Basant as a Cultural Heritage of Lahore Essay Example for Free

Basant as a Cultural Heritage of Lahore Essay Basant as a cultural heritage of Lahore by Yasir Raza Naqvi Lahore is an exceptionally festive city. The people of Lahore commemorate many festivals and events throughout the year, amalgamating Mughal, Western and current trends. This blending is extended to include the grand and historically significant festival of Basant. Though religiously not a Muslim cultural event, it is widely celebrated by the Muslim majority population Lahore. It is precisely due to the same reason coupled with other ‘non-Islamic’ practices that it has come under severe criticism by the mullahs. The celebration of Basant grew at an increasing rate in the late 90’s till 2005 where it suddenly came under ban due to an increasing number of deaths caused by highly tensile glass coated threads. Due to the official recognition during Musharraf’s early regime, kite making had become an industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people. The implementation of ban of kite flying followed by the ban on kite making left almost 500,000 families employed. Political turmoil followed by the ban on Basant added misery to the already crawling economy of Pakistan as the number of tourists who came to Lahore just to see the magnificent event of Basant fell tremendously. Therefore, In this essay, I tend to analyze the tri fold significance that Basant holds for Lahore. I would briefly shed light on the history of Basant and its transformation over the years till today coupled with the criticism it faced by religious elements of Pakistan. I would later explain how Basant becomes the center of tourist attraction, and generates a lot of revenue for the local industry thus securing an important position in translating the cultural heritage of Lahore. I would also seek to mention the reasons for the implementation of ban on Basant and propose solutions to uplift it. In the pre-partitioned Punjab, Hindus, especially of Lahore- celebrated Basant by flying kites. It was precisely during that time that the Muslims of Lahore, almost equal in number-comprising of the 48% of the population of Lahore, were instructed by the mullahs of that time to refrain from celebrating the event as it was typically a Hindu festival. However, the youth of that time did take part in the event by flying kites. After partition, almost all the Hindus had left Lahore for India but their tradition of Basant remained; and even today Lahoris take pride in Basant and fly kites from their rooftops with the same enthusiasm. Being the historic capital of Punjab there is no other place where Basant is elebrated with as much vigour and enthusiasm as the ancient city of Lahore. Traditionally, a festival confined to the old-walled city, it has now spread throughout the city. The celebration of Basant is incomplete without the kites and it is for the same reason that Michael Palin in his book Himalaya says: â€Å"Everyone in Lahore flies their kites for a day. † (Palin) Marshall Cavendish in his book People of Western Asia briefly states about the history of Basant and its celebration in the following words: â€Å"Lahores spring festival, Basant (buh-SAHNT): also known as Jashen-e- Baharan), is celebrated in February or March each year. It is an ancient festival that has become increasingly popular in recent years, attracting visitors from other parts of the country. Basant is celebrated with feasting, music, dance and crafts, and the wearing of yellow costumes or scarves, a symbol of the new spring. The most striking feature of the festival is the kite flying. Thousands of kites of all shapes, sizes and colors fill the skies and soar from parks and city roofs. At night, music rings and while white kites are flown, which reflect lights and fireworks. Throughout Pakistan there are local spring fairs with folk dancing; feasting; fairground attractions, such as swings and ferries wheels (sometimes made of wood in rural areas); music; and sporting contests. † (Cavendish) The celebration of this event which includes the spending on the purchase of kites has constantly being termed by the mullahs as un Islamic. In an interesting piece written by Roy McCarthy in The Guardian (17th May 2003), a young woman supporter of the Jamiyat (religious party) is reported as vehemently arguing against Basant. It is not Pakistani culture. Pakistanis don’t need new festivals. The most obnoxious part of the Basant is that it encourages young men and women to dance together and drink alcohol. This is not Islam. This is not Pakistan. This is not part of our civilization. † (The Guardian) The cry by the Jamiyat and other religious parties to impose ban on purely religious grounds, that is, Basant being a Hindu festival and thus unIslamic; therefore it should not be celebrated for the same reason might not be a reasonable argument. Firstly because, Basant is more of an ethnic event and it was celebrated by the Hindus and Muslims (the younger lot) alike by flying kites on Basant day and kite flying is more of a sport in the contemporary world, so the question of kite flying being Islamic or unIslamic does not arise . Secondly, ‘there is no denial to the fact that religion is very important and integral part of the culture of Pakistan but we should remember that cultural traditions are also a cause to celebrate and if nothing else the celebration of Basant can be viewed by the specific gathering of the ethnic group. This is further strengthened by the statement made by Sheikh Saleem, lahori and a local kite maker, eid musalmanon ki hoti hai or Basant lahoriyon ki. Thus it is purely a cultural event and Basant and kite-flying contrary to fundamentalist perceptions had nothing to do with religion. Thirdly, Basant has always been supported by the sufis of the past who were the early preachers of Islam in the subcontinent and were all very close to religion of Islam. However, during times when the state comes under religious influences (MMA had an impressive victory in October 2002), there are efforts to discourage what is, after all, not a religious festival. Pakistan† (Rengel) Sufis of Sub-Continent have a convention of adjusting to the local culture and language of the places they visited to spread Islam. The Chishti sufis, have not only tried to relate to the South Asian culture and music, they even tested and developed different cultural forms. Basant is a living example of religious open-mindedness and respectfulness of other creations of God. Previously, it was these Dargahs and Khaneqahs, which served as basis where people could share equal liberty, message of transparency and oneness. Basant is a tradition initiated eight hundred years ago by the famous poet Amir Khusro. Thus, the sufis of the past, namely Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Zaheen Shah, Amir Khusro also took part in celebrating the event of Basant through songs. The song sung on Basant commemorates a special event in a saint’s life. Blum and Neuman) Kite-making and kite-flying interdependent on one another spread from the confines of undroon sheher across Lahore, and as the city of Lahore expanded, so did the trade. It grew to such a degree that it attracted people from around the world and made Lahore a place of great tourism for Pakistan and a dynamic source of income for its residents. The festival of Basant transformed over the years due to the introduction of kites of different shapes, sizes and colors and as Saeed writes â€Å"Kite Fighting is an integral part of the Basant Kite festival. Saeed) It is precisely this magnificent display of kite flying on Basant day that made Lahore famous and thus it became the center of tourist attraction. People belonging to upper as well as lower economic classes from around the country and beyond packed city hotels for a few days of late-night festivities. Thus, as the celebrations of Basant got bigger and bigger, more and more support started coming in the form of endorsements by the government, and sponsorship and advertisement by multi-nationals in the private sector such as Coca Cola, Pepsi and Nestle. Official statement of District Chief Nazim of Lahore, 2003, Basant had created a business of Rs. 2 to 3 billion in the province and provided lot of opportunities to common people and owners of cottage industries in the country. To some independent estimates overall euphoria of Basant would generate economic activities of Rs. 4 to 4. 5 billion in the province in 2004†. (Khan) Gradually, the event which was once a general celebration of spring became overly competitive and transformed from being a fun sport to a killer sport claiming hundreds of innocent lives. As the nature of Basant changed so did the demand for the kinds of kites needed and thus new models, enormous kites and dors toughened with steel wire, chemical and glass to have room for the kite-fighting of Basant replaced the traditional kite design, size and thin dors that never utilized anything more than starch. These changes are in-fact the root of the present dilemma. â€Å"Kite flying on Basant has taken 505 lives in the last two years. The supreme court of Pakistan has mentioned 45 kite-flying related deaths in city over the last six months and 460 last year†. Zia) The factor that makes this activity even deadlier is that the dangers to human life from this commotion are multi pronged. In simpler words, the group of people affected by this cannot be specified. Actually, it is so large and all-around a group that the risks seem horrendous. Unlike other hazardous sports, the activity of celebrating Basant and more specifically more often than not, affects people who ar e not even slightly related to kite flying. The deaths quoted above are a testament to this argument. A majority of these deaths were of the unfortunate motorcycle riders who couldn’t endure the wounds after the stray strings, used for kite flying, cut open their throats. Then there were deaths due to the distraction caused by these stray strings. Young boys running after and chasing kites also add up to to this very ill-fated club. The number of wounded people and the number of accidents that kite flying on Basant has been causing is alarming to say the least. But the horror doesn’t end here. Many kite flyers were victims themselves; deaths caused by falling off rooftops, electric shocks due to the use of metal strings and obviously they too have the hazard of the stray thread slitting their throats. The killing of innocent people was not the only reason that the government imposed at a ban on basant. The monetary losses caused by kite-flying are astonishing. Fluctuations in the power supply and frequent electricity trippings have become identical with Basant. Pakistan Times show a grim picture: â€Å"As many as 48,173 power trippings were caused by kite flying were recorded in different parts of the provincial metropolis during the first quarter of current fiscal year. † (Pakistan National News Desk). Every year, the Basant days in Lahore are like a mini-blackout. And the people who have to take the toll are the people who have to work through days and nights to ensure that the people get uninterrupted power supply. The sharp strings and metal twangs can cut through the insulation of wires and every day, hundreds of transformers are left burnt and rendered useless. LESCO: â€Å"The losses suffered by LESCO 350 million rupees during the last 4 years ending 2003 out of which a loss of Rs. 20 million was caused in 2002 by metal wires. Moreover, one grid station had been damaged by metal wire every year during this period resulting in a loss of Rs. 8 to Rs. 9 million and the destruction of 210 feeders. † (LESCO) It is estimated that if there are 50 one-hour breakdowns, it costs Rs. 2. 5 million to WAPDA Steel and glass-edged wires are banned but manufacturers still report roaring trade. (Pakistan times†¦) Kite making is traditionally a family enterprise. Behind every kite is the effort of a minimum of six people. The skill is one that they acquire in their virasat as Baqir Ali Butt stated. In some ways kite-making has been altered by the changing circumstances of Lahore but in other ways it has stayed the same. It continues to provide employment for men, women and children, including handicapped persons and the incomes of 500, 000 people are dependent upon the trade â€Å"Around 500,000 families, directly related to the kite flying business, have lost their sources of livelihood because of the ban on Basant†¦[†¦] The ban is costing them Rs 200 million annually, and at the same time damaging other businesses that are indirectly related to the festival. They said that the people related to the industry, including kite makers, twine (dor) makers, wholesalers and retailers, had lost their means of earning a living. The cost of the paper used in kite making is estimated at around Rs 90 million and the cost of the twine used for flying kites is estimated at around Rs 40 million. The process of making kites involves around Rs 40 million, said Lahore Kite Flying Association General Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Saleem. â€Å"These were taken two years back. Now the number must have jumped,† he said, adding that 500,000 families had suffered because of the ban. † (Dawn International) (Tasleem) â€Å"The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Punjab police to register and take affidavits from the manufacturers of strings for kite flying in the province that they would not produce metallic and other dangerous strings which play havoc with human lives and power lines during Basant festivities. The National Assembly was recently informed that Wapda lost Rs30. 2 million in revenues due to Basant-related mishaps in the Punjab from 1999 to February 2004.

Analysis of Where have all the parents gone

Analysis of Where have all the parents gone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the movie, Child of Divorce, a young girls parents got divorced; this affected her physically and mentally. This is an example in the society today, as each child sees their parents fighting and arguing, which lead to divorcing, it will affect them as they grow older because a child has to choose between two parents to live with. Nowadays, there is a higher percentage of divorce of a childs parents and others just stayed single. What aspects should of a childs life should be a Parent control? All aspects should be control until a child reaches an independent stage of making the right decisions in his or her life. In addition, what happened to the loving parents? All parents are too busy to have time for their children or have a family dinner every night. Furthermore, what are parents job descriptions? One would be being a role model to their kids so as they grow each kid would be able to follow their parents footsteps to be successful. Another would be to training them as grown, mature and independent person. In the article, Where Have All the Parents Gone? by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, she talked about the social issue towards children being our future and she expressed her opinions about parents should be responsible for raising their children because most parents are too busy working to be involve in their own childs life, which will cause them to make wrong decisions. Also, as the generation grows, little by little the society changed because parents became brutally murderers to their own children and children rebelled. As a result, I agree with Whiteheads article because parents are responsible for their own childrens actions for them to be independent, spending time with their children will built up a relationship, and teaching them their values will make them appreciate what parents do for them. First, children should be independent by their parents guiding them through their life. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] virtually every child in America grows up in a family with one or more parents. Parents house children. Parents feed children. Parents clothe children. Parents nurture and protect children. Parents instruct children in everything from using a fork to driving (Whitehead 224). This demonstrates that parents are guiding their children from being an immature child to a mature grown up by making feel them the love that parents give them. As the children grows older, they will eventually realized what their parents taught them will be useful and helpful. They could be independent without relying on their parents. Furthermore, it is important that teaching their children from right and wrong, helping them with their decisions from right and wrong will lead to having a trust within themselves, so that they could go on with their own lives with what they learned from their parents. Second, if the parents spend more time with their kids, it will build up a stronger family relationship. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] a second income became essential. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] struggling to pay the bills, l parents seems to be short-changing their children in another way. They werent spending enough time with their kids [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (Whitehead 226). This demonstrates that parents should be able to balance their time for work and family because even though they need to make salary to pay for their bills. There should not be a reason why they can not have time to spend time with their children. Each parents decided to have children for a reason, which is to build a family on their own and to be proud parents when their kids succeed on becoming a doctor, nurse and so forth. In addition, being a parent is not a easy job; however they should think it thoroughly having kids because what is the use of having kids when a parent all he or she does is work and not have time to spend with t heir kids. For example, the parents should be able to teach their kids how to cook, how to bake, help them with their homework and so forth. Therefore, in the future, when their own kids have children, they will imitate what their parents did to them to their children, which is always working and not have time for their children. Third, parents should be teaching their values to their children, so their children will appreciate what parents do for them. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] most important, they werent teaching good values (Whitehead 226). This demonstrates that parents does not have time to even teach their children their values, so how can their children learn from them when they are suppose to be their role models. For example, each parent has different culture or history background, they should teach their children the values of their religion/culture and history of they originated from. In addition, many young women gets pregnant at a young age, which shows that parents should watch over their children more often and protect them for their own safety plus educate them how education is important to finish for their future. Also, it is important to show the significance of the parents values because when the parents die, their children will be able to carry this values and pass it to their future children, so it will be pass through generation by generation. In conclusion, Parents should be able to show their values to their children so they would be more appreciated from their children. There should not be excuses or reasons why parents do not have time for their children. Even though, parents are struggling, they should be able to show their children how they can face their problems without committing crime. Also, parents should be able to express their love for their children, so they can feel the love of their parents. Lastly, educating their children will make them successful, teaching them their values will make them appreciate their parents and have a future. Work Cited Whitehead, Barbara Dafoe. Where Have All The Parents Gone? 75 Readings: An Anthology. 11th ed. Ed. Santi V. Buscemi, Charlotte Smith. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2010.222-229.Print.

A Story From America :: essays research papers

A Story From America August 14th 1960, I was working late at the office that night. It was like one of those nights that gives you shiver, when you think about them. The cold air was tickling me in the neck, when it slowly blowed into the room from the open window. The lights from the street made me so annoyed that I hartly could find and read the papers I was looking for. Finally I found them, they were hiding in my personal archive of cases connected with murder. My attention suddenly breaks when my secretary, a young talented woman with many unusual skills, approaches the office. She always talks, normaly I just pretend to listen, but this time I could feel something was different. She had an idea, maybe she had found a clue, in the case which had gone on my nerves for the last three weeks. “Cooper !';, she manages to pronounce before she throws some papers on my desk. “Do you remember, when we were investigating Mrs Alpher’s apartment ?';. “Yes, what is it ?'; I say, trying to find out what’s on her mind. “You see, until now we haven’t found anyone that possibly could have gone into Mrs Alpher’s apartment, without anyone noticing him or her';. “You’ve got a point there';, I responded, what was on her mind ? That blue dress certainly showed her fine curves, actually I coundn’t get her of my mind most of the time. “Well, her apartment lies on the corner of Main Street and Baker Street, there’re three windows, one on Baker St. and one Main St. plus one in the middle. That night Mrs Alpher was shot, it was very warm, and if she then had a window open. A person could have shot her in hers apartment, from his or hers own window';, she looked satisfied after finishing her composing. “So what you’re trying to say, is that we maybe could find the murder in one of the apartments opposite Mrs Alpher’s windows';. The idea wasn’t bad at all I thoungt, she opened the new cupboard to get some files. “OK. we’ll go over to her apartment right away';. It was quite strange to enter the apartment, it had an unusual structure, but also it had a certain charm with it’s three windows in the end of the living room. I tryed to picture what had been going on that evening Mrs Alpher was shot. A Story From America :: essays research papers A Story From America August 14th 1960, I was working late at the office that night. It was like one of those nights that gives you shiver, when you think about them. The cold air was tickling me in the neck, when it slowly blowed into the room from the open window. The lights from the street made me so annoyed that I hartly could find and read the papers I was looking for. Finally I found them, they were hiding in my personal archive of cases connected with murder. My attention suddenly breaks when my secretary, a young talented woman with many unusual skills, approaches the office. She always talks, normaly I just pretend to listen, but this time I could feel something was different. She had an idea, maybe she had found a clue, in the case which had gone on my nerves for the last three weeks. “Cooper !';, she manages to pronounce before she throws some papers on my desk. “Do you remember, when we were investigating Mrs Alpher’s apartment ?';. “Yes, what is it ?'; I say, trying to find out what’s on her mind. “You see, until now we haven’t found anyone that possibly could have gone into Mrs Alpher’s apartment, without anyone noticing him or her';. “You’ve got a point there';, I responded, what was on her mind ? That blue dress certainly showed her fine curves, actually I coundn’t get her of my mind most of the time. “Well, her apartment lies on the corner of Main Street and Baker Street, there’re three windows, one on Baker St. and one Main St. plus one in the middle. That night Mrs Alpher was shot, it was very warm, and if she then had a window open. A person could have shot her in hers apartment, from his or hers own window';, she looked satisfied after finishing her composing. “So what you’re trying to say, is that we maybe could find the murder in one of the apartments opposite Mrs Alpher’s windows';. The idea wasn’t bad at all I thoungt, she opened the new cupboard to get some files. “OK. we’ll go over to her apartment right away';. It was quite strange to enter the apartment, it had an unusual structure, but also it had a certain charm with it’s three windows in the end of the living room. I tryed to picture what had been going on that evening Mrs Alpher was shot.

Essays on Death and Suicide - Waiting for Death :: Personal Narrative Writing

Personal Narrative- Waiting for Death She suspects she has only ever had one true affair with the knife, and all those since have been meager attempts at regurgitation, petty rivalries borne of intention and tainted by the anticlimax of recreation. She sits daily watching the synthetic roses, virulent with red, fluoresce persistently on the porch. Moth bitten, with broken stems and a hairline crack running the length of the ceramic pot that marks their station on the brick step. She sits observing their activity, disassociates herself from the solemn sermon their blushing heads deliver, ducking in the wind. Waiting for something to happen. She has lost, or perceives she has lost (and looks for death on the horizon because she fears she has lost) the ability to make things occur. How useful youth was in the day to day creation of happenings. Now she has displaced the seasons, and the pleasant expanse of nothingness, a featureless backdrop, assimilates itself to her emotionless countenance, as she welcomes the weather. Her father’s house, in the Polish town. Its healthy walls, its strong bone structure. She found it easily, buried knee-deep in the liquid winter, and enquired of the locals as to whether anyone currently resided there. They regarded her, not more obliging than they were wary, with the heavy, knowing gaze of people carrying the burden of the past – both pervasive and private. Her accent was rusty, the native tongue had long since been liberated – a stray cut loose from its derelict cultural confinement. She spoke in dislocated dialogue; the secure, prosaic language of dinner parties and familial get-togethers. Of pleasantries exchanged between well-wishing strangers. Broken German from an elementary text-book. How she hated the sluggish tongue, the barren vowels that tripped reluctantly from the lips, imprisoned by the teeth. The English language seemed a positive ballad of elegant syllables. She had wished never to hear these sunken verbs again. She had tried to forget it all, but they spoke with a dramatic flourish, demanding that she remember, their tone didactic and intense with purpose. Those primitive villagers, deeply set in their archaic ways, the spit in the palm. Such old gestures seem a blessing on unimaginative bones, bones of gypsy ancestry; wrapped in incense and adorned with elaborate jewelry. She briefly caught the delicate, sickly scent of patchouli and lavender, an odor that seeped from their pores, traveled on the breath and suggested unrelenting hardship and wisdom and infinite strength.

Free Merchant of Venice Essays: The Character of Portia :: Merchant Venice Essays

Portia is a woman who   is subservient to the attitudes of her times. She is educated beyond measure and yet is subject to the will of the males in her life.   First of all she is forced to obey the dictates of her father's will and must marry the man who guesses the right casket. Secondly she is under the direction of her husband Bassanio, who takes over her fortune and is in charge of her.   It does seem that the men in this play portray women as no better than cattle or land.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Portia disguises herself as a young male judge to save her husband's best friend.   She is very clever in stating the exact words of the contract between Shylock and Antonio.   Then when Shylock wants his pound of flesh Portia tells him he can not spill a drop of blood in the process or he will lose all that he has.   In the end Portia manages to do just what she started to do, save Antonio's life.   During the trial, she overhears her husband tell Antoino that he loves his friend more than his wife. To Portia's dismay   Bassanio gives his wedding ring in payment to the lawyer (Portia) for his fees.   This is done possibly under duress for Bassanio did promise Portia that he would never part with the ring. When Bassanio returns home to find his wife blocking the doorway to the house, he knows something is wrong.   She asks him where his wedding ring has gone to and is told that it is not here.   She refuses to share the sam e bed with him till he has the ring back on his finger. Portia finds it in her heart to forgive Bassanio and gives the ring to Antonio; he in turn gives it to his friend Bassanio. Free Merchant of Venice Essays: The Character of Portia :: Merchant Venice Essays Portia is a woman who   is subservient to the attitudes of her times. She is educated beyond measure and yet is subject to the will of the males in her life.   First of all she is forced to obey the dictates of her father's will and must marry the man who guesses the right casket. Secondly she is under the direction of her husband Bassanio, who takes over her fortune and is in charge of her.   It does seem that the men in this play portray women as no better than cattle or land.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Portia disguises herself as a young male judge to save her husband's best friend.   She is very clever in stating the exact words of the contract between Shylock and Antonio.   Then when Shylock wants his pound of flesh Portia tells him he can not spill a drop of blood in the process or he will lose all that he has.   In the end Portia manages to do just what she started to do, save Antonio's life.   During the trial, she overhears her husband tell Antoino that he loves his friend more than his wife. To Portia's dismay   Bassanio gives his wedding ring in payment to the lawyer (Portia) for his fees.   This is done possibly under duress for Bassanio did promise Portia that he would never part with the ring. When Bassanio returns home to find his wife blocking the doorway to the house, he knows something is wrong.   She asks him where his wedding ring has gone to and is told that it is not here.   She refuses to share the sam e bed with him till he has the ring back on his finger. Portia finds it in her heart to forgive Bassanio and gives the ring to Antonio; he in turn gives it to his friend Bassanio.

Ethical Dilemma Assignment

The child is very pleasant, loves to be picked up and held, eats and has gained eight since his hospitalizing. However, as the child's nurse you have observed on several occasions the child's reaction the mother and father. When the mother tries to hold the child he becomes withdrawn and emotional, the father seems detached and makes no effort to assist the mother when the child is in a heighten state of frustration. Even with the observe responses of the infant there are no physical signs of abuse just minor abrasions that is often associated with play.Even though this is his second visit in 6 months for the same reason per the chart pulled when doing our due diligence there is no hard evidence of wrong doing. Something is off about the scenario, you can quite put your finger on it, and there is something that makes you suspect abuse. The situation is weighing on you and you decide to speak to the attending physician about the patient. Everything that you have observed when the pare nt's visit it told and well as the progress and entirely opposite reaction the child has had to the attending staff.The attending physician also shares you concerns but in an effort to validate her concerns has learnt that the parents have has home visits prior o the patients second hospitalizing and both the home and their other two children ages 4 and 3 are in acceptable form. The home reports also states the mother has been good with keeping up with doctors visits, immunization, keeps a clean healthy safe environment and the other two children seem to be happy.The day of discharge comes and the baby is in a terrible emotional state but according the doctors and your head nurse mentor who you also spoke to for guidance, without actual evidence of any wrong doing there is nothing to be done. The parents and the child leave but o still have a decision to makes if child welfare services have not been called you as the nurse can choose to make that call. There is reasonable suspicion to do so, given the child's reaction to the mother, being underweight, a call would not have been inappropriate.However, you know from the research that you have done child services were called to the home prior and there have been no Other signs of abuse on the home. Your gut feeling is that something is very wrong nevertheless (Entice Continuing Education , n. A. ). Principles from the ANA Code of Ethics The ANA Code of Ethics are a guide, they are not a play by play description of when ‘this' do this. There are so many situation that occur in medical profession there is no way to have a protocol for all, instead the code of ethics have provision that guide nurses on how to act in accordance.The provisions that apply to the current nurse patient situation are 2. 1, 2. 2 and 3. 2. Provision 2. 1 – Primacy of the patient's interest – the nurse's primary is to the recipients of nursing a health care services – the patient – whether the recipients in an individual, a family, a group, or community. Nurse holds a monumental commitment to uniqueness Of the individual patient; therefore, any plan of care must reflect that uniqueness. (ANA – American Nurses Association , 2010). Provision 2. 2 ; Conflict of interest for nurses.Nurse must examine the conflicts arising between their own personal and professional values and those of others responsible for patient care. They must strive to resolve conflicts in ways that ensure patient safety. If the nurse suspects abuse, she must find the moral courage to report it, even if the doctor doesn't agree with her suspicions (ANA – American Nurses Association , 2010). Provision 3. 2 – Confidentiality. The rights, well-being, and safely of the individual patient should be the primary factors in arriving at any professional judgment concerning the disposition of confidential information.Only information pertinent to a patient's treatment and welfare is disclosed and only to th ose directly involved with patient's care (ANA – American Nurses Association , 2010). Related principles Of ANA Code Of Ethics The patient is your first and primary concern as a nurse and per provision 2. 1 you have to use the uniqueness of the situation. The 13th month old, male patient has have two cases of not thriving, is emotionally stressed when with the primary care giver and the primary care giver does not seem to have emotional support from the secondary parent in the relationship.Provision 2. 2 while there is no true conflict between the personal and the professional because there are no definitive signs of abuse but the patient is not responding to it primary caregiver. If the patient is in distress because of the emotional state then infant will continue to not thrive, the patient weight will antique to drop and the infant can then become ill and will continue to not thrive. Provision 3. 2 the patient being the primary focus, there should be no room for disc-conte ntion.Clinical Agency Resources Reporting the concern will cause family disruption however, if the concern is not voice to those who may be in a position to affect change and the patient suffers as a cause the as a nurse professional it can be considered dereliction of duties. In this case if may have a gut feeling but that is not cause enough to report the family. It would be better served after discussing the case with y superior to aid the mother in building a relationship with the child.

Citibank: Performance Evaluation Essay

The California Division of Citibank has introduced a new performance scorecard to highlight the importance of a diverse set of measures in achieving the strategic goals of the division. Among the new measures introduced was a customer satisfaction indicator. Unfortunately, James McGaran, the manager of the most important branch and who consistently delivers impressive financial results scored â€Å"below par† on customer satisfaction. Frits Seeger, President of Citibank California and Lisa Johnson, area manager supervising James, are pondering what overall performance rating are they going to give to James. Areas of ConsiderationCitibank’s strategy in California was to build a profitable franchise providing relationship banking combined with ah high level of service to its customers. Financial measures had dominated Citibank’s performance in the past but management felt that these measures were poor vehicles to communicate the high service strategy of the bank. Other areas to consider in this case are: †¢To reflect the importance of non-financial measures as leading indicators of strategy implementation, the California Division developed a Performance Scorecard which complemented existing financial measures with new measures reflecting important competitive dimensions in the bank’s strategy. †¢James’ customers in his branch are sophisticated- they require high service quality and knowledgeable employees who could satisfy their financial needs and his performance exceeded expectations every single year by delivering impressive financial results for four years in a row. †¢But when the division expanded its performance indicators to include non-financial measures, it became apparent that his branch’s customer satisfaction ratings are not as good as his financial performance. His customer satisfaction was â€Å"below par† for 2 consecutive quarters. †¢James discussed concerns regarding the (in)adequacy of the survey: customers rated not only their branch but also other Citibank’s services such as ATMs that were out of the control of branch managers. †¢Even so, he worked hard to improve the customer satisfaction rating by designating a staff to greet customers and held meetings and coached branch employees to focus their attention on improving customer satisfaction. †¢James felt very disappointed when for two quarters, his rating had been only par. He thought that his efforts deserved an above par rating considering that he’s able to successfully run the hardest branch in the division. †¢Frits is considering to give James an â€Å"above par† rating given his excellent performance in other dimensions, but if the performance evaluation team gave James an â€Å"above par,† the other managers could think that the division was not serious about its non-financial measures. Alternate Courses of Action†¢Set aside the performance evaluation guidelines and give James an overall â€Å"above par† rating thus entitling him to as much as 30% bonus. †¢Observe and uphold the performance guidelines and give James an overall â€Å"par† rating and get a bonus of up to 15% of basic salary. RecommendationsI recommend that the evaluating team follow the guidelines they set forth and give James the following ratings: †¢Financials – Above par†¢Strategy implementation – Above par†¢Customer satisfaction – Below par†¢Control – Above par †¢People – Above par †¢Standards – Above ParJames’ average in customer satisfaction for the four quarters was a dismal 64.75 – a far cry from the required market average of 77 to get â€Å"above par† and about 10 points shy from the 74-79 score to get a â€Å"par† rating. Based on the guidelines, with a â€Å"below par† rating, James is no longer qualified to get an overall â€Å"above par† rating and thus settle for a â€Å"par† rating. This is to give credibility to the intent of the management in implementing a balanced scorecard and in giving other factors equal weight and importance as that of financials. Having said that, some important issues need to be addressed in Citibank’ performance evaluation. First, Lisa should have provided support to James as  early as the 2nd quarter when his customer satisfaction scores began to slip from 66 to 63 (then further down to 54 during the 3rd quarter). Performance evaluation should not be a static document- it should be a reference for the employee and superior to identify deficiencies and gaps during the rating period. It should be revisited regularly, identify areas of improvement and see how management can intervene and improve the performance of the manager. A regular performance feedback is crucial so that the managers can align their activities with what is expected of them. Second, it would be worthwhile for Frits and Lisa to review the scores of the other managers focusing on customer satisfaction- this is to find out how all the managers are faring with the new performance indicator and to determine James’ performance vis-à  -vis his colleagues. If the general results of the customer satisfaction are similar with that of James, then his concerns are not unfounded- it may be that while the branches are doing their best in extending excellent customer service, the centralized services might be the one that’s pulling down everyone’s performance. Third, it would be excellent if Frits can benchmark their performance evaluation with the rest of the industry and see if their parameters in especially on customer satisfaction are within industry standards. Fourth, a reorientation or training on the proper administration and use of the performance evaluation is in order. Based on the scores and comments that Lisa gives to James, it appears that she is lenient with him. She overemphasizes James’ financial achievements but mentions too little on his deficiency on customer satisfaction. There also seems to be a halo error in the way Lisa evaluates James- where his financial prowess seems to unduly influence the other evaluation dimensions. Imons, R. Citibank: Performance Evaluation. 1997. Harvard Business School