic problems of his environment. He was able to grind, polish and drill his craft of hard stone. However he needed to attain knowledge of metal-working for a greater form of effectiveness in his quest of mastering his environment, this concluded an increase in population.The first use of metals was the day break of civilization as we know it. Relating it to its material aspect the history of civilization is the history of technology. (Thomas P. Hughes, (â€Å"A Short History of Technology: From the Earliest Times to A. D. 1900. T. K. Derry, Trevor I. Williams,† Isis 54, no. 3 (Sep., 1963): 417-418.) With regards to Economic Growth HistoryAfter Adam Smith the focus of classical economics in the 19th century was long term growth. After much findings there was a development of a negative view of it. Upon other findings was the realization that the United States of America in the 19th century was perceived to be growing as a result of its exploitation of other continents that were rich in resources. Resources were found to increase long term growth. Economists then transferred their focus to neoclassical economics in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, which comprises of a closed economy. They developed tasks to thoroughly look at optimizing the use of scarce resources by businesses. The focus was on short-term growth rather than long-term growth. The worldwide depression of 1903, J.M Keynes's aggregate demand management was found as a solution to reduce cyclical fluctuation and leading to unemployment. After putting together Keynes's concept with Neo classical methods of uttermost resource distribution by Paul Samuelson and Sir John Hicks there was a stagflation and low growth exposed its fundamental weakness. Following this unforeseen trends new schools of economics emerged: monetarist, new-classical and supply side etc. new school of economics encouraged much innovativeness with regards to economic trends and technological input for research and development.(Kuznets, (1973)) The above indicates the significance of the introduction of technology in the economy with regards to how it has impacted it and continues to impact it. It is of no doubt that this two are interlinked in more ways than one. However there are quite a number of pros and cons that have emerged in recent years as technological innovations continue to develop. Benefits of technology in the modern day economyThe level and the rate at which economies grow and develop in various markets and countries is interlinked with technological advancement. Technological innovation has helped underdeveloped countries slowly become developing and then ultimately developed. The developing of economies of different countries result in the growth and development of the global economy. Figure 1-3, in R' are a diagram indication of an Isoquant of production function post-technological change. The innovation does not differ regards to labor and capital. However the new production function R indicates how the same output can be achieved through lower levels of labor and capital after technological advancements. (debasish, 2017) Technology helps the economy through job creation. The ICT sector has proved and remains to hold the title of being one of the largest employers. Stats in the U.S have shown that IT jobs are expected to increase by a significant number of 22% in 2020, thus creating about 758800 new jobs. In Australia, the plans of building and operating the newly established Super-Fast National Broadband Network will certify 25,000 jobs per year. The global Technology market is set to increase by 8%, this encompasses creating jobs, salaries and enlarging different services and products.A contribution to the GDP Growth of the Global Economy. Sources from different countries confirm the positive impact of the growth in ICT. A 10% rise in broadband penetration leads to a 1.2% rise in GDP growth in emerging markets. China reflected a 2.5% rise. GDP per capita growth rate goes up to 0,5% globally, while the internet shows a 3,4% overall in other countries. E-commerce is positively affecting the global economy. The emergence of new services and industries. Mobile phones have allowed a lot of of public services to be made known online. Modernization is incorporated with cloud computing. Moldova government found in Eastern Europe was found to be one of the first governments that moved its government IT infrastructure into the cloud launching mobile and e-service for their residents and businesses. Founding research indicates the Facebook to have provided around 182,000 jobs in 2011. Its value aggregated to worth 12 billion and above.Workforce transformation. Newly found â€Å"microwork† spaces, created by companies like ODesk, Amazon and Samasource have assisted to segregate tasks into manageable components which can be outsourced to contract workers. These contractors are usually found in emerging markets. Entrepreneurs have cut costs as a result of microwork. In 2012, ODesk singularly had above 3 million registered contractors doing 1.5 million tasks. Online payment system emerged as a result of this trend.Business Innovation. Over 95% of businesses in OECD countries operate online in some way. The internet brings innovative ways of getting access to customers and also competing for the market share. In past recent years, social media has evolved to be a marketing tool. ICT tools operating inside companies are assisting businesses on streamlining processes and increase efficiency. The eruption of connected devices throughout the globe has allowed new ways for businesses to reach out to their customers in service.(Kvochko, 2013)The stated above benefits or advantages however do not eliminate controversies that also surround technology impacting the global economy. There are prone difficulties and challenges that global societies are surfacing as technological change continues to emerge. As expected with any form of continued evolution and change.Controversies on technologyReliance on Technology. This can be a negative of how technology affects because of of technology has become a basic sphere of need for most if not all modern enterprises, production is impacted a lot by flaws and malfunctions of machines and IT systems. If there could be a disruption of connection, E-commerce business cannot run functionally. On the other hand there is reduced production if a machine suffers technical glitches. The more technological innovations grow, the more they will need highly specialized professionals to rectify or fix them if they malfunction.Loss of Jobs. As with much creation of job opportunities offered by new technology. There is a significant decline in middle class workers who are not in any specialty ad working rather manually. Machinery has in some way replaced human capital and a portion of manual labor. Factory workers have declined and been replaced by high tech machinery which slowly needs more IT supervision that physical help.(Vossos, Tasos. (2017, September 26). Advantages & Disadvantages of Technology in Our Economy. Bizfluent. Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/info-8373180-advantages-disadvantages-technology-economy.html)Less physical human connection. Online entertainment and social media platforms form a big part of technological advancement. People have taken a liking to rather communicate virtually that physically, from phone calls to texts to sharing pictures if there's a need to ‘see' each other. This in the long run will bring about a vague knowledge of one another in the human form and social connection will be based on how a person wants to be known rather than who they truly are. Other effects with recent finding s are the cause of depression and social attempts by teenagers and young adults who feel they cannot live up to the standards set online. Almost 80% of teenagers and adults are on social media platforms. In contrasting the earlier years of economic growth evolution and technological evolution. The above benefits and controversies mark a not so out of touch difference in the line of the length technology has gone in its development. Meaning it is still focused in more ways than one in bettering the world's economy and markets. It is although inevitable for any implementation to have side effects. CONCLUSION Based on the findings of my research I have concluded that technology in its own has diverted into many spheres from the reason of just being introduced to help man cultivate his natural environment. It has not only helped but also overtaken man greatly in its efficiency and operation. Technological innovations have also been developed to be independent from the directory of man. Which may be the result of the lack of control and concerns as to its negative and controversial effect in the larger and global economy. The solution however that I propose is for the larger economy to go back to the fundamental reasons of why technology was introduced every time a new innovation is made. This will harbor controlled growth of the development of economies also in different countries leading up t a greater impact in the world economy. Countries still needing more technological advancement should be assisted by long advanced economies. This will ensure a greater level of desired impact in th growth of the economy and the global GDP and GDP per capita will rise significantly. Technology Questions to research: Are advertisements aimed at teenagers effective? And, are they ethical? My Response:  Most advertisements aimed at teenagers are effective, but usually are not ethical. Most marketers have many ways of gathering information on teenagers spending habits and what is most important to teens. With this information they’re able to create advertisements that will appeal to most teens and create profit. Many people argue that some or most of these ads aren’t ethical because they will create a problem or insecurity and then give the solution to that problem in the form of their product.Central Idea: The most effective ads show teens using and enjoying a product. The least effective were those that caused an emotional response. A teen’s acceptance of ads varies according to the media platform. The medium with the lowest teen ad acceptance was texting. The â€Å"Teen Advertising Study†, compiled with the help of the University of Massachuset ts, showed that teens were more susceptible to online ads if they could relate to it and if they found it funny.Central Idea: Marketers love teens because they easily spend money on â€Å"luxury† items such as clothing, electronics, and music. They mostly make their purchase decisions independently, have significant influence on family purchases, and companies know that once they have â€Å"branded† a child, they are likely to be customers for life. They reach kids by advertising in magazines, movies, TV shows, and on the internet. Companies get info about kids spending habits from internet â€Å"quizzes† and â€Å"surveys†.Marketers know how to capitalize on important teen issues and anxieties, like body image, peer acceptance, coolness, and need for power. Marketers often use a theme or attitude like sex or alcohol and drug use that seems to raise the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"coolness factor† of their product. Advertising is so effective because it creates insec urities about things such as appearance. Successful ads convince the viewer that they have a problem and then offer the solution, which is the product they’re selling. This gives off the messages that teens aren’t good enough the way they are and many kids unwillingly buy into that message which is causing kids to grow up in the most materialistic society we’ve ever had. Most of the things that are advertised to teens do not promote healthy development.Central Idea: In one year, teens view more than 40,000 ads on TV alone while also being exposed to ads on the internet, in magazines, and in schools. Teens are often the main target for marketers because they are always willing to spend money on the newest â€Å"luxury† items. Teens strive to have the newest electronics, clothing, and other overly advertised items. Marketers know how to target teen issues such as body image, peer pressure, and the need for acceptance. On average, teens are exposed to 3,000 ads per day.Teenagers, on average, spend $155 billion per year on advertised products, also influencing their parents to spend another $200 billion per year. Recent studies have shown tobacco companies use their ads to target teens as young as 13-years-old. Another major advertiser is the alcohol industry, using ads that feature young, attractive people drinking or posing with their beverages. Ads affect teen psychologically by exposing them to ads that suggest they are not what the entertainment business considers attractive. Ads can be harmful to teens by lowering their self-esteem.Children, Adolescents, and Advertising http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/118/6/2563.full Central Idea: Children and teens view 40,000 ads per year on TV alone even though the Children’s Television Act of 1990 limits advertising on children’s programming to 10.5 minutes/hour on weekends and 12 minutes/hour on weekdays. M-rated video games, which are not recommended for children younger than 17-years-old, are frequently advertised in movie theaters, video game magazines, and publications with high youth readership. Young  people see 45% more beer ads and 27% more ads for hard liquor in teen magazines than adults to in their magazines.An increasing number of web sites try to get teens to make direct sales. More than 100 commercial websites promote alcohol products. Most advertisers use techniques that children and teens are more vulnerable to, like product placement in movies and TV shows, action figures, kid’s clubs, and celebrity endorsements. Sex is used in commercials to sell almost anything now. American ads constantly use thin female models, which contribute to the development of self-esteem issues in young girls.Thesis StatementWith marketers aiming their advertisements more towards teens every day, researchers are looking into how effective and ethical these advertisements really are.Outline The Ethics and Effectiveness on Advertising toward Teens Thesis statement: With marketers aiming their advertisements more towards teens every day, researchers are looking into how effective and ethical these advertisements really are.I. Teens are being exposed to advertisements more each day. a. . Companies gather info about teens’ spending habits from internet â€Å"quizzes† and â€Å"surveys†. b. Children and teens view more than 40,000 ads per year on TV alone. c. More than 160 magazines are now targeted towards teens.II. Different factors will make an ad effective. a. Teen’s acceptance of ads depends on the media platform. i. Sponsorships of live events had the highest level of acceptance. ii. Text messaging had the lowest level of acceptance. b. Least effective ads were those that caused an emotional response. III. The advertising strategies marketers use have been shown to be unethical. a. M-rated video games are frequently advertised in movie theaters, video game magazines, and publications with high youth readership b. Young people see 45% more beer ads and 27% more ads for hard liquor in teen magazines than  adults to in their magazines. c. Advertising is so effective because it creates insecurities about things such as appearance. i. American ads constantly use thin female models, which contribute to the development of self-esteem issues in young girls. ii. Gives off the message that teens aren’t good enough the way they are.Body ParagraphsI believe that the advertisements aimed at teens are effective, but unethical. Through a number of research tactics marketers are finding ways to keep up with the ever changing trends in teen culture. With the information they gather they’re able to produce advertisements that ultimately pressure their audience into buying their product. With marketers aiming their advertisements more towards teens every day, researchers are looking into how effective and ethical these advertisements really are. Technology based adverti sements are effective among teens because of how often they are exposed to ads, the ads appeal to their lifestyles, and even sometimes pressure teens into buying their products.Advertisements have rapidly been integrated into the world around us. â€Å"Young people view more than 40 000 ads per year on television alone and increasingly are being exposed to advertising on the Internet, in magazines, and in schools.† (pediatrics.aappublications.org) Teens are heavily influenced by these ads because of how often they are exposed to them. Marketers are gathering information about teens’ spending habits through quizzes and surveys. ‘Teen Advertising Study’, which was compiled in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts, revealed that teens were more susceptible to online advertising if they could relate to it and if they found it funny.† (utalkmarketing.com) With information like this they’re able to determine what type of ads would be effe ctive on the teens of today.Different factors can make an ad effective, such as how they’re viewed and if it’s relatable to their audience. The most effective ads showed teens using and enjoying their product. For example, in this PlayStation 4 Interface commercial, you’re shown teens happy with their product and you’re given a glimpse of some features. This is considered an effective ad because it features the newest upgrade of their product, they’re being shown new features and games, and seeing other teens happy  with the product would give them a positive feeling about having it. This ad also shows both genders enjoying their product, suggesting they support both genders using the PS4. An example of an ineffective ad would be the Microsoft Surface commercial, in this commercial you can see people enjoying their product but you’re not given a look at what their product can do. It’s a fun ad to watch, but it doesn’t provide enough information for a teen to considering buying their product.Lastly, many advertisements aimed at teens have been said to be unethical in order to be effective. Marketers will bring up a problem in their advertisement; this problem might be based on social status, then they will provide a solution in the form of their product. For example, in this Samsung Galaxy S4 commercial you see only younger people using their product while the older people are just learning about this product. This suggests that if you have their product you’d be cool and up to date with the world around you. This ad seems to guilt the target into thinking what they have isn’t good enough and their product would make them cooler.ConclusionIn conclusion, I think advertisements aimed at teens are effective, but unethical. Teens are being exposed to advertisements more each day. Advertisements can be found all around them, in schools, online, through T.V., etc. Marketers are constantly doing r esearch to improve ads to be more appealing to their target audience, teens. Through the information they gather, they can create advertisements that will persuade their audience into buying their product. An effective ad would feature other teens enjoying their product. An effective, but unethical ad, would be an ad that brings up a problem, such as a teen’s social status, and then present a solution in the form of their product.

A Study Of Microfinance In Africa Example For Free - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 18 Words: 5444 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Analytical essay Topics: Africa Essay Study Essay Did you like this example? In first chapter of my work I wo The term microfinance is often used to express loans and other services from providers that identify themselves as microfinance institutions (MFIs). More broadly, microfinance refers to a movement that envisions a world in which low-income households have permanent access to a range of high quality financial services to finance their income-producing activities, build assets, stabilise consumption and protect against risks  [1]  . The main idea of the concept of microfinance is to enable the poorest people in developing countries to gain access to financial services. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Study Of Microfinance In Africa Example For Free" essay for you Create order Microfinance creates financial markets and builds structures in isolated, forgotten regions and some banks are buying off a whole scale of portfolios or numbers of microfinancial institutions nowadays. The muld like to describe the utilization of microfinance in general. In this part I will define the sector of microfinance placing emphasis on MFIs. I would like to outline the situation concerning the microfinance in Sub- Saharan Africa as well. Second chapter of my work will devote to the utilization of microfinance in Asia. Firstly, I will describe economic situation in Asian countries, in general. Then I will sketch out something more about MFIs in Asia. In third and last chapter of my work I will compare MFIs in Africa and Asia via microfinance indicators. I will divide indicators into five core areas which are usually used to measure performance of MFIs. The concept of microfinance is surely a good idea which can be proved by the fact the concept has become one of ma ny priorities of the United Nations and nowadays it is part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)  [2]  as an instrument for poverty reduction. Moreover, the year 2005 was proclaimed as the International year of Microcredit. In general, the concept of microfinance brings lots of advantages such as the improvement of socio-economic conditions of people in developing countries, new experience and capabilities or the growth and continuity of incomes. On the other hand, there are lots of negative opinions and criticism involving the fact, that microfinance is not for all people. There are countries, where microfinance is determined for people, who have already had their bank accounts or own possession. In their opinion, microfinance is not self-sufficient and it is not possible to sustain it without subsidies. Some people also say that poor people buy themselves a job via microfinance. Microfinance in Africa Africa in general While talking about Africa in general, it is necessary to say that it is the second largest continent and the second most populous continent in the world. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Africa had the population of about 964.5 millions in 2007  [3]  . Except of its huge total area or the number of population, there is another feature Africa is usually associated with. The African continent is considered the world ´s poorest continent. High population growth rate, low consumption, indebtedness, low scale of education or health care, problems with AIDS or infant mortality are the biggest problems, African countries have to face to every day. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day was 51% in 2005  [4]  . In the same year, there were 34 from 50 least developed countries in the world coming from Africa  [5]  . And of course, the situation has not improved so significantly since that. The problem o f extreme poverty that can be found in many African countries has lots of negative impacts such as the fact that every three seconds a child dies of extreme poverty and AIDS, often before their fifth birthday. (The map bellow shows the least developed countries in Africa). Map 1: The Least Developed Countries in the World Coming from Africa in 2005 Source: Measuring Progress in Least Developed Countries: a statistical profile 2006, p. 8. Africa could never solve its problems alone. That is why, lots of states, governmental or non- governmental organizations support the African continent with financial, material and other resources. As far as the European Union (EU) concerned, there was an amount of EUR 4,003 million detached in terms of the Official Development Aid (ODA) devoted to the African continent  [6]  . Within the Tenth European Development Fund covering the period from 2008 to 2013, the European Union provides the amount of EUR 21  966 million to the Afr ican, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP). The utilization of microfinance in Africa Concerning small enterprises or most of the poor population in Africa, there is a very limited access and insufficient possibilities to deposit, credit facilities and other financial services which are provided by formal financial institutions. This can be regarded as a very serious problem, considering the fact that poor people represent the largest share of African population and that the informal sector is a very important part of the economy. One of the ways to meet unsatisfied demands for financial services can be the cooperation with MFI. There has been set up a lot of MFIs in Africa, so far. Some of them focus only on providing credit or deposit collection, others concentrate on providing both deposit and credit facilities. Institutions offering microfinance services in Africa are very diverse, including commercial banks, state-owned development banks or postal offices. There are several reasons why poor people appreciate the availability of liquid and secure financial ve hicles for savings. First, such savings help poor farmers to smooth their consumption expenditures between lean and peak harvesting seasons and provide a cushion against income fluctuations caused by exogenous shocks. Second, savings could be used to pay for inputs needed at the start of production processes, and self-finance future investments or leverage supplementary financing for them. Third, saving deposits also provide a convenient vehicle for setting aside money for such costly future events as weddings, childrens education, and funerals  [7]  . Microfinance institutions in Africa According to the Microfinance Information Exchange, there were 195 MFIs  [8]  in Africa in 2008  [9]  . One year before, Magazine Forbes made a survey concerning 50 Top Microfinance Institutions and only 8 from those 50 institutions came from Africa  [10]  . Nevertheless, African microfinance sector has become a dynamic marketplace and the number of borrowers and savers is still increasing. (A following chart shows an increasing tendency in microfinance sector in Africa.) Table 1: Volume Figure Trend Data in Africa in 2007  Year Borrowers (Thousands) Savers (Thousands) Loan Portfolio (USD Mil) Savings (USD Mil) Africa 2006 3,785 5,473 1,32 1,148  2007 4,731 7,177 2,236 1,839  Increase % 25% 31% 69% 60% Central Region 2006 219 350 97 135  2007 213 455 142 232  Increase % -3% 30% 46% 72% Eastern Region 2006 2,061 2,241 554 472  2007 2,628 3,172 1,025 799  Increase % 28% 42% 85% 69% Southern Region 2006 519 694 188 144  2007 767 993 417 254  Increase % 48% 43% 121% 76% Western Region 2006 986 2,189 481 396  2007 1,123 2,557 652 553  Increase % 14% 17% 36% 40% Source: Africa Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008, p. 2. It is necessary to say that the previous chart provides the information about Africa in general. However, there are several differences among particular African regions in both lending and deposit services. As far as the Eastern and Southern regions concerned, there was the greatest growth in both borrowers and savers. Concerning the Central region, there was a  decrease in number of borrowers. On the other hand, West Africa experienced growth, but on a much smaller scale, likely due to much higher penetration rates in this region. While talking about the best ten countries  [11]  with the greatest penetration rate of both borrowers and savers, there were 5 countries located in the West Africa. That indicates the fact, that the microfinance sector is more successful in West Africa than in other regions  [12]  . If we talk about the market involving in stitutions which provide financial services, we can definitely say that there is a highly segmented market with different types of institutions. As an example, banks served most clients in the Southern region, with 81% of the borrowers. NGOs served 13% of clients and non-bank financial intermediaries comprised the remaining 6%. Moreover, each institutional type served different products. On the other hand, deposit taking institutions, such as cooperatives, banks and rural banks, had the broadest outreach in West Africa. In addition, the region serviced twice as many savers as borrowers  [13]  . Sub- Saharan Africa and microfinance As far as Sub-Saharan Africa concerned, there are lots of countries which have included MFIs implicitly or explicitly in their banking legislation, renewed non-banking financial institution legislation or implemented specialized microfinance laws and regulations. Moreover, many countries  [14]  have passed new or revised microfinance legislation or have adopted national microfinance strategies since 2002. There are only a few countries which have not accepted new laws or regulations covering the microfinance sector  [15]  . It is possible to say that the microfinance sector has become much more efficient and successful (not only in Sub-Saharan Africa). One of the main reasons for increasing efficiency is considered placing the supervision of MFIs under the same body that supervises banks and other financial institutions. Talking about Sub-Saharan Africa, there also countries that impose different regulations for different categories of financial institutions (e.g. credit -only institutions, deposit-taking institutions etc). On the other hand, some countries differentiate between institutions only partially or the others make no difference between them. Notwithstanding, governments are focusing their attention on regulating microfinance more. However, their attention on consumer protection is more or less insufficient, in general. Map 2: Microfinance Regulation by Country Source: Africa Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008, p. 4. In 2007, funders had total commitments of $1.76 billion, covering 716 projects in all Sub-Saharan countries. In general, projects were funded from a wide range of funders, though most were non- commercial using public money, less private funds that typically have more of a commercial orientation. Funding within Sub- Saharan Africa is not the same in all its parts. The worst situation concerning funding is in Central and Southern Africa. On the other hand, Eastern Africa and certain countries in Western Africa have much larger number of financial access programs  [16]  . On account of a following chart, there are 3 categories of the financial system, funder ´s activities were distributed in 2007 among. As we can see in the following chart (number 1), the biggest portion belongs to retail institutions. It means that funders preferred retail institution projects to the financial infrastructure (market infrastructure or services such as auditors, rating agencies, information technology, credit bureaus etc.) or to policy environment (interest rate regime, tax issues, national strategies etc.). Most of all policy projects were supported by two or more funders, mostly multilateral or bilateral donors  [17]  . Chart 1: Categories of the Financial System Source: Africa Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008, p. 8. Funders apply different funding instruments such as grants, loans, In-Kind, equity, guarantees and others. Regarding bilateral funders or international NGOs, they mainly preferred grants in 2007, while Development Finance Institutions, private foundations or multilateral funders preferred loans. African MFIs are characterized by their diversification in terms of microfinance models or types of MFIs. Usually MFIs are small; they do not exist for a long time and are dependent in many cases on financial resources of humanitarian organizations. In general, we can say that the microfinance sector in Africa has improved in regul ation, funding, growth or performance so far. Even though, there is still a lot of imperfection. Microfinance in Asia Asia in general Asia is the world ´s largest and most populous continent. In 2007, the total population was about 4029, 3 millions  [18]  . The continent is politically, religiously, culturally or geographically very diverse. From economic point of view, the region is very heterogeneous too. According to the United Nations Development Programme, there are countries with very high human development (Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait etc.), with high human development (Bahrain, Oman, Malaysia etc.), with medium human development (Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, India etc.) as well as with low human development (East Timor or Afghanistan). As far as the world ´s least developed countries concerned, there were 15 least developed countries from 50 coming from Asia and Oceania in 2005. Map 3: The Least Developed Countries in the World Coming from Asia and Oceania in 2005 Source: Measuring Progress in Least Developed Countries: a statistical profile 2006, p. 9. While talking about Asia, it is necessary to mention, that there are located three so called BRIC countries- Russia, India and China  [19]  , which are considered as the fast-growing developing economies. According to the document edited by Goldman Sachs from 2003, over the next 50 years, the BRICs economies could become a much larger force than the G6 in US dollar terms on account of GDP growth (Gross Domestic Product), income per capita or currency movements. By 2025, they could account for over half the size of the G6. Of the current G6, only the USA and Japan may be among the six largest economies in US dollar terms in 2050  [20]  . Moreover, except of BRIC countries, it can be also useful to mention newly industrialized countries known as Four Asian Tigers. This term refers to the highly developed economies with rapid industrialization between the early 1960s and 1990s. Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are considered as Four Asian Tigers. Nowadays, there are other Asian economies ex periencing faster economic transformation (Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand etc.). Due to much more favourable economic conditions and situation in many Asian countries, it is possible to say that the position of Asia in the world economy is much better than the African position. Nevertheless, there are still serious problems including economic, political or social problems, Asia has to face up everyday too. That is why, lots of international organization, NGOs and other actors try to help solve those problems by financial, material and other support. Regarding the European Union, in 2008 there was the amount of EUR 1,850 millions detached in terms of ODA to the Asian region  [21]  . The utilization of microfinance in Asia Asia is considered the most developed continent in the world considering the volume of microfinance activities. According to the document Distribution, Growth and Performance of MFIs in Africa, Asia and Latin America  [22]  , Asia accounted for the majority of MFIs, retained the highest volume of savings and credit and served more members than any other continent. Microfinance in Asia dominates the global market with rapid growth and massive scale. In 2007 there were 21 Asian institutions ranked in the Top 50 Microfinance institutions, according to Forbes Magazine. Talking about great developed microfinance sector in Asia including MFIs, it is necessary to mention, that there are quite huge disparities within Asian region. East Asia is generally well served by MFIs. The largest number of members served and the largest distribution of loans and mobilization of savings in terms of Gross National Product (GNP) is found in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. On the othe r hand, two most populated countries in Asia, India and the People ´s Republic of China have very low outreach, despite a high concentration of the poor regions. Countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar and Pakistan also have low outreach due to a variety of factors  [23]  . Loan portfolios for microfinance in Asia In 2007, loan portfolios for Asian MFIs grew quickly compared to a global portfolio growth of 50 % in USD terms during the year. As we can see in the following table (number 2), India disposed of the biggest number of MFIs, while Bangladesh had the biggest number of borrowers  [24]  . Table 2: Volume Figure Trend Data in Asia in 2007 MFIs Borrowers (Thousands) Gross Loan Portfolio (USD Millions) Deposits (USD Millions) Afghanistan 14 358 106 5 Bangladesh 28 21699 1680 374 Cambodia 15 802 469 348 China 6 32 13 East Timor 2 14 5 2 India 80 9910 1359 31 Indonesia 33 3712 3558 5728 Laos 1 1 1 Nepal 34 478 81 16 Pakistan 15 1248 143 32 Papua New Guinea 1 7 4 10 Philippines 55 1921 365 222 Samoa 1 4 1 1 Sri Lanka 14 943 263 189 Thailand 2 5 1 Vietnam 12 5788 2203 126 Total 313 46921 10251 7083 Source: Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008, p. 2. Over the period, the gross loan portfolio in Asia grew at more than 60 %, adding 2.4 billion USD for surveyed MFIs. Talking about the share of loan portfolio in South Asia, the biggest portion created Bangladesh with 48% and India with 41%. In the region of East Asia and the Pacific, there was Indonesia with created 64%. Second biggest portion of the share of loan portfolio in this region created Vietnam with 21%  [25]  . Asian MFIs served more than 47 million borrowers, reach ­ing two-thirds of global borrowers. Moreover, the outreach of borrowers, which has been supported by strong lending efficiency as well as high staff productivity, seemed to have similar growth trends across the region. However, South Asian markets displayed higher concentration of outreach in markets than did the markets in East Asia. By contra st, East Asian markets disposed a greater number of small and medium scale service providers and MFIs in this region used to dispose of existing regulatory environments much more. However, there was a notable breadth of outreach gained by MFIs. There was also a lack of access to basic financial services for many potential clients in Asian countries in 2007. Asian MFIs depended mainly on commercial financing. Concerning commercial borrowings, it was provided more than 75 % of new loan funds in 2007, bringing total financing from commercial bor ­rowings to nearly 50 % across both South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific. Commercial debt provided the largest pool of funding for the loan portfolio. Due to positive, stable returns and strong growth opportunities in large markets across, the region attracted new funding for MFIs. Nevertheless, we can say that MFIs funded their lending activity via several forms of debt depending on local markets and legal structure. As we can se e in the following chart (number 2), most institutional types relied on borrowings for debt financing. As far as rural banks concerned, they assembled a huge portion of their obligation directly from their clients through retail deposits  [26]  . Chart 2: Debt Structure in 2007 Source: Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008, p. 6. Returns on assets remained stable across the region, which attracted and retained new funding for portfolio in 2007. There some countries which experienced higher and better returns on assets, such as  Afghanistan or Cambodia. In general, it is possible to say, that the microfinance sector in Asia is considered definitely the best compared to microfinance sectors in different continents and regions. It disposes of admirable scale outreach and tight operating cost. Interest rates are usually very low. There are lot of small MFIs which are very popular with society. That is why Asia offers great opportunities for the e xpansion of existing institutions within the region. Comparison of microfinance in Africa and Asia Microfinance indicators MFIs are usually assessed and compared on account of microfinance indicators. As microfinance indicators are considered e.g. a number of borrowers or savers, return on equity, return on assets, return on investments, yield on portfolio, legislative facilities, risk management, portfolio at risk, current recovery rate, operating expense ratio or cost per client. These indicators can be divided into five core areas for measuring performance of MFIs: outreach (concerning the number of clients served), client poverty level, collection performance (indicating how well the MFI is collecting its loans), financial sustainability (relating to a profitability of the MFI) and efficiency or in other words the ability of the MFI to control its administrative costs. In general, Asia is considered the most developed continent in terms of volume of the activities of MFIs that can be clearly seen in the following part of my work. Outreach As I have already said, the core area outreach concerns about the number of clients or accounts that are active at a given point in time  [27]  . It is much better to use this indicator than the cumulative number of loans made or of clients served during a period because it counts active clients rather than members in order to reflect actual service delivery. The higher the number of clients served is, the better results the MFIs can dispose of. Even though, strong expansion can be sometimes unsustainable, especially during MFIs early years when it needs to design its products and build its systems. According to the publications made by the leading business information provider Microfinance Information Exchange, it is possible to claim that there were much better outreach indicators in Asia than in Africa in 2008. Although, it is necessary to realize that given benchmark results are the results made for groups of institutions peer groups sharing common characteristics such as region of size or operation. Moreover, the results represent an arithmetic mean of the given information. Nevertheless, as we can see, Asia had much higher number of active borrowers as well as the number of deposits on average, in 2008. The reason could that Asia has higher population and lots of people try to solve their problems via microfinance. Moreover, higher percentage create women borrowers which can be connected with the fact that women are more responsible, they take less risks in general and do not leave families. Table 3: Outreach Indicators in Africa and Asia in 2008 (in arithmetic mean )  Number of Active Borrowers Number of Deposits Average Loan Balance per Borrower (US$) Average Deposit Balance per Depositor Percent of Women Borrowers (US$) (%) Africa 33 251 91 063 670 144 58,1 Asia 185 629 135 456 462 278 509 76,9 Source: MicroBanking Bulletin: 2008 Benchmarks. Client poverty level The client poverty level says how poor particular clients of MFIs are. In general, there are several techniques for measuring this level, some of them are quite expensive and complicated, others are simpler, but as yet there has been no widespread agreement on any one of them. Usually, average outstanding balance is used for measuring poverty level, given the gross amount of loans or savings outstanding divided by number of active clients or accounts. Average outstanding balance is related to client poverty, because rich clients are usually not interested in smaller loans. However, low loan sizes do not warrant a poor clientele. Growth in average loan size does not necessarily mean that MFIs are suffering so called mission drift, as well. Funders who want to reach very poor clients should usually seek for institutions which have already been committed to a low-end clientele, rather than trying to encourage higher-end institutions to change their market.  [28] As far as an aver age outstanding balance in Africa and Asia concerned, benchmarks in these two countries were following. In Africa there was an average outstanding balance US$ 653, while in Asia there was a benchmark US$ 469. As I have already said, the indicator expresses poverty level of clients. So, according to given benchmarks for Africa and Asia, there is a lower poverty level in Asia than in Africa which could in accordance with MFIs means that there are poorer clients in Asia seeking for institutions. Collection performance If we want to assess MFIs, it is necessary to report loan collection. Therefore, whenever any measure of loan repayment, delinquency, default or loss is reported, the numerator and denominator of the ratio should be explained precisely  [29]  . There are several indicators which are usually used in context of the area of collection performance. The standard international measure of portfolio quality in banking is portfolio at risk (PAR) beyond a specified number of days. 30 days is considered a common breakpoint. Other MFIs, which do not use PAR indicator because they do not have loan tracking system strong enough should be able to calculate loans at risk (LAR). LAR indicator is considered simpler as it just counts the number of loans (instead of their amount). Moreover, there are alternative indicators such as current recovery rate (CRR) or annual loan- loss rate (ALR). As a rough rule of thumb when dealing with uncollateralized loans, Portfolio or Loans at Risk (30 days or on e payment period) above 10%, or Annual Loan-Loss Rates above 5%, must be reduced quickly or they will spin out of control  [30]  . As we can, there was higher percentage in both indicators portfolio at risk for 30 days (endangered loans which are not repaid after 30 days) and portfolio at risk for 90 days in Africa. It can mean that Africa has much untrustworthy environment in terms of the ability of institutions to gain their lent financial resources. That fact could be caused by inappropriate product setting or inefficient preventive politics of particular institutions. Table 4: Indicators of Collection Performance in 2008 (in arithmetic mean)  Portfolio at Risk 30 Days (%) Portfolio at Risk 90 Days (%) Write-off Ratio (%) Loan Loss Rate (%) Risk Coverage Ratio (%) Africa 7,9 4,4 3,4 2,9 518,8 Asia 5,4 3,4 2,2 2,1 1265,6 Source: MicroBanking Bulletin: 2008 Benchmarks. Financial sustainability (profitability) The area of financial sustainability concerns about the fact, if the MFI is profitable enough to maintain and expand its services without continued injections of subsidized donor funds. Measures which are usually used by banks or commercial institutions to find out the returns of profitability are return on assets (ROA), metering the returns produced for the owners, return on equity (ROE) or other subsidy- adjusted indicators such as financial self-sufficiency (FSS), adjusted return on assets (AROA) and the subsidy dependence index (SDI). Table 5: Indicators of Financial Sustainability in 2008 (in arithmetic mean)  Return on Assets (%) Return on Equity (%) Operational Self-Sufficiency (%) Financial Self-Sufficiency (%) Profit Margin (%) Yield on Gross Portfolio (nominal) (%) Yield on Gross Portfolio (real) (%) Africa 2,9 623,9 111 95 22,8 38,5 28,3 Asia 1 0 112 104 1,4 30,6 22,9 Source: MicroBanking Bulletin: 2008 Benchmarks. According to the previous table, we can see that there is much better situation in terms of ROA indicator in Africa than in Asia (that can be surprising). Based on this indicator, it is possible to claim that African MFIs have better outlook of future development, they are financial healthier and they are able survive in competitive struggle. The reason for better African results could be that African MFIs are overwhelmingly expanding nowadays, even in new areas and they are more able to reach economy of scale (serving more clients with low loans) that can results in higher profits. (Other indicators in the table 5 are just informative.) Efficiency The last but not least core area of indicators is efficiency. It concerns about how well the MFI controls its administrative costs. The most commonly used indicator expresses non-financial expenses as a percentage of the gross loan portfolio (Operating expense ratio). Sometimes, more efficient and preferable alternative instead of the indicator of operating expense ratio is a ratio based on clients served (not amounts loaned). That is why we talk about the cost per client. Table 6: Indicator of Efficiency in 2008 (in arithmetic mean)  Administrative Expense/ Assets (%) Operating Expense/ Loan Portfolio (%) Cost per Borrower (US$) Cost per Loan (US$) Gross Loan Portfolio (US$) Africa 11,3 44,7 190 175 15 839 989 Asia 7 22,8 62 61 30 267 802 Source: MicroBanking Bulletin: 2008 Benchmarks. As we can see, administrative expenses in relation to assets or operating expense relate to loan portfolio are lower in Asia than in Africa. That can be caused by higher number of clients (that leads to the economy of scale when fixed costs are divided into higher number of clients served). More than 40% of operating expense related to loan portfolio means that almost a half of the assets determined for the activity connected with providing loans is used for costs. This fact can very negative influence the sustainability of MFIs. As a solution could be a further expansion to the new markets. As far as cost per borrower or cost per loan concerned, there are higher amounts in Africa too, while gross loan portfolio is almost twice- higher in Asia. Africa and Asia together The sector of microfinance is very dynamic, diverse and becoming more and more important. However, compared to Asian microfinance sector is much newer with less experience. Savings create substantial part of financial services. Clients are usually served by products which are connected with too high costs. Nevertheless, the number of clients borrowing higher amounts has increasing tendency (especially in cities). On the other hand, lots of MFIs lose their clients due to institutional or macroeconomic changes. Negative features are also considered financial sustainability or profitability of MFIs which have too high operational expense due to bad infrastructure or high costs related to skilled labour. Asia is undoubtedly and deservedly considered the most developed continent in terms of the volume of MFIs. There is higher number of active borrowers compared to others continents, higher level of deposits or providing loans. One of many reasons could be the fact that Asia is closel y connected with first forms of modern microfinance. This way of gaining financial resources have become very popular with Asian poor population. Nevertheless, microfinance market which has lots of particularities (compared to other continents) is very uneven. The most MFIs can be traditionally found in Bangladesh, Vietnam or Indonesia. Asian MFIs focus mainly on the poorest population. A very effective instrument could be considered a considerable interest of Asian governments in MFIs with the aim of reducing financial barriers and making microfinance more available for the poorest people. Conclusion As far as my opinion of the concept of microfinance concerned, I consider just the idea as a great way to fight against poverty, although there is a lot of criticism. A bulk of poor households all over the world lack access to institutional financial services due to denying poor clientele for reasons of high risks perceived or insufficient marketable collateral for loans. And thanks to microfinance, lots of poor people can get small loans for setting up their own small business. First forms of modern microfinance are connected with Asia. And it is Asia nowadays, where the microfinance sector is considered the most developed compared to any other continent including Africa. Asian MFIs have much better benchmarks than African MFIs. Although, concerning the ROA indicator which is better in Africa, it possible to say that African MFIs have better outlook of the future development, they are financial healthier and they are able survive in competitive struggle. African microfinance sector is newer compared to Asian sector but it is still developing and expanding very dynamic. There can be seen one of many reasons why Asian microfinance sector is the best. It has longer tradition. Asian MFIs are able to serve poorer clients with products and loans charged by low interest rates. The networks of small MFIs is very dense, MFIs are located near important cities and people do not have to cross long distance to get there (which means that costs for travelling are lower too). On the other hand, African MFIs are very diverse regarding the forms or types of MFIs. They are much more dependent on financial resources of humanitarian organizations, they have higher operational or administrative expense and clients are usually served with microfinance products charged by higher interest rates. However, as I have already said, African microfinance sector is still developing and has a really increasing tendency, that is why it is possible that one day African and Asian mic rofinance sector will be comparable. Sources: [1] Africa Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report 2008 [online]. Microfinance Information Exchange [cited 4th December 2009]. Available: https://www.cgap.org/gm/document-1.9.9035/Africa%20Report%20Final%20Copy.pdf [2] Annual Report: On the European Community ´s Development and External Assistance Policies and their Implementation in 2008 [online]. Brussels: European Commission [cited 5th December 2009]. 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