I commented on the following blogs:
Diana Rios, Laura De Bedout, Daniel Peña, Juliana Álvarez and Lina Gaviria.
As for the course, it's very interesting, however, some of the topics are highly related to the ones taught in Intercultural Management (Gestión Intercultural). Anyway, I found the course very useful and deep in its contents. Thank you very much!
jueves, 20 de mayo de 2010
miércoles, 19 de mayo de 2010
LATINOAMERICA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
Despite the vast territories of dense nature in Latinoamerica, according to the ICTSD, countries such as Colombia, Brasil and Venezuela are running out of natural resources, and, worse, they're not giving them a proper use. Deforestation and water contamination and inapropriate use are some of the current problems affecting the population of the mentioned countries, whose alarming passivity toward the issue is not letting them to a positive solution.
However, not everything is that bad, huge companies like Petrobras in Brazil and Notebooks makers in COlombia are joining worldwide campaigs for protecting and preserving the environment, just to mention, joining the CONTREEBUTE campaign is almost compulsory for all the companies that use trees for making paper. As for Petrobras, they're educating the population crating conciousness regarding the importante of the natural resources such as water; moreover the Brazilian Company is reducing the amount of water in its operations and reducing the gas emissions produced withing the procesess.
The population of Latinamerica has to be aware that the climate change is produced not only by the gas emissions of the developed countries, we're guilty as well. If we don't act, we'll regret it for sure...
References
However, not everything is that bad, huge companies like Petrobras in Brazil and Notebooks makers in COlombia are joining worldwide campaigs for protecting and preserving the environment, just to mention, joining the CONTREEBUTE campaign is almost compulsory for all the companies that use trees for making paper. As for Petrobras, they're educating the population crating conciousness regarding the importante of the natural resources such as water; moreover the Brazilian Company is reducing the amount of water in its operations and reducing the gas emissions produced withing the procesess.
The population of Latinamerica has to be aware that the climate change is produced not only by the gas emissions of the developed countries, we're guilty as well. If we don't act, we'll regret it for sure...
References
- http://noticias.latam.msn.com/
IS IT USEFUL TO SAY SORRY? NO!
I think it's quite inappropriate nowadays to say sorry to those communities that for decades were discriminated, margined and harassed by several insitutions both private and public.
The idea is that, those social groups have to be educated so they can know what their rights are and how the can claim them, and, more important, there has to be legislations against the actions taken against them, including as mentioned before harassment, discrimination and asassinations.
In my personal opinion, the different social groups coexisting within a specific nation enriches the culture instead of destroying it, if it were up to me, I'd figure out policies so they could be part of the economic activities, not only because they have right to do so, but because it would dynamize the economy and the final outcome would be both parts gaining development.
So, don't wipe them out, don't hide them, as far as I know, they're also civilians with the same rights protected by the same constutution.
The idea is that, those social groups have to be educated so they can know what their rights are and how the can claim them, and, more important, there has to be legislations against the actions taken against them, including as mentioned before harassment, discrimination and asassinations.
In my personal opinion, the different social groups coexisting within a specific nation enriches the culture instead of destroying it, if it were up to me, I'd figure out policies so they could be part of the economic activities, not only because they have right to do so, but because it would dynamize the economy and the final outcome would be both parts gaining development.
So, don't wipe them out, don't hide them, as far as I know, they're also civilians with the same rights protected by the same constutution.
martes, 18 de mayo de 2010
¿TRADE UNIONS IN DECAY?
Is not a secret, once used to represent employees in the European Union institutions, Trade Unions across Europe are dissappearing since early 90's at a weird-dramatic rate.
Once gathered in strong confederations, today's unions are just a memory of what they used to be, according to the statistics, employees members of trade unions across the European Union have decreased, even at the point where, the most densely populated states have the lowest levels of Uniozation.
¿Possible Causes? I'd say, at least IMO, that the current global mergers involving not only countries from the UE is affecting the stability of the unions which have had to fight against the lack of control from the companies when hiring people from abroad. Another possible cause is the opposition to the ongoing erosion of living standards and working conditions within the european companies.
The long-term picture presents an even more devastating picture of how the unions will have prevented the emergence of opposition to corporate management and the government.
References
Once gathered in strong confederations, today's unions are just a memory of what they used to be, according to the statistics, employees members of trade unions across the European Union have decreased, even at the point where, the most densely populated states have the lowest levels of Uniozation.
¿Possible Causes? I'd say, at least IMO, that the current global mergers involving not only countries from the UE is affecting the stability of the unions which have had to fight against the lack of control from the companies when hiring people from abroad. Another possible cause is the opposition to the ongoing erosion of living standards and working conditions within the european companies.
The long-term picture presents an even more devastating picture of how the unions will have prevented the emergence of opposition to corporate management and the government.
References
- http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/sep2005/tuc-s20.shtml
MUHAMMAD'S BANKING LAWS (LOL)
Having the Coran wasn't enough. The Islamic community also have a proper banking system.
The known Islamic Banking System refers to a system where the banking activity must be consistent with the principles of the Islamic Law or Sharia and its application through the development of the Islamic Economic Activities.
Unlike the western banking style, this "approach", based on the Islamic Law, prohibits payments and acceptances of interest fees for lending and receiving money respectively, also, it prohibits the investments in businesses that provides goods or services inconsistent with the mentioned 9 principles, shown below.
Principles
The known Islamic Banking System refers to a system where the banking activity must be consistent with the principles of the Islamic Law or Sharia and its application through the development of the Islamic Economic Activities.
Unlike the western banking style, this "approach", based on the Islamic Law, prohibits payments and acceptances of interest fees for lending and receiving money respectively, also, it prohibits the investments in businesses that provides goods or services inconsistent with the mentioned 9 principles, shown below.
Principles
• The sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition of riba.
• Allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments.
• There are no additional penalties for late payment.
• The goods or land is registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction.
• Islamic banks lend their money to companies by issuing floating rate interest loans.
• The borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a failure, resulting in a balanced distribution of income and not allowing lender to monopolize the economy.
• Islamic banking is restricted to Islamically acceptable transactions, which exclude those involving alcohol, pork, gambling, etc.
• To engage in only ethical investing, and moral purchasing.
Anyway, this banking system has addapted to the nowadays' needs in the middle east and has grown extremely rapidly within nations with small Islamic communities besides the middle east.
References
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_banking
• Allowing the buyer to pay the bank in installments.
• There are no additional penalties for late payment.
• The goods or land is registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction.
• Islamic banks lend their money to companies by issuing floating rate interest loans.
• The borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a failure, resulting in a balanced distribution of income and not allowing lender to monopolize the economy.
• Islamic banking is restricted to Islamically acceptable transactions, which exclude those involving alcohol, pork, gambling, etc.
• To engage in only ethical investing, and moral purchasing.
Anyway, this banking system has addapted to the nowadays' needs in the middle east and has grown extremely rapidly within nations with small Islamic communities besides the middle east.
References
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_banking
BEST OF BLOGS!! BOBS 2010
As I'm learning Russian, and I've got a few friends in Russia; I really liked the photos shown here!!
Я любить Россия!!
http://zyalt.livejournal.com/
http://sahelnet.org/photo/p/231
Я любить Россия!!
http://zyalt.livejournal.com/
http://sahelnet.org/photo/p/231
lunes, 22 de marzo de 2010
FROM PROVIDING TO BURNING
Dowry, the act where a woman gives money, goods or state to her husband in marriage; was seen as a way of providing goods or money for the stablishment of a new household or family, with the purpose of helping the husband to maintain and feed the family. Thus, the husband had certain property rights in his wife's dowry. Simply put, the purpose of the Dowry was to provide an incentive to the husband for not harming his wife.
However, greedy husbands (and their families) mostly in India started to kill and harm their wifes demanding more goods or money, and a very clever (...) way of killing their wifes (Bride Burning) acquired certain notoriety in the country, which caused the total prohibition of the Dowry payment by the Indian Law.
Bride Burning is a common form of domestic violence that occurs when the wife's family refuses to pay additional Dowry to the husband and his family. Then, the husband and his family (most of the times) murder the wife with kerosene or gasoline (because it's cheap) by dousing the woman and setting alight causing the death by fire.
This issue has gotten a public health problem in India; it is said that every year Indian Police recieve more than 2.500 reports of bride burning.
No matter if it is cultural or not, the total misunderstanding of the concept cannot be an excuse for demanding things, and in the most extreme case, for killing a woman.
However, greedy husbands (and their families) mostly in India started to kill and harm their wifes demanding more goods or money, and a very clever (...) way of killing their wifes (Bride Burning) acquired certain notoriety in the country, which caused the total prohibition of the Dowry payment by the Indian Law.
Bride Burning is a common form of domestic violence that occurs when the wife's family refuses to pay additional Dowry to the husband and his family. Then, the husband and his family (most of the times) murder the wife with kerosene or gasoline (because it's cheap) by dousing the woman and setting alight causing the death by fire.
This issue has gotten a public health problem in India; it is said that every year Indian Police recieve more than 2.500 reports of bride burning.
No matter if it is cultural or not, the total misunderstanding of the concept cannot be an excuse for demanding things, and in the most extreme case, for killing a woman.
HIDING TIANANMEN SQUARE
Two decades after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing, this event still remains a taboo in China.
Censorship by the domestic government has become stronger and toughter than ever reaching newspapers, internet and all kind of media. Chinese press is actually forbbiden to make any statement referring this event. Even the citizens are prevented from making any research on the internet to find out what happened in the Tiananmen Massacre on June the 4th of 1989. Any attempt to find out either on Baidu or Sohu (Chinese search engines) is automatically blocked and the result is the sistem getting reinitialized.
Even if Google.cn is used for doing the same research, the results found are about Tiananmen Square as a historical place; nothing related to June the 4th. Results related to the event are blocked even in Google, and clicking on them gets the system reinitialized.
Furthermore, if the press wants to make any statement or reference about that date, a special permission from the government is required, otherwise jail and lost of job is the penalty.
Most of protests (specially in the Olympic Games of 2008, that was seen as a way of wiping out the memory of the people) are made from abroad; those who have mentioned any sight of this tragical event in China are in jail and today 31 journalist and 48 cyber-dissidents are currently in prison for "illegaly divulging a state secret abroad". The government is accused by all means for harassing journalists with abusive measures and for not letting exiled journalists to return to China safely.
Censorship by the domestic government has become stronger and toughter than ever reaching newspapers, internet and all kind of media. Chinese press is actually forbbiden to make any statement referring this event. Even the citizens are prevented from making any research on the internet to find out what happened in the Tiananmen Massacre on June the 4th of 1989. Any attempt to find out either on Baidu or Sohu (Chinese search engines) is automatically blocked and the result is the sistem getting reinitialized.
Even if Google.cn is used for doing the same research, the results found are about Tiananmen Square as a historical place; nothing related to June the 4th. Results related to the event are blocked even in Google, and clicking on them gets the system reinitialized.
Furthermore, if the press wants to make any statement or reference about that date, a special permission from the government is required, otherwise jail and lost of job is the penalty.
Most of protests (specially in the Olympic Games of 2008, that was seen as a way of wiping out the memory of the people) are made from abroad; those who have mentioned any sight of this tragical event in China are in jail and today 31 journalist and 48 cyber-dissidents are currently in prison for "illegaly divulging a state secret abroad". The government is accused by all means for harassing journalists with abusive measures and for not letting exiled journalists to return to China safely.
FROM USA TO CANADA
Back in the XIX century, Canada was far from what it's considered today: a great destiny. It was the United States of America the country that would fulfill everyone's expectations; it was not cold, far, and most important, it was not insignificant.
However, a rapid expansion in the economic sectors that boosted the domestic economy demanded people from overseas, people different than the commonly preferred inmigrants (UK's finest and Americans) so they could keep developing using both domestic and overseas workers. Therefore, Canada started to choose who could get in and who couldn't based on skills (as today) and endly this policy led the country to have the highest rate of legal immigrant workers.
Canada today is considered one of the greatest places to live and work. Not only for its policy towards immigrants (which are recieved and treted with respect) but for its job opportunities for people from overseas. It's quite interesting how a well developed policy for atracting immigrants has led the country to have a solid domestic economy, an excellent quiality of life, lots of job opportunities. No matter how difficult it is, Canada is an example of how dealing with migrations might result in benefits for the host country; the rest of the countries should learn from this.
Another fact is that, Canada has managed to maintain the different cultures intact, instead of becoming a melting pot, the multiculturalism is seen everywhere, and more than that, pluralist multiculturalism. Its cultural richness makes also the country attractive for foreigners, which are the ones who bring good (and sometimes bad) things.
Info taken from: The Past and Future of Immigration to Canada, by David Verbeeten
However, a rapid expansion in the economic sectors that boosted the domestic economy demanded people from overseas, people different than the commonly preferred inmigrants (UK's finest and Americans) so they could keep developing using both domestic and overseas workers. Therefore, Canada started to choose who could get in and who couldn't based on skills (as today) and endly this policy led the country to have the highest rate of legal immigrant workers.
Canada today is considered one of the greatest places to live and work. Not only for its policy towards immigrants (which are recieved and treted with respect) but for its job opportunities for people from overseas. It's quite interesting how a well developed policy for atracting immigrants has led the country to have a solid domestic economy, an excellent quiality of life, lots of job opportunities. No matter how difficult it is, Canada is an example of how dealing with migrations might result in benefits for the host country; the rest of the countries should learn from this.
Another fact is that, Canada has managed to maintain the different cultures intact, instead of becoming a melting pot, the multiculturalism is seen everywhere, and more than that, pluralist multiculturalism. Its cultural richness makes also the country attractive for foreigners, which are the ones who bring good (and sometimes bad) things.
Info taken from: The Past and Future of Immigration to Canada, by David Verbeeten
sábado, 13 de marzo de 2010
lunes, 1 de febrero de 2010
Culture VS Organisational Culture
The best known definition of Culture, putting aside other meanings and interpretations, is the one commonly embraced by a vast number of authors which is: "set of behaviours, beliefs and attitudes that are shared by a group of people" whether it's a country, a city, an organisation or a family.
On the other hand, the term Organisational Culture refers to how those behaviours, beliefs and attitudes deal with the dayly interaction of employees and the dayly interaction of employees with the environment (the organisation itself), therefore, the organisational culture is related to the mission and objectives within the organisation and strives to facilitate both the fullfillment of the objectives and the relationship among employees. Simply put, organisational culture is generally used as a way of leading an organisation to achieve its goals by sharing those values, beliefs and behaviuors with the employees stablishing an indentity process with the organisation.
On the other hand, the term Organisational Culture refers to how those behaviours, beliefs and attitudes deal with the dayly interaction of employees and the dayly interaction of employees with the environment (the organisation itself), therefore, the organisational culture is related to the mission and objectives within the organisation and strives to facilitate both the fullfillment of the objectives and the relationship among employees. Simply put, organisational culture is generally used as a way of leading an organisation to achieve its goals by sharing those values, beliefs and behaviuors with the employees stablishing an indentity process with the organisation.
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