Gender Mainstreaming: Impact and Effects

Gender Mainstreaming: Impact and Effects The Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 approved gender mainstreaming as a key strategy for promoting equality between women and men. Many international organizations including the United Nation were entitled to implement the strategy in their work. In 1997 the Economic and Social Council provided concrete guidelines on how the United Nations should work to incorporate gender perspectives in its work programmes (ECOSOC Agreed Conclusions 1997/2). The importance of the gender mainstreaming strategy was reinforced in the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly to follow-up the implementation of the Platform for Action (June 2000). The strong focus on the advancement of women and gender equality has led to increased international recognition of the importance of gender perspectives, such as poverty reduction, human rights and good governance. Moreover, these perspectives must be taken into account in data collection, analysis, policy making and planning, to ensure the achievement of gender equality, effective and sustainable development and peace and security. Although, it is easy to secure agreement for gender mainstreaming as an important strategy for promoting gender equality, implementation of this strategy has proven more difficult than its predictions. The implementation of gender mainstreaming can primarily require significant changes in how business is done. Trying to bring the realities of both women and men to bear on data collection, analysis, planning and monitoring in all areas of development, requires specific knowledge and capacity. Gender Mainstreaming Definition: the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making womens as well as mens concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality. (ECOSOC 1997) Meaning that, gender mainstreaming in all decisions, will take into account that there are women and men in different situations; which will prevent discrimination between the sexes. It is not about few individuales dealing with gender issues, but all individuals are challenged to think about this equality between women and men. Never the less, gender mainstreaming is a strategy to ensure that equality is realized as a state responsibility. However, gender means is not about being women or men, it is taking into considiration the variety and diversity of people, for the reason that we live in a world that is impacted by the allocation of gender roles. People are judged by their behaver based on gender expectations. Therefore, gender mainstreaming is an organizing principle, gender is the analytical point for gender-sensitive work, and equality is the goal to be achieved. The dimensions of gender mainstreaming: Gender mainstreaming is both of gendered political and policy practice and a new gendered strategy for theory of development. As a practice, gender mainstreaming is a practice to promote gender equality. It is also intended to improve the effectively of mainlines of policy by making visible the gendered nature of assumption, process and outcomes. However, as a form of theory gender mainstreaming is a process of revision of key concept to grasp more adequate a world that is gendered, rather than establishing a separate gender theory. (Walby 2005). Reasons for implementation of gender mainstreaming: Gender mainstreaming is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. (Vijayakumar 2006). Gender mainstreaming does not involve developing separate womens projects within work programmes, or even womens components within existing activities in the work programmes. It requires an attention to gender perspectives as an integral part of all activities across all programmes. This involves making gender perspectives more central to all policy development, research, development, implementation and monitoring of norms and standards. It is important to see the linkages between gender mainstreaming and the promotion of equal opportunities and gender balance within the organization itself. Organizational culture and organizational values are important in terms of creating work environments which are encouraging to gender mainstreaming. The gender mainstreaming strategy does not mean that targeted activities to support women are no longer necessary. Such activities specifically target womens priorities and needs, through, legislation and policy development. Women-specific projects play an important role in promoting gender equality. They are needed because gender equality has not yet been attained and gender mainstreaming processes are not well developed. Gender mainstreaming strategies and gender equality strategies are important for reducing existing gaps, serving as a channel for promotion of gender equality and creating a constituency for changing the mainstream. Gender mainstreaming can create an empowering space for women. Gender mainstreaming strategies, that focuses on men support promotion of gender equality by developing male buddies. It is vital to understand that these two strategies, gender mainstreaming and womens empowerment, are in no way in competition with each other. (Braams 2007). Gender empowerment strategies have worked for year on capacity building for women themselves. However, Gender mainstreaming can be one of the most effective Strategies supporting gender equality. Gender mainstreaming is a way of ensuring that policy and decision-making take account of womens and mens different interests and needs. For gender mainstreaming, decision-making on policy measures and priorities has to be organized in a way as to do justice to the differences between men and women. (EC 2007). Gender mainstreaming policy should respond to changes in requirements, interest and perception with regard to womens and mens social roles, as it promotes equality. Moreover, it cant be accomplishes by one actor, it is a combination on individuals and organizations at all level. Gender Mainstreaming helps in the following qualities at work; first, gender mainstreaming it focus on equitable distribution of resources between women and men. Second, Gender mainstreaming supports for equal opportunities policy at all levels of the organization. Third, Gender mainstreaming supports for equal opportunities policy at all levels of the organization; engendering of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Never the less, Gender equality and the right to equal participation in all sectors of society are fundamental Human Rights. Gender mainstreaming is a process for ensuring equity, equality and gender justice in all of the critical areas of the lives of women and men. (Vijayakumar 2006). Moreover, it increases the effectiveness and eficiency of the work. It is known that men are more rational and women are more emotional, lets asume the assumption, then the brainstorming and decisions made will be better if they are taken by both sexes. The Implementation: Gender mainstreaming should be implemented at two levels; the organization and organization programmes, in order to benefit from it the most.( World Bank 2003). The Organization: In order for and organization to contribute to greater gender equality should have the following structures, policies and procedures in place. First, a clear policy on its commitment on gender police, and it is supported by senior and middle management. Second, Human resources practices that is sensitive to the gender needs and interests of both women and men on the organizations staff, as well as in their constituency. Third, Internal tracking and monitoring capacity to ensure that the strategy is being reached, and this may include some monitoring on staff recruitment and promotions and the performance of managers and supervisors in discussing and following up on gender equality initiatives. Fourth, a central gender mainstreaming unit with policy responsibility and mandate to guide the overall gender mainstreaming process. Finally, a recognized network of staff responsible for gender equality issues in their respective work units, coordinated as a team by the policy unit. The organizations programme: Effective gender mainstreaming strategy therefore includes at least the following programming elements. First, Project management that is technically proficient, aware of the implications of gender differences for project outcomes, remains in touch with the constituency, and establishes positive incentive and accountability mechanisms to ensure consistent results is extremely important. Second, an effective monitoring and reporting mechanisms capable of reflecting how far the project is contributing to greater gender equality. Finally, Gender analysis that explores the national and international context in which the concerned communities are operating, clarifies the ways in which this context impacts differently on women and men and the implications of these differences for project activity. However, hat might appear to be minor actions actually represent major life-changing moves for women and men, given the dynamics that existed before gender mainstreamed programmes. Given the traditional and financial constraints hat combine to keep women a safe distance from making the inconsequential decisions and choices, these seemingly small-step decisions are massive. Gender mainstreaming outcomes and benefits: Women are not newcomers to the working world as some may believe, but their role is changing, as are the socials values. Historically womens work has been relegated to the home. But, it was not always so, for most of human history, work and the rest of life were completely integratedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with the industrial revolution, the workplace moved out of the family, homeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the workplace became mens domain; and women came to bear the responsibility of supporting the family. (Rao, Stuart, Kelleher.1999) Today, women account for nearly fifty percent of the workforce but for less than 4 per cent of the nations top executives. Women managers are clustered into administrative and support functions. (Kaila.2005) Gender mainstreaming can be associated with many benefits including: assisting in achieving better gender data collection and analysis, ensures economic security for both sexes, achieving equal value for paid work, achieving a gender balance and achieving equal participation of women and men the rights of women and men. (Rea 2007) First, assists in achieving better gender data collection and analysis; this will inform the integration of a gender perspective in the development of all organizations policies, processes, systems and structures. It will also provide the gender analysis which is critical to the development of effective gender action measures to tackle specific gender inequalities Second, ensures the economic security of both men and women, as it addresses the gender inequalities which lead to poverty. Third, achieving equal value for paid work, equity, done by women and men; including the equitable sharing of work and family and caring responsibilities. Fourth, achieving a gender balance, on all level of the organization. Fifth, ensures the active and equal participation of women and men at all levels of organization. Finally, promotes and protects the rights of women and men by increasing awareness of their different needs and potential to have the same opportunity to live a fulfilled life. Never the less, Gender mainstreaming can be associated with many benefits including: Quality improvements enhance the effectiveness of the administration process, Enhance participation process, financial benefits and improve the organizations image. Limitations and restrictions on gender mainstreaming: The limitations of gender mainstreaming are easy to solve, but their solutions are costly. Main limitations are identifying partner, commitment of senior management, fund raising, instruments and up- to date data on gender issues. (Taylor 1999). First, to effective implementation of gender mainstreaming partners are requires, identifying them, raising their awareness of the importance of this concept and making them write reports Second, commitment of senior managers is absolutely necessary. If senior managers pass on the message, support it and strengthen it, half the way is achieved. However, senior managers are generally only convinced to convey a message if their political superiors are committed to a cause. Third, Gender mainstreaming is an investment in the overall quality of policy. The costs of this quality improvement should therefore be counted as regular policy costs. Staff, experts and budgets should be made available Fourth, adequate instruments of measurements, manuals, monitoring procedures and evaluation procedures for gender mainstreaming should be tailored to the address the organizations needs. This will need experts to perform them. Fifth, in order to benefit from gender mainstreaming implementation, staff members should have up-to-date knowledge and awareness of gender issues. Hiring experts to keep monitoring the updated material about gender issues and presenting it to the staff can be the solution and may be costly. Conclusion: Equality, which is the corner stone of democratic nations, successful organizations and a basic human right, are time and space dependent phenomena. At least three historical waves of approaches to equality between the sexes can be distinguished (Ress, 1998). Through the strategy of gender mainstreaming, different realities of women and men are aware of and made clear, the observance of the gender perspective is an essential decision criterion for suitability and quality of the measure. The gender mainstreaming process makes no institutional gender politics unnecessary, as shown by the present analysis indicates that women are disadvantaged in many areas yet. The instrument of women is therefore still need to be applied long! What is new is that the gender mainstreaming approach also includes the situation of the men in our society in the analysis. A major obstacle to successful mainstreaming is the attitudes and cultures in our development organizations, which carry the baggage of their own quite traditional male cultures of work and power. These attitudes and cultures continue to be transferred in practice at home and in the field. Finally, International Labor organization should strengthen its policy and programmes on gender equality and decent work, support gender sensitive policy formulation, work with governments and social partners on employment and job creation, strive to improve the understanding and application of the principle of equal remuneration for women and men for work of equal value. Recommendations: Increase the involvement of men as partners: Successful gender mainstreaming calls for a deeper involvement of men at all levels. It is also requires a greater sensitization of men to the larger issues at stake. Activist women point to the need for men for men to become involved in Men in Development and Mens Empowerment program. Work on Government policy change: According to NGO Activists: Government is supportive are words, they make very good pronouncementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ yes, lip service, very good. Action is where we think there is a problem. We think that there is no political will; real political will is to be able to implement. Sensitize women in power: Efforts must be also be made to deepen the sensitization of those few women in power and ensure their gender consciousness. Networking: Network is critical in moving women from immediate community activities into broader regional and national areas of related concern. Networking also presents opportunities to bridge the gap between urban and rural women as well as divides of class, religion and age in order to build strong cohesive force. Hazards of Volcanoes: Minimising the Risks Hazards of Volcanoes: Minimising the Risks A natural hazard is defined as a natural process or phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage (UNISDR, 2009). It is clear that volcanoes pose a huge threat to human life and can also have major economic impacts. This short essay aims to present the hazards that arise due to volcanoes and look at what measures are currently (or should be) being taken in order to minimise the risks taken by living in close proximity to one. Primary Volcanic Hazards http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/nazko/IMG012.jpgThe main and most obvious hazard that occurs due to a volcano (depending on the type) is the eruption. For volcanoes such as Kilauea in Hawaii the effusive eruption is less dangerous due to the lower pressure and lava tends to be erupted rather than other materials. The main hazard from these types of eruptions is the lava itself, which can reach widespread areas in some cases and destroys most things in its path. Volcanoes similar to Mount St. Helens in Washington, USA have extremely dangerous explosive eruptions (also known as Vesuvian eruptions) which involve many different hazards in themselves. Massive quantities of ash-laden gas are violently discharged to form a cauliflower-shaped cloud high above the volcano (Tilling, 1985). A report by (Myers Brantley, 1995) describes the effects of the blast from an eruption such as this: An explosive eruption blastsmolten and solid rock fragments (tephra)into the air with tremendous for ce. The largest fragments (bombs) fall back to the ground near the vent, usually within 2 miles. The smallest rock fragments (ash) continue rising into the air, forming a huge, billowingeruption column. Eruption columns can be enormous in size and grow rapidly, reaching more than 12 miles above a volcano in less than 30 minutes. Once in the air, the volcanic ash and gas form an eruption cloud. Large eruption clouds can travel hundreds of miles downwind from a volcano, resulting inash fallover enormous areas Another hazard is known as a pyroclastic flow and is when High-speed avalanches of hot ash, rock fragments, and gas move down the sides of a volcano during explosive eruptions or when the steep edge of a dome breaks apart and collapses. Thesepyroclastic flows, which can reach 1500 degrees F and move at 100-150 miles per hour, are capable of knocking down and burning everything in their paths. A similar hazard is known as a pyroclastic surge which is more energetic and has a dilute mixture of searing gas and rock fragments. They can move over ridges easily whereas flows tend to follow valleys (Myers Brantley, 1995). Secondary Volcanic Hazards Hazards that are not a direct result of the initial blast can be classed as secondary. Mud and debris flows are known as lahars and are initiated by large landslides of water-saturated debris, heavy rainfall eroding volcanic deposits, sudden melting of snow or ice near a vent or the breakout of water from glaciers, crater lakes or from lakes dammed by eruptions (Tilling, Topinka, Swanson, 1990). These are also very destructive and range greatly in size from several centimetres in size to kilometres and in speed from less than a metre per second to tens of metres per second. Most of the time an earthquake proceeds a volcanic eruption due to the imminent release of the pressures that have built up inside. An earthquake can be extremely dangerous in itself, so when coupled with an eruption it can be devastating. The main hazard is shaking and ground rupture which can lead to severe damage of buildings and in turn cause loss of life. They are largely dependent on the local geological and geomorphological conditions which can either amplify or reduce wave propagation (Perkins Boatwright, 1995). For example, a city built on a river bed is far more vulnerable due to the phenomenon of liquefaction which amplifies the size of the waves due to soil temporarily losing its strength and transforming into a liquid. Damage to electrical power lines or gas mains can also cause fires to break out and in some cases they may be extremely difficult to put out due to water mains bursting which would incur a loss of pressure. Reducing the risks from these hazards One of the most important processes involved in reducing the risks imposed by a volcano is monitoring. According to (Brantley Topinka, 1984) Volcano monitoring involves a variety of measurements and observations designed to detect changes at the surface of a volcano that reflect increasing pressure and stresses caused by the movement of magma, or molten rock, within or beneath it. There are many measurements that are taken in order to build up a large picture of the volcano and ultimately predict to the nearest accuracy possible when an eruption is going to take place. The movement of the ground is closely recorded because increased movement can indicate an upcoming eruption due to the movement of magma underground. Standard levelling surveys are used to obtain changes in the elevation, the tilt is measured and electronic distance measurement is also used. When no earthquakes or measurable ground movement occurs there are geophysical properties which can be measured including electr ical conductivity, magnetic field strength and the force of gravity. Once again, changes in any of these values can indicate the movement of magma. Changes in the composition or emission rate of sulphur dioxide and other gases from a volcano can also indicate a variation in magma supply rate or a change in magma type. Modified from (Wright Pierson, 1992) In addition to monitoring, detailed hazard maps are drawn which show the areas that are likely to be effected during an eruption event. Figure 3 is a simplified version for the Mount St. Helens volcano. These maps are extremely useful because they allow resources to be allocated to the parts that need it the most. For example any settlements in immediate danger from the volcano must be evacuated first, and so on. The final piece in the hazard reduction puzzle is communication. No matter how precise the information regarding an eruption is, it is useless unless this information is successfully conveyed to the people at risk and they are in a position where they understand and can take action. The following is what the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program does in order to try and achieve this: participatesin volcano-emergency planning workshops and emergency-response exercises convenesinternational, regional, and local workshops focused on volcano-hazard issues prepareseducational materials with partners, including exhibits, fact sheets, booklets, video programs, and maps collaborateswith emergency-management specialists to develop effective warning schemes meetswith community leaders and residents wanting information about potentially dangerous volcanoes in their area workswith the news media and media producers leadseducational field trips to active and potentially dangerous volcanoes for the public, officials, local residents, educators, and students helpseducators and students with classroom presentations, teacher workshops, field trips, and activities (U.S. Geological Survey, 2009). It is clear that volcanoes pose a huge threat to peoples safety. However, when a high amount of monitoring, planning and communication takes place it is usually possible to predict eruptions to a level accurate enough to save lives. The main limiting factor is the money available to spend (or the money willing to be spent) on all of these things by a countrys government. This means that for example, people in the USA and Canada can feel relatively safe about the threat to them from most of their volcanoes whereas people living in some countries of Africa cannot.

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

Icon of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe is also known as Our Lady of Guadalupe or the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is a most famous and most popular Roman Catholic image of a Virgin Mary in Mexico. The legend says that Virgin appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an Indian convert, in 1531 and the witness of that miracle required commemorating it by erection of a church, known as a Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  There were two apparitions of the Virgin Mary and after the second an icon was painted which is, actually, now one of the most famous in Mexico.This event was historically significant as following it a great number of Indians of Mexico converted into Christianity. According to the information provided in encyclopedia Britannica â€Å"in 1754 a papal bull made the Virgin of Guadalupe the patroness and protector of New Spain, and in 1810 she became the symbol of the Mexican independence movement when the patriot-priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla raised her picture to his banner .† (Encyclopedia Britannica)The story of Virgin’s apparition is derived from the Nican mopohua which is thought to be the original source of that event.   Nican mopohua, written in the indigenous Nahuatl language gives an account of the encounter between Virgin Maria and Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1531 on Tepeyac. It says that a widowed convert Juan Diego was traveling to â€Å"attend to divine things† the woman in a bright shine appeared in front of him and said that she was a mother of God and asked Diego to tell the Bishop about her request to build a temple on this hill. She promised to come to those people who, would pray in this temple, and help them.The Nican mopohua is not the only work related to the apparition but it is considered to be the most explicit and most trusted. There is another work relating this story, but this time it is the first Spanish-language apparition account written by Miguel Sanchez. It is this document that for the first time refers to Our Lady of Guadalupe as to a symbol of Mexico. He mentions it in the context that â€Å"this New World has been won and conquered by the hand of the Virgin Mary†¦[who had] prepared, disposed, and contrived her exquisite likeness in this her Mexican land, which was conquered for such a glorious purpose, won that there should appear so Mexican an image† (Brading 2001).When in 1810 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla and his army fought for the independence of Mexico they used the image of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe as a sign on their clothes and also as an insignia of their campaign. After Hidalgo’s death a mestizo priest led the army during revolution. He also relied on the holy image and as Krauze in his book states he was confirmed that â€Å"New Spain puts less faith in its own efforts than in the power of God and the intercession of its Blessed Mother, who appeared within the precincts of Tepeyac as the miraculous image of Guadalupe that had come to comfort us, defend us, visibly be our protection† (Krauze, 1997).The Mexican calendar even contains the holiday to honor the Virgin, that is December 12, inscribed by the priest-revolutionary. (Matovina, 2001) Thus during the independence struggle people treated Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe as the symbol and patroness of patriots. They offered up numerous prayers at moments of difficulties and used her image on their ensigns. In this way, Brading observes, political exaltation intervened with religious faith â€Å"to produce a vehement fervor in favor of the sacred cause of liberty. The veneration for this image in Mexico far exceeds the greatest reverence that the shrewdest prophet might inspire† (Brading, 2001). In this way the icon of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe became not only the sacred symbol of Mexico but also it acquired a profound political implication, the embodiment of the struggle for the independence, so desired by the Mexican people.Though there are still a lot of disputes as regards the verity of the legend about Our Lady of Guadalupe’s apparition its authority still remains very strong in Mexico. In addition to the reputation of the image which inspired people to fight for independence the Virgin is also the symbol of Catholicism in Mexico. As it was stated before the temple was build on the place were Saint Mary was met by Juan Diego, and it was the starting point of active conversion of indigenous people, Aztecs, to Christianity. Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe is still a sound support to the Catholics in Mexico and in other parts of Latin America.Starting from 1737 Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe was recognized to be a saint protectress of Mexico City and then almost two centuries later her protection spread all over the South America. Nowadays, hundreds of people pilgrimage to the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe located on the Cerro of Tepeyac. There are even cases when people do not just walk but crawl on their knees to the church to p ray to Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, as it is believed that in this way they can merit the cure for their sickness or gain help in the hardship. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe said to have been miraculously imprinted upon Juan Diego's cloak is displayed there.The woman depicted in this image dresses and looks like an Aztec maiden of the early 16th century. She has brown skin; Meso-American features, and is clothed in a turquoise tunic and a rose colored robe. In short, Our Lady of Guadalupe looks like the Aztecs and not like their European oppressors. The iconic resemblance between themselves and the woman depicted in that image was frequently noted by the contemporary Mexican pilgrims. Many Mexicans love their protectress and often call her with diminutive Virgencita. Pilgrims visit the basilica not only because of where it is, but also because of what it has. The Mexicans often feel admired that she is just like them dark-skinned with black hair and brown eyes.The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is much more than a mere depiction of the woman Juan Diego claimed to have seen in his visions. It is also a complex collection of floral symbols, astronomical imagery, and other signs that are distinctively Aztec (Barber, 1997; Castillo, 1995). These symbols reinforce the indexical and iconic connections between Our Lady of Guadalupe and the non-Christian religious traditions of the Aztecs. The floral designs that adorn Our Lady of Guadalupe's tunic are symbolic as well as decorative (Barber, 1997).In accordance with the conventions of Aztec glyphs (standardized pictographic designs used by the Aztecs to convey symbolic meanings) the flowers are rendered with a flatness that allows viewers to see them in full. One of the flowers included in the image, the quincunx, appears only once. It is positioned over the Virgin's womb. According to Barber, this flower represented: the four compass directions of the world, with heaven and the underworld vertically encountering earth in the canter, in the â€Å"navel† of the world, or, to use the metaphor, in the navel of the moon, as they call the Valley of Mexico. (p. 72)The placement of this flower over the woman's womb signifies that she bears an important child. That the Virgin is pregnant is also indicated by the black sash she wears around her waste, an Aztec symbol of pregnancy (Castillo, 1995). Located just below the sash is another floral symbol, the nagvioli. According to Castillo, this flower â€Å"represented Huitzilopochtli, the great ferocious sun god of the Aztecs† (p. xix). Our Lady of Guadalupe is thus symbolically linked to Coatlicue, an aspect of the goddess Tonantzin, who was the mother of Huitzilopochtli. This link acknowledges her connection with the goddess she is supposed to have replaced.Also included among the image's floral imagery are nine large, triangular, heart-shaped flowers–the Mexican magnolia–which were traditionally used to represent the nin e levels of the Aztec underworld. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the name for these flowers is yolloxochitl. As explained by Barber, â€Å"Yollotl, is `heart' in Nahuatl, and xochitl, `flower'† (p. 76). According to Barber, â€Å"Yolloxochitl was an Aztec metaphor for the palpitating heart torn from the body of sacrificial victims† (p.76).Human sacrifice played a prominent role in the pre-Christian Aztec religion. Barber goes on to state that yolloxochitl can also be â€Å"read as another glyph, too: tepetl, hill, and precisely, Tepeyac Hill† (p. 76), the hill upon which Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego and the location of the shrine of Tonantzin that had been appropriated by the Spanish missionaries. This flower, then, ties the Virgin to Tepeyac, the hill's previous pre-Christian tenant, and to ritual practices valued by the Aztecs. Some of the flowers that adorn the tunic of Our Lady of Guadalupe are connected with the Aztecs' rich astrono mical symbolism.According to Barber the eight-petaled flowers: can be identified with a Nahuatl glyph for Venus, the Morning and Evening Star. Venus as Morning Star was associated with their god and culture-hero, Quetzalcoatl, who after his self-immolation was taken up into heaven as the  morning star. (p. 73) The image's astronomical symbolism is not limited to flowers that adorn the Virgin's tunic. There are also solar, lunar, and stellar symbols. The most significant of these is the crescent moon upon which the Virgin is situated. To the Aztecs, this symbol represented the Valley of Mexico, their geographical, cultural, and spiritual center.Once it officially affirmed Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Church embraced her with a great show of public enthusiasm. Over the years, the Church has assigned to her such honorific titles as Patroness of Latin America and Empress of All the Americas.Works Cited ListBarber, J. â€Å"The sacred image is a divine codex.† In A handbook on Gua dalupe (pp. 68-73). New Bedford, MA: Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, 1997Brading, D.A. Mexican Phoenix. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.Castillo, A. â€Å"Introduction†. Goddess of the Americas/La Diosa de las Americas: Writings on the Virgin of Guadalupe Ed. A. Castillo (pp. xv-xxiii). New York: Riverhead Books, 1995.Krauze, Enrique. Mexico, Biography of Power. A History of Modern Mexico 1810-1996. New York: HarperCollins, 1997Matovina, Timothy â€Å"Hispanic Catholics: ‘El Futuro' Is Here† Commonweal. 128. 15. September 14, 2001â€Å"Guadalupe, Basilica of.† Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.   22  Mar.   2006  ;http://academic.eb.com/;

The Swim Competition Essay - 696 Words

I dip my toes in—feels cold. My nerves rise up and spread like fire throughout my body while I watch—while I wait. Stomach hurts. All those butterflies clash and crowd. They come every time that I race—it never fails. There is so much noise—the splash of water, talking, yelling, whistling, cheering. Can’t think. My body shakes and screams from the tension. Heart pounding, nerves tingling, every muscle contracted. Stop. Focus. Deep breath and close everything out. I shut my eyes and the turbulent world in which I am submerged goes black and silent. Coach says visualize the race. Visualize your ideal race. I visualize†¦. The one hundred fly—it is my mountain. This mountain is rocky, snowy, and steep, and that is why I love it. These†¦show more content†¦Goggles on tight, cap in place. Waiting in silence. Face feels hot. â€Å"Women’s one-hundred yard butterfly.† Get ready. â€Å"Take your mark.† I crouch like a tiger. I grab the block, knuckles turn white. Every muscle tight and anxious—ready to pounce. Feels like forever. Crowd is silent. Beep. I leap. Simultaneously, my arms go up into streamline position and I squeeze my ears with my arms. I enter the water. Cold. Kick, kick, kick, kick. Go, go. Fast. Kick, kick. Almost to the surface—way past the flags. Good. Water rushes past me. Cheering becomes a little more audible. I break the surface and spread my wings—pulling with full force. Pull, kick, pull, kick. Breathe. Rhythm, where’s your rhythm? Pull, kick, pull, kick. Got it. Arms straining, hands pulling. Keep your fingers closed, don’t let water through. Don’t take it out too fast in the beginning. Remember: even pace, it’s only the first lap. Pull, kick, pull. In a split second, I see the wall as I breathe—teammates cheering. Face back down into the cold water. Black line, water rushes past. Almost to the wall. Breathe—teammates cheering. Black line. Pull, kick, pull, kick. Touch the wall and go. Second lap— streamline. Kick, kick, kick. Past the flags again. Kick a little harder. Second lap should be faster. Go, go. Break the surface. Pull, kick, pull, kick. Faster. I shove the water behind me and kick forcefully. Coming up to the wall. Go, go. Touch and go. Push off the wall! Kick hard! Kick,Show MoreRelatedFreestyle Swimming Is A Category For A Swim Competition1148 Words   |  5 PagesFreestyle swimming is a category for a swim competition. Swimming has known to be around for more than 10,000 years and freestyle swimming was one of the most common forms of swimming. In the 1830’s swimming became more of a competitive sport. By 1837 the NSS was holding swimming competitions in England. The sport grew popular in the 1880’s and there was three hundred regional clubs across the country. International Swimming Federation (FINA), had the rules of what freestyle is. It hadRead MorePeople have been asking what FINA is going to do about the world records set using the now banned800 Words   |  4 Pagesthe now banned swim suits. Thirty-eight of the forty-two world records have been broken by swimmers wearing the LZR Racer while it was legal. Twenty-three of these records were set at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing with the suits on. Ninety-four percent of the gold medals were won by people wearing these swim suits and eighty-nine percent of the total medals won were by swimmers in these illegal suits (Cole, 2008). These statistics say a lot about how much the polyurethane swim suits have changedRead MoreEssay The History of the Sport of Swimming726 Words   |  3 Pageswater polo and diving. Recreational swimming has been around since the Greeks and Romans. Young children often learn to swim in a recreational setting with instructors. The water is an unsafe place for some. Swimming in open water occasionally ends in drowning. 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Abortion - Argumentative Essay - 1093 Words

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY ‘ABORTION Our world today is full of unsolved, devisive and controversial issues. Most of them relate to our morals, ethics and religion, thus creating a very strong ‘yes and ‘no, or ‘good and ‘bad side. Like the Chinese Yin and Yang sign, abortion has a very prominent ‘black and ‘white side but also contains traces of each in the alternating colour. This shows that if you were to come to any kind of conclusion on abortion, there would still be a downside to it, and that is primarily why the world cannot agree on this sensitive and emotional issue. Being female myself, I can understand why a woman would want to have an abortion. Being pregnant and wishing you werent is probably the worst†¦show more content†¦We dont want abortion to become the easy way out though. People just need to know more about it and have to satisfy specific criteria before having the pregnancy terminated, for instance by interviews with doctors, given unbiased advice, and consultations with people of their specific religion. It is hugely important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies but we have to accept that abortion is a fact of life for many women, - Ann Furedi of the British pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). In the United States doctors who administer abortions are being targeted by anti-abortion activists and some have actually been murdered. The doctors are now having to take many precautions including wearing bullet-proof vests and pulling blinds and shades down in their homes. One obstetrician-gynecologist had to shut down his medical practice after he was terrorized by protesters who had distributed ‘wanted posters with his photograph, mailed threats to his home and listed his name on a ‘baby butchers ‘ web site. What makes a person think that just because they feel strongly about an issue it gives them the right to go and kill someone, or harass them till they fear for the safety of their family? In Scotland the Roman Catholic Church offered a 12yr old pregnant girl money in the attempt to prevent her from having an abortion. She was advised by her teachers and a social worker to terminate the pregnancyShow MoreRelatedAbortion Argumentative Essay : Abortion934 Words   |  4 PagesJensen English April 29, 2014 Abortion Argumentative Essay On average about 41.6 million unborn children are aborted every year. Abortion is killing an unborn baby and it should be illegal. Abortion is wrong because it supports irresponsibility by parents. It gives the unborn children no choice or opportunity at life. In addition, instead of abortion, parents could put up the child for adoption, benefiting people that cannot have children of their own. Abortion supports irresponsibility byRead MoreArgumentative Essay: Abortion1075 Words   |  5 PagesIn my argumentative Essay, I am arguing that abortion is wrong and not to be mistaken with Abortion should be made illegal. I will explain later why I have made this statement. Abortion is the termination of an unborn child in its mothers womb for up to twenty four weeks of the pregnancy or in special circumstances e.g. Disability diagnosis a termination right up until the mother goes in to labour. I think the above definition is an easier and less harsh way of saying that abortionRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1304 Words   |  6 PagesIn this argumentative essay I would like you, the reader to consider a public issue from my perspective and my belief system on the matter. I’ll be supporting my view on a common and overlooked procedure conducted by women and medical doctors within a walk in clinic and home. This procedure is known as an Abortion, also known as a voluntary abortion. The definition provided by Dictionary.com is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.† There have been manyRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1380 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures preformed in the United States each year. More than 40% of all women will end a pregnancy by abortion at some time in their reproductive lives. Abortion, it is simply the one of the most debated issue in our society today. â€Å"Is abortion bad?† â€Å"Is the fetus a baby?† â€Å"Why is it bad to kill a fetus if it’s not living?† The simpleRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1546 Words   |  7 Pagesmother.† Abortion is the way of ending pregnancy by removing the fetus or embryo before it can survive outside the matrix, which can also allow women to choose whether they want to become a mother or not. However, people have developed the controversy about abortions. Abortion debate is an ongo ing debate which has involved moral, legal, biological and religious status of the induced abortion. In this controversy, there are two groups emerged. The group of people who hold the opinion that abortion shouldRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1364 Words   |  6 PagesAbortion is known as the termination of human pregnancy. There are mixed opinions from the public on whether abortion is considered murder or not. This topic has always been controversial and there is no sign of it being left alone. There are two groups of people related to abortion. Those are pro-life and pro-choice, pro-life oppose abortion and pro-choice is for abortion. There have been many court cases on the topic of abortion, such as Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, Baird v. Bellotti, and HarrisRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion1011 Words   |  5 Pages Abortion is the termination of a human pregnancy. â€Å"More than 60% of the world’s population lives in countries where induced abortion is permitted either for a wide range of reasons or without restriction as to the reason. In contrast, 26% of all people reside in countries where abortion is generally prohibited.† as stated by The World’s Abortion Laws Map. Abortion is appalling and should be outlawed. Not only is it the excretion of a fetus, what a baby has developed from, from the uterus by naturalRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion979 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is one of the most well-known and debated topics in today’s society. Although so many people seem to have such a strong opinion on abortion, there are many teens today who don’t really understand what abortion actually is. With today’s technology, though, our understanding of it is also growing. According to Merriam Webster, abortion means the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus. (https://www.merriam-websterRead MoreArgumentative Es say On Abortion964 Words   |  4 PagesTexas Abortion As a sophomore, you are used to getting texts asking about what homework is due tomorrow. I never expected to get a text from my best friend saying she was pregnant and scared because she did not know what to do. I grew up in the catholic faith, and pre marital sex is not accepted, and abortion was blasphemy towards life. But my best friend grew up in a pro choice family, and later told me that she received an abortion. I was confused about her choice and how it was legal for herRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Abortion789 Words   |  4 Pages Abortion and Women’s Health Is abortion murder? Abortion is the medical or surgical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It has been a controversial issue ever since it has existed. In Roe v. Wade (1973), the US Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion through the end of the first trimester or the twelfth week of pregnancy. Psychological and physical as well as negative effects on the society because of abortions. The abortion rights have brought