International business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

International business finance - Essay Example The report also explores re-domiciling of IFM Plc from France to Monaco, in which the report establishes that there is a logical point of view based on a business perspective. In addition, the report addresses the plans set put by the company in expanding into Asia (India and China) that will require about â‚ ¬250 million. Although, the expansion will deliver growth of about 5% in the next five years and is worth undertaking, it carries high risks connected to the massive investment required. The high gearing level of 88% indicates that IFM Plc is significantly exposed to financial risk. The report outlines options that the company can implement to lower its gearing level and attract funding; however, this remains uncertain owing to the interplay of factors involved. In this section, the reports explore the diverse sources of finance that IFM Plc can utilize in its expansion into Asia and the factors that impact on the sources of finance. The report analyzes and appraises prospective venture between IFM Plc and a German subsidiary (EMF Plc), re-domiciling from France to Monaco and pursuing with its expansion efforts into Asia. Indeed, such a move will make sense since the bulk of the business operations are run in Monaco; nevertheless, such a move could hurt the company’s image since it will be purely for profit and the shareholders may not welcome the idea. In the analysis, the report illuminates the operational and strategic challenges that can create costs and benefits in re-domiciling the business into Monaco. The expansion into Asia will help the company to gain access to fresh markets into India and China, especially given that India and China are high-growth countries. The joint venture represents a legal entity that takes the nature of the partnership involved in the joint undertaking of a certain transaction for mutual benefit. As such, the two enterprises jointly undertake a certain transaction for mutual profit, contribute assets and share

New Mexico and the American West Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

New Mexico and the American West - Assignment Example 2. Arizona has shrinking agricultural development while New Mexico’s is growing. Arizona has a less Hispanic speaking community than New Mexico. It also has a low population than New Mexico. Arizona has the largest population of American states with 6.6 million with New Mexico’s just over two million. Arizona has rapid population growth while New Mexico has a rather slow population growth. Arizona has many Indian communities while New Mexico has few Indian communities with Hispanic communities being dominant. Arizona has a history of political conservatism while New Mexico is not as conservative. 3. 1848-1865 – mining began in this period 1866-1878 – Mormon farming towns were raised and crops were grown and then sold to miners. 1879-1899 – transportation along with the mining of copper began here. Tombstone, a major mining town for copper emerged and grew. 1900-1939 – Copper boom was experienced in this stage and cattle and cotton farming dev eloped as well. 1940 onwards – Arizona became an urban place. Economy shifted here and agriculture and mining declined as service industry took over. 4. The Navajo community live in circular homes called Hogan. When a person dies in a Hogan then they shut the doors of the Hogan as they believe that could come along with evil ghosts. They believe in a state of balance or harmony they refer to as hozho. They believe in traditional ceremonies like one called the blessing way which involves healers and singers attending. They have a ceremony called kinaalda which is one to signify the coming of age of a girl. Four sacred mountains of the Navajo include: the sierra Blanca in the east which means faith and thinking or white shell; Hesperus peak which refers to awareness and charity; mt. Humphrey which means life and love above; and mt. Taylor which means planning or blue turquoise. 5. The Mormon landscape had a grid of rather huge streets and there were also ditches on the sides of roads for irrigation purposes. Towns had rather open fields and there were also polygamous houses. There were also two by two houses and the towns had bans and granaries that had not been painted. The church meeting house was at the center of town and the residences were made of brick and stone. The plat for the city of Zion is basically the land tenure issue of the state of Utah. This refers to the need for irrigation, need for shared resources and the need for defence. This is also connected to the law of the Indies. 6. Utah was more or less an all Indian nation and it had Mormons settle in it. The state therefore had its key land tenure conflict being Mormons vs. gentiles. Utah has been praised for many reasons that make it different from the rest of America and one of these reasons is the fact that it has been rated the best state in America for economic growth. It is ranked highest for its economic dynamism by Forbes magazine and the USA today ranks this state first for the qu ality state government that it has. Prudential insurance ranks Utah as the fifth healthiest state in the states. The salt lake is in this state and it is therefore referred to as the Salt Lake City. Forbes ranks it as being the best city when it comes for jobs and it has as well been said to be the fittest city. The land tenure driver for Utah is the plat for the city of Zion and this is certainly due to the fact that the Mormon Church initially runs things there. It is said to be the third

What Makes A Person Famous At Work Psychology Essay

What Makes A Person Famous At Work Psychology Essay What makes a person famous at work? Fame or popularity at work is much desired. To understand the phenomena, it is important to understand about fame. A research concluded that a person who is well known and liked is considered as popular (Scott, 2007). In other words a popular person is one who is likeable and socially visible. Babel (2001) further established the factors like social visibility and likable are most important for popularity. An individual who is sought after and liked is considered popular. What constitutes as popularity? According to Kerlinger Lee (2000) three forces which make up popularity. Attraction, that includes the force which brings together the individuals. Repulsion diverts and drives apart individuals. Indifference, that causes uncertainty in the mind on an individual. So these three factors can make or break an employees image at work. Popularity is often considered an individual matter; however this is not entirely true. Popularity is also a group orie nted phenomena (Rubin, Bukowski, and Parker, 2006). This means that it is an individuals quality to be popular, but he or she has to be in some sort of group to be popular or to gain fame. So understanding popularity can be measured individually and also in group. According to one research, popularity has two dimensions i.e. acceptance or rejection (Bukowski, Hoza, and Michel Boivin 1993). Another research concludes that Popularitys label is given to a specific employee by his co workers based on their perception which they develop after working with that particular worker for some time period. Popularity and fame are difficult phenomenon to understand and comprehend. It is difficult to judge about an individuals fame and popularity. There are no set rules present to measure these two states. Productivity and Popularity A research concludes that some employees are more popular than others, so often they are treated in a different way than others (Scott, 2007). This research has examined popularity in context of organizational behavior. The next question is what makes a person popular or famous at work. The popularity of person is depends on their ability to perform on the job (Zelst, 2001). This research requested the co workers to nominate a person to work with. This researcher found that people who have better working skills are popular among the workforce. The results of the research showed that people who are satisfied with their job are found to be more popular and co workers are willing to work with them. This research was conducted on construction workers. The key conclusion of this research is that popularity at work can be achieved if an employee has good working skills and is satisfied at the job. Popularity can lead to celebrity status. Research shows that popularity and fame is something most people enjoy and crave for (Hogan, 2003). This research states about the lure of fame develops from childhood and sustains through Adulthood. Another research found similar results. It concluded that employees with greater productivity are generally more popular among co workers (Porter, and Ghiselli 2000). This research asked the respondents to choose five co worker, with whom they would have had liked to work in a group. All the groups were given some task. The result of this research showed that the groups having popular members showed more productivity. Hence, it can be concluded that popular members are those who are good and quick at what they do. Working speed is also an important aspect as far as co workers are concerned. Nobody wants to work for long hours. Long working hours cause fatigue and stress to all the people involved (Park, Kim, Chung, and Hisanaga, 2001). To avoid working long hour, employees swiftness of work is imperative. Hence, working speed of a person is important for their fellow workers. Popularity also depends on factor which can be personal or situational (Fleeson, 2004). Flessons research states that people tend to judge others based on behavior of a person during specific events. They create a perception according to the behavior of a person. It shows that behavioral aspects play a key role in making a person popular and gaining celebrity status. Lodahl and Porter (2001) conducted a research on airline workers. The research was based on the popularity of the team leaders. 55 groups were included in this research. The results showed that the groups which had popular leaders produced better results. These findings can be looked at in two ways. It can be said that the leaders are popular as they are good at what they do. Besides on the flip side it can be stated that popular leaders are able to motivate and make their sub ordinates perform better. According to one research, popularity is dependent on various factors. The research aimed to find out what makes a child popular at school. Early Family environment plays a role in developing a childs behavior. That behavior plays a role in the popularity of the child at school (Conti, Galeotti, Mueller, and Pudney, 2009). Another research intended to find out the reasons of people communicating with each other in office. It said that people who communicate in turn influence the behavi or of each other (Anderson and Martin 1995). Popularity at work and Job satisfaction Office popularity plays a role in job satisfaction. Zelst (2001) found that employees, who feel that they are high on interpersonal popularity, are able to perform better on job. This research also gave reasons of the claim. A person who is popular is likely to feel greater job satisfaction. Besides he or she considers the working environment to be worker friendly. Another positive and important factor for a popular employee is that the relationship with co workers is extremely pleasant. This includes the relationship with upper management. In essence it means that the communication channels with top management are open for that employee. The last finding of this research was that a popular employee feels that the company thinks for welfare of employees. So, clearly a popular employee benefits the company as he or she is more likely to stay loyal. A research states that an employee with a positive outlook is more likely to be popular among his co worker than an employee who has a neg ative outlook towards life. A positive employee is more likely to mingle around with his fellow staff and gain fame. Adverse effect of Popularity However, being popular has some drawbacks as well. One research finds show that people who are popular are more likely to face bullying at work. The reason stated is that as everybody likes them, so some people find a reason to hate or be jealous of them. This makes popular people vulnerable to bullying (Tariq, and Ali, 2011). This research shows that Fame and popularity can be a double edged sword sometimes. Appearance and Popularity A research concluded that good looks are a major advantage for people. People tend to make a positive impression and perception for co workers who are well maintained (Langlois, Kalakanis, Rubenstein, Larson, Hallam, and Smoot, 2000). The research concluded that such people are more likely to get positive response from their co workers. Being physically attractive would include dressing well. This was a general research. Other researches have questioned the relationship between popularity at work place and being attractive. Some early researches had shown that once a person is well aware of the mental abilities of somebody, physical attractiveness become secondary (Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijani, and Longo, 2001). However, later researches such as Hosoda, Romero, and Coats, (2003) have proved that the phenomena of physical attraction hold its affect irrespective of the abilities of a person. Celebrities have to do a lot of stuff to be able to maintain their image, especially in their dres sing. So to become an office celebrity, an employee should focus on dressing as well. Another research proved that perception is influenced by wearing good cloths. A research was conducted which measured the 10 qualities. This research was conducted on teachers. The test scaled the teachers on awareness, professionalism, integrity, dependability, intellect, trustworthiness, efficiency and hard work. These teachers were graded then by their principal on the above mentioned attributes. The results showed that those teachers who did professional dressing at work got the most positive results. The principal considered them as dependable, reliable and with high self esteem (Kenner, Underwood, McClune, and Stephen, 2001). This shows that dressing plays a significant role in developing a positive perception among co workers and top level management. So to become a celebrity at work, dressing sense is imperative. This point is important as the new generation doesnt consider professional clothing as important. The new generation has been brought up wearing t-shirts, and jeans (Dickerson, 2003). So, their reluctance is understandable. However many professionals still consider it unacceptable. A research concludes that many companies are worried about this trend in their employees. Often managers feel upset about their employees dressing and take it as a lack of respect towards the job (Oleck 2001). So, to gain popularity and acceptance of the top level management it is important to dress carefully. Some researchers have pointed to that fact causal dressing in offices has been slowly promoted by some market players (Lilly, 2003). However, on the flip side the perception among the decision makers hasnt changed much, as many researches show that top level management still believes in the value of formal dressing. Humor is another important aspect. People who use humor are more likeable and hence they gain popularity among the staff. Such people are able to get positive attention towards them (Scott, 2007). Another research found similar results. It found that supervisors who have a good sense of humor are preferred. The supervisors who use humor to deflate awkward situation are thought of as more worker friendly (Cooper, 2002). In another research, the same researcher explained more deeply about humor at work. Cooper explains that the humor should be non hurtful and the receiver should not feel hurt by the remark. Humor can have an adverse effect on staff, if it is not well placed (Cooper, 2002). So, the celebrity status can take a dent if an employee is making jokes at the expense of others. Everything has to be used in proper manner. Humor can only be done when the person is feeling happy about his job. In this positive attitude plays a role Some researchers believe that popularity is linked to their personal nature of a human being. An extravert is more likely to gain popularity. This is because they enjoy the attention. Rewards of being popular are not in their minds. They are just being themselves (Ashton, Lee, and Paunonen, 2002). People who tend to be helpful and not argue much have a greater chance to be popular at work. Such people are considered as understanding, warm and kind. Obviously with such perception they are highly likely to be more popular than others (Scott, 2007). As stated in the research co worker support is considered a factor which helps an employee in gaining popularity. Co worker support is considered as a critical and urgent help one can give to his fellow worker at the hour of need. Often that can make a big difference in image building, hence increasing the popularity. This is a factor which cannot be neglected. Another research state, that people who are high on self esteem are generally mor e popular at work place. Self esteem typically includes how one judges himself (Daniels Leaper, 2006). So one has to work on his or her, own self esteem to become a celebrity at work. Popularity and fame has a lot to do with confidence in other words. Ethical behaviour and popularity Ethics also play a role in popularity of a person. A persons reputation as being a fair individual can be considered as a big positive point (Jones Skarlicki, 2005). Providing equal and justified treatment to all subordinates is also considered ethical. Scholars consider that there are 4 dimensions to justice. All of these factors are related to employee popularity (Colquitt, 2001). So, if an employee is favorable to few or unethical, it is highly unlikely that employee would get fame in the office. Another interesting aspect is learning about measuring popularity. Some scholars explain that that popularity can be measured by a rating system (Bukowski, Hoza, Boivin, 1993). This research also puts friendship and popularity in different spectrums. Hence, friendship and popularity cannot be measured by the same template.

The South Pole, a comparison essay :: essays research papers

An arid tundra; temperatures so cold that limbs become black and immobile, land so barren that hardly anything can survive, this is the South Pole. Why anyone would want to go there may be hard to understand. Traveling to the South Pole isn’t just a lengthy process and an uncomfortable experience, it is extremely dangerous as going to far south provides several life threatening conditions. To survive in such cold conditions one would need specially made clothing designed for such extremely cold climate. Maybe the pre-planning part of the trip is what separates Amundsen and Scott the most. Both explorers have reached the South Pole but only Amundsen has returned, in good health. This can be mostly attributed to careful planning or as some would call, luck. Amundsen once said, â€Å"’Victory awaits those who have everything in order. People call this luck†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (517). It can be judged from this quote that Amundsen is not one to believe in superstition. He believed that luck is a direct result of cautious planning and careful decision making. Scott on the other hand had a more fate oriented outlook on luck. A note was found beside Scott’s body that read, â€Å"’The causes of the disaster are not due to faulty organization but to misfortune’† (522). Scott believed that several events could take place during a journey that were out of the control of the explorer, who in this case was Scott. Several events have occurred in Scott’s journey but not in Amundsen’s. Some of the misfortunes of Scott’s advent ure include having several supplies break through thin ice and become lost in the South Pole water. This mishap probably couldn’t have been avoided unless the utmost scrutiny was observed during the trip. Being so cautious and careful would take a large amount of travel time away however and one can not possibly expect to reach the South Pole while traveling so slowly. So perhaps Scott was right and Amundsen has succeeded by blind luck along with his careful planning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Amundsen analyzed every aspect of the journey before setting forth. If he felt that any particular item wasn’t as efficient as it possibly could he would upgrade and modify it. This act of Amundsen can be attributed to his success as well as some other plans he made. Amundsen planned for a long time, he studied everything that was written about the South Pole.

Religion and Homophobia in Trinidad and Tobago Essay

As previously demonstrated, the data collected was graphically represented in order to highlight trends or anomalies. Figure 1 (Fig. 1) begins by showing that 36% of our sample supported same sex marriage, whilst 64% did not. Since non-support of same-sex marriage is used as our indicator of homophobia, approximately two-thirds (( 2)? (3 )) of our sample is considered homophobic. Whilst this suggests that a substantial proportion of our population is supportive of homosexuality, the majority is apparently homophobic. Thus, a standard was found, against which individual elements of the population can then be manipulated and analysed in a positivistic approach. Figure 2 shows that the gender of the non-supportive population was almost equally distributed, which suggests that perspective is gender neutral. This is surprising considering that gender commonly indicates differing perspectives, but may perhaps be attributed to the existence of homosexuality in both genders. Additionally, this is reflected in Fig 3. where the male only school, Naparima College is proportionately equal to the female only schools, Naparima Girls’ High School (NGHS), ASJA Girls’ College (ASJA) and St. Joseph’s Convent (SJC). Furthermore, Figure 4 shows that the average CSEC grades (which we will use as an indicator of education level) of the supporters approximately equalled that of the non-supporters. Therefore, neither gender, education level school has significant effect on our candidates’ perception of same-sex marriage. Continuing the search for factors that may affect the development of homophobia, Fig 5 outlines four further dimensions of social life, showing that, support of the legalisation of marijuana, alcohol consumption habits, history of altercations with the law, and family structure all had negligible effects because the proportions only slightly deviated from the norm. It is only when the dynamic of religion is introduced that anomalies become apparent. As illustrated in Figure 6, there is little variance between the individual religions, with Islam being marginally more homophobic, but, when religion is removed, as in the case of our secular candidates, the proportions are reversed and approximately two-thirds (( 2)? (3 )) of the secular candidates were supportive. Additionally, it was observed that, whilst Muslim candidates had the highest correlation to homophobia within our sample, the candidates from the Islamic school, ASJA Girls’ College –who would have been exposed to the institution for at least five years, a substantial portion of their lives-, had the lowest correlation to homophobia; the difference being approximately 10%. This is pertinent because it is also indicative of secularisation by differentiation wherein the non-religious sphere of life, education is separated from religion (Jose Casanova, 1994). In both instances of secularisation, homophobia was reduced. Building on the investigation of the influence of religion, religiosity was then compared to opinion using three common measures of religiosity. Figure 7 shows the relationship between frequency of visitation of place of worship and non-support, Figure 8 shows the frequency of private worship against non-support and Figure 8 shows the frequency of private study of religious texts versus non-support. All graphs yielded a positive gradient, began well below the average and ended well above it. This indicates, that as religiosity increases, so too does homophobia. This contrasts our previous observation that there were no trends amongst the various religions but verifies the implication that secularisation decreases homophobia. Careful consideration of the qualitative data compounds these assertions because, not only is religion openly and usually used as justification of homophobia, the candidates who were most fervently religious and enmeshed with their congregation were often most blatantly homophobic. Additionally, if the view of the religious leaders is to be taken as the consensus of the congregation, it would appear that most justify discrimination. However, there were cases in which the fervently religious advocated positively for same-sex marriages. The phenomena observed can be explained using a functionalist perspective in which religion serves as a method of maintaining social order through increasing solidarity within a mostly heterosexual population by segregating the homosexual, thereby providing a common ‘enemy,’ and instilling a set of values and norms in society. Also, religion may be viewed as encouraging more â€Å"productive† marriages in which childbirth is possible, thereby helping to sustain the birth-rate, working to aid the system of the family. When candidates are separated from the functions of religion, they are more likely to maintain a different set or norms, wherein homosexuals are equal to heterosexuals. Contrastingly, a Conflict perspective may be used in hich religion serves to justify the construction of a class society in which the heterosexuals are the ‘bourgeoisie’ and the homosexuals are the ‘proletariat. ’ By masking the foundation of power and exploitation in divine ruling, the heterosexuals are allowed to legitimize their position of superiority. When this illusion is removed and class consciousness attained, as in the case of secular candidates and candidates with little religiosity, the bourgeoisie can no longer legitimize their position, and so homophobia is reduced. Alternatively, if one is to utilize Weber’s theory of Rational Choice, one might suggest, that, perhaps candidates decided to follow the homophobic direction of their religious leaders, rationalizing that earning the support of the entire congregation was worth discriminating against a minority. This theory also serves to explain why candidates supported same-sex marriage, because the prevailing justification was a rationalisation that their (homosexuals) private life did not affect me (the candidate) negatively and was therefore not a problem. This also explains the anomaly of the few candidates who were enmeshed in non-supportive congregations but still supported same-sex marriages. Continuing the interpretivistic trend, Mead’s theory of Symbolic Interactionism may be applied in which the ascribed meanings of symbols encourage homophobia. For example, candidates who studied their holy texts daily were most likely to be non-supportive. They may ascribe that the text determines their values and that the text does not support homosexuality, therefore, they, identified as a follower of the text, does not support homosexuality. Another example may be the use of song references in their justification, wherein, candidates interpret the music to disapprove of homophobia and therefore, as listeners, they should also disapprove. Lastly, the use of homophobic slurs such as ‘fag’ in the language of the non-supporters suggests that homosexuality is unwanted, and communicates this to others who may interpret it as such, and develop the same opinion. Discussion of Findings In, Invitation to the sociology of religion, Zuckerman presents a functionalist approach in which we see how religion may affect social hange. He demonstrates a correlation between a decline in the influence of religion and an increase in the acceptance of homosexual relations suggesting that religion does indeed influence homophobia as determined from my research. Furthermore, he considered another form of discrimination, that is, racism in which again, religion resulted in the segregation of a minority, but also, where religion provided a powerful community through which resistance could grow. The strength and influence of these churches echoes the observation that the more enmeshed our subjects were in their religious congregations, the more homophobic they tended to be. Building on the methods by which religion could affect social life, the article, â€Å"Gays bash government on same-sex marriage,† presents a scenario in which religion has clearly moulded the opinion of a prominent member of our government to the point that it over-rode proper conduct. This crass act seems less surprising when it is observed that some candidates also paraphrased or quoted biblical passages in lieu of an explanation. The research paper, †Religion and public opinion of same-sex marriage,† also adds validation to our research because their results were strikingly similar to our own. They discovered, as I did, that a persons’ religiosity and not their specific religion was the prominent factor in influencing their view of same-sex marriage. Additionally, the article entitled, â€Å"J-FLAG Issues Statement on International Day Against Homophobia,† also verifies this conclusion by using statistics which showed that 56% believed homosexuality and Christianity were incompatible and that 82% believed that it was immoral. This, second study was conducted in Jamacia and as such, it is also more relevant to our research based in Trinidad; it should come as no surprise that their sample yielded a homophobic rate only marginally lower than our own at 59% as opposed to 64%. Finally, in relation to our final aim, the research paper, †Religion and public opinion of same-sex marriage,† also proves handy because they validate that no other standard demographic holds significant influence on a candidate’s opinion of same-sex marriage besides religiosity. Considering these observations, my main finding appears to be that religion does, in fact, play a significant role in developing homophobia within the Lower Six population of San Fernando. Additionally, three main inferences can be made: Firstly, that religion may develop homophobia by presenting a community in which homophobia may be justified and advertised as the norm, through interaction with the institution of government, or through symbolic interaction wherein the religious texts are interpreted as encouraging homophobia. Secondly, that religiosity is a much more significant factor than religious affiliation in developing homophobia, with religious affiliation being almost powerless in our study. Thirdly, we may infer that, whilst exposure to the media did have some effect on the development of homophobia as reflected in our qualitative data, by and large, religion is the major influence with no significant alternative factors appearing in our study. ? Limitations Whilst conducting my study, certain limitations were confronted. Chief amongst these was the cost effectiveness of conducting such a relatively large-scale survey consisting of over two hundred subjects. Adding to this difficulty was the statistical analysis in which a spreadsheet was necessary. Additionally, in order to balance the ratio of male to female respondents, the strata of Naparima College was over-represented since that was the school in which the most co-operation was met. However, since Naparima College proved to be a typical institution, for the purposes of our study, I believe that the integrity of the data was no compromised. Difficulty was also met in collecting and analysing secondary data sources as inquisitions at our public libraries proved fruitless and many of the recent, relevant research papers published were either costly, or restricted to members of certain institutions. Lastly, there may have been some, inherent instrument bias in my analysis of the qualitative data. Recommendations On completion of my research, certain recommendations have become apparent. The first being that a complete separation of the church and state must be accomplished in order to provide the allocation of same-sex marriages, and the second being that the institution of religion should be removed from society as it, in its many forms may a dangerous tool for inspiring discrimination. Conclusion Although it has been a lengthy road, it was a straight one, and, in summation, we can determine that there is indeed a clear relationship between religion and homophobia in which religion inspires the other through various ways. Furthermore, a person’s religiosity was shown to be the determining factor in influencing homophobia with no other influence being significant. ?

Aids in India

Why is the A.I.D.S. epidemic prevalent in India? There are several factors that contribute to the spread of the disease but in my opinion, two are more pronounced than the rest. Prevailing cultural practices and economic factors would count as one. This will prove beyond a doubt that my observation is acceptable, as the factors below would reveal.If we observe the geographical boundaries of India, it appears that the AIDS epidemic is more concentrated with the Southern provinces than it is in the North. The reason of course is the disparity in the context of economic conditions.While the South enjoys a much better standard of living, it likewise becomes more susceptible to the spread of the AIDS virus. Remember that AIDS/HIV transmission transpired first in more advanced urban centers like the West and East Coast of the United States (Atwal & Alexander).In India, the epidemic follows the same route; the influx of migrant workers is a take off point. Naturally in the course of their s tay, they are bound to have a casual rendezvous with the local sex workers. This is typical with workers coming from the Northern States (Uttar Pradesh) for example enters Mumbai to become part of the labor force, so in effect they are the source of HIV transmission.This phenomenon likewise limits the spread of the disease to the Northern States because said migrant workers stay indefinitely and often postpone trips back home, thus delaying the transmission of the virus to their wives (Atwal & Alexander).Another factor that definitely promotes the spread of HIV points to the cultural upbringing of the populace. Did you know that sex, as a topic, is taboo to most in India? Moreover, discussion of sex in public is inviolable where age-old traditions of the religious denominations abhor even the slight mention of the word. So what happens next (Indo-Asian News Service)?Besides, the majority of the population are illiterate and unschooled, so you can rule out the possibility of educatin g them on the merits of HIV prevention. Culture further contributes by keeping residents mum about the disease.Even though the symptoms manifest in them, still they refuse to enter treatment centers because of the stigma that is likely to follow. Even monogamous women become inflicted with the HIV virus, simply because their partners have illicit affairs with other women. In fact there the incidence for HIV is higher in women (Frith).Due to these cultural barriers, health workers cannot educate the majority and up to this day, inhabitants still practice unsafe sex where low condom use has been found responsible for 84% of reported cases.Migration and mobility – due to economic reasons, workers prefer to extend working hours that keep them away from a healthy social environment surrounded by their families and community. This eventually puts them at risk, being prone to unusual behavior (â€Å"Preventing HIV/AIDS in India).Recent studies indicate that a number of drug users t oday are switching from the inhalation to the injection of drugs, which is relevant to HIV transmission that is more often triggered by the use of unclean needles and syringes. Infections have also been attributed to the low status of women under the norms of Indian society.Given unequal power in relations as well as limited access to human, financial, and economic assets weakens the stance of protection in the context of demanding safer sex, thereby increasing the risk (â€Å"Preventing HIV/AIDS in India).The ethnic composition in India is likewise a big factor as the population has roughly 800 million Hindus and 150 million Muslims. This is vital because these religious sects never practice circumcision. And the health manuals are explicit in the assumption that circumcision indeed can reduce health risks, the risk being seven times for uncircumcised males (Russell).As mentioned above, aside from economic factors that helps spread the virus, cultural leanings as well helps to hid e the actual incidence of HIV transmission. Government figures are so low that they seem to downplay the seriousness of the situation.Even President George Bush of the United States has been disheartened by the fact that India shows no interest and restricts the outside world from helping curb the AIDS epidemic. That is the reason why the United States’ campaign against AIDS has been transferred to Vietnam (Russell).As of today, 22 million lives worldwide have been lost to the HIV/AIDS virus and most of these casualties originated from Southern Africa. Will India be next? All indicators point out to India to likely suffer the same fate, as 200 million of its population are already infected with the virus and a little over 5 million are actually suffering from a full blown AIDS infection (Indo-Asian News Service).When will HIV/AIDS reach uncontrollable proportion? The HIV/AIDS situation in India is starting to manifest its ugly head through government neglect and unsound progr ams. Detailed below are the failed attempts of the government as well as the unfruitful intervention of NGOs and private foundations in the drive against the spread of HIV/AIDS in India.The sub-Saharan region of Africa already registered 13 million deaths due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic while another 25 million are reported be infected with the virus. Recent reports from other countries once categorized as heavily infected have shown signs of abating (Beaubien).Thought of as the main reason for the onset of the AIDS epidemic happens to be poor rain conditions that have made a significant impact on local harvests; adding most likely to the severe food crises.During its heyday, the African epidemic pulls out healthy and productive workers from the fields due to sickness or to aid in the care for a sick relative. And due to this shortage apart from the desire to avert hunger, some women traded sex for food, which thereby increases the risk further.Africa has the highest rate of HIV infect ion in the world to date, but not anymore because as mentioned, figures could be deceiving (Evers).Given the present rate of HIV infection in India, the number for AIDS could reach a total of 25 million by the year 2010 to eclipse the cases registered in Africa. That is if the Government in India would disregard all efforts to curb the disease.The government should accept the fact that the infection has reached epidemic proportion, so a world effort from the United Nations, donor countries and NGO’s could help thwart the virus in its tracks (â€Å"World AIDS News†).A medical expert from India, Dr Ishwar Gilada presents a bleak assessment of the situation. Sooner or later, India will be home to half of the world’s HIV-infected people with around 200 million of its population infected with the virus, of which around 10 million already contracted a full-blown status where roughly 1 million patients have already died.And if the Government fails in its endeavor to co ntrol the epidemic, then the projected 25 million cases could be expected in the next two years (â€Å"World AIDS News†).The projection is bleak indeed since the Global Fund intended for the prevention of AIDS urgently needs some 700 million dollars to support its outlined projects. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for example has pledged 200 million dollars in its India AIDS initiative.The grant will be used to help support HIV prevention measures in the Indian States of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland (â€Å"World AIDS News†).What has the Government done so far? India’s fight against AIDS started in 1992 through the World Bank-financed National AIDS Program. The effort was nationwide in scope that set-up AIDS control offices in 32 states and union territories.The program somehow increased access to information, education and communication programs, using media and regular communication mediums such as folk music, festivals, HIV consciousness campaigns and even elephant parades to broadcast the risks involved in HIV (â€Å"India: Stemming the AIDS Epidemic†).Other Government initiatives include blood safety measures or the mandatory screening conducted by most blood banks, which banned professional blood donations while promoting it as voluntary and systems-wide strategy to improve blood banks services.All these somehow raised public awareness on the evils of HIV/AIDS, informing around 80% of the population; 64% in the countryside, particularly the high-risk group.Some positive observations have already been stipulated with reports coming from the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, all presenting encouraging feedback for their HIV programs (â€Å"India: Stemming the AIDS Epidemic†).There are still persistent reports that the Government effort does not suffice with the continued rise of the HIV/AIDS. The information drive and prevention measures seem to have failed in its drive to educate t he majority.The think-tank in New Delhi failed to show remarkable strides in the desire to contain the epidemic. The world may just as well brace for a 19% full-blown AIDS infection rate by 2020 or that would be around 200 million cases.