Money Laundering Extract from UNODC Essays

Money Laundering Extract from UNODC Essays Money Laundering Extract from UNODC Essay Money Laundering Extract from UNODC Essay Money Laundering Extract from UNODC BY 24 Money is the prime reason for engaging in almost any type of criminal activity. Money-laundering is the method by which criminals disguise the illegal origins of their wealth and protect their asset bases, so as to avoid the suspicion of law enforcement agencies and prevent leaving a trail of incriminating evidence. Terrorists and terrorist organizations also rely on money to sustain themselves and to carry out terrorist acts. Money for terrorists is derived from a wide variety of sources. While terrorists are not greatly concerned with disguising the origin of money, they are concerned with concealing its destination and the purpose for which it has been collected. Terrorists and terrorist organizations therefore employ techniques similar to those used by money launderers to hide their money. The ability to prevent and detect money-laundering is a highly effective means of identifying criminals and terrorists and the underlying activity from which money is derived. The application of ntelligence and investigative techniques can be one way of detecting and disrupting the activities of terrorists and terrorist organizations. Because they deal with other peoples money, financial institutions rely on a reputation for probity and integrity. A financial institution found to have assisted in laundering money will be shunned by legitimate enterprises. An international financial centre that is used for money- laundering can become an ideal financial haven. Developing countries that attract dirty money as a short-term engine of growth can find it difficult, as a consequence, to attract the kind of solid long-term foreign direct investment that is based on stable conditions and good governance, and that can help them sustain development and promote long-term growth. Money-laundering can erode a nations economy by changing the demand for cash, making interest and exchange rates more volatile, and by causing high inflation in countries where criminals are doing business. Most disturbing of all, money-laundering fuels corruption and organized crime. Corrupt public officials need to be able to launder bribes, kick-backs, public funds and, on occasion, even development loans from international financial institutions. Organized criminal groups need to be able to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking and commodity smuggling. Terrorist groups use money-laundering channels to get cash to buy arms. The social consequences of allowing these groups to launder money can be disastrous. Taking the proceeds of crimes from corrupt public officials, traffickers nd organized crime groups is one of the best ways to stop criminals in their tracks. In recent years, the international community has become more aware of the dangers that money-laundering poses in all these areas and many Governments and jurisdictions have committed themselves to taking action. The United Nations and other international organizations are committed to helping them in any way they can. Criminals are now taking advantage of the globalization of the world economy by transferring funds quickly across international borders.

Your 100 Fan Club

Your 100 Fan Club The older I get, the more simplified I seem to want my life. Thats why I toned FundsforWriters down over the years from four newsletters, to three, to two. . . and now one, just like I started years ago. More time to write. More time to enjoy myself while writing. I love losing myself in a story. But marketing, publishing, and so on tend to distract us and rob us of the joy. At  a recent conference speaker, I spoke to writers about corralling all the to-do things on their plates and learning how to focus on writing. I suggested they do what Im doing. . . write for their most avid 100 fans. You know who those are. They are the ones who review, who respond to your blog, who converse with you on Facebook, who like your Instagram posts. They dont just say they love your work, but they talk it, naming characters and plot points that resonated with them. Why just 100? Because those are your concentrated dose of energy. You have a better feel for what they like. Since theyve contacted you somehow, you feel a few degrees closer to them. You owe them more, and in turn, they deliver back with reviews, emails, and that oh-so-precious word-of-mouth to others about you and your stories. Simply your writing. Write the stories that you think your top 100 will love. Dont have 100? If you keep making an appearance in person, on social media, in writing guest posts on blogs, that 100 will materialize. If you keep writing and quit banking on one book. If you keep reminding the few you have in a newsletter who you are (avoiding saying BUY MY BOOK), that 100 will happen. Who doesnt feel warm and cozy having 100 fans? And that number grows faster the more you cater to that tribe. Theyll practically spread the word for you.

Famous African American of the 20th Century Research Paper

Famous African American of the 20th Century - Research Paper Example In 1964, he became the youngest person who was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his endless efforts to stop racial discrimination and racial segregation. Slavery exists in the world since centuries. It started in America in 1600s with the African Slave Trade when the Africans were transported from the west coast of Africa to the Americas and were sold to slave traders. These slave traders kept them in horrible conditions and were made to do labor intensive work on coffee, tobacco, tea, sugar plantations. They were beaten, lashed, starved and deprived with even basic necessities of life such as food and shelter. The Bible also permitted slavery as well as the early laws of Babylon which stated that a man can own another man like he owns an animal. In other parts of the world the slaves could belong to any race. However, in America the slaves were blacks. The divide between the blacks and white continued to mature and lead to severe riots, protests, and eventually a civil war. Martin Lu ther King rose in 1955 when he was appointed as minister in Montgomery. His tough believes in achieving civil rights and non violence movements also established him as an opponent to the American participation in the war in Vietnam. He recognized that the finest approach to unshackle African American and to give them their rights could be achieved through non violent protests and demonstrations. Several of his beautiful quotations are examples of his support for non violent protests; â€Å"At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.† He believed that any kind of violent act from the civil rights workers will show the way to the segregationists for opposing actions which will cause grievance and death for his supporters. Through non violent protests his movement gained recognition and many associates and opened up the way for the passing of Civil Rights Bill in 1964-1965. Moreover, King was determined to spread his message to everyone and gain support from all corners regardless of class and race differences. He wanted the white moderate to awake from their deep sleep of negligence of moral and political values. Also he wanted them to appreciate the fact that desegregation will lead to elimination of social and legal prohibitions. He was also dismayed by the indifferent attitude of the moral people towards this discrimination, because of which people with sick intentions were making progress. His â€Å"Letter from the Birmingham Jail† is an essay which clarifies and gives details of the motives behind the non violent civil disobedience movement and also explains the methods used for this mass movement. King was a man who contributed immensely towards shaping and influencing the lives of Americans during the 1950s and 1960s. In this period of time, Americans did not have the courage to stand up for their rights, project their demands and views and accepted whatever was given to them. Martin Luther King was the beam of light that sho wed them the path to freedom and individuality. For example in 1955 after the Montgomery civil rights movement had started an activist Rosa Parks refused to abide by the law for segregation in public buses. A bus boycott was initiated and

Group Long Term Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Group Long Term Insurance - Essay Example Employer-based group long term insurance is an essential comprehensive benefits package that offers long term insurance to the employees (Wiener and Illston 66). Reasons for use There are numerous advantages for enrolling in a group long term insurance since the patient does not need to meet any medical requirements before obtaining the group long term policy cover. The relatives and immediate family members of the individual may also be covered, since many group long term care policies allow the retirees and spouses to apply for the long term care coverage. If the group long term insurance consists of a high proportion of relatively younger employees, the insurance provider will be able to charge lower premiums compared with the individual long term plans (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance helps protect the employee retirement plans. Well informed employees understand that without a Group long term care, medical expenses after retirement can adversely deplete the emp loyee portfolio of assets (Beam and McFadden 369). Some Group Long term insurance policies enable employees to receive benefits and care from any place in the world. The Group long term insurance eases the emotional and physical burden of the family members since they are involved in the care-giving process but are not the primary providers. Group long term insurance covers the costs of care received at home, in the community and also in the nursing homes (Beam and McFadden 378). There are various benefits that accrue to employers who provide Group long term care to their employees. The employer is able to retain the most qualified and skilled employees in the company therefore reducing production losses associated with work stoppages (Beam and McFadden 357). Group long term insurance acts as an incentive of attracting and hiring new employees in the Company. The insurance cover offers the employer a competitive edge since it is an alternative to increasing salaries (Long Term Care Insurance 2). The employees will also receive additional benefits from the Group long term insurance since other programs like training of caregivers and care providers are included in the insurance plan. The employees also receive assistance on claim filling and can enjoy other wellness programs that may be incorporated in the Group long term insurance (Long Term Care Insurance 3). Administration and process All the insurance products for group long term insurance are consistent with Long term Insurance Model Act. HIPAA has imposed several standards that have led to increase in the coverage. The Act has reduced the revenue losses associated with coverage due to changes in the income tax codes. For eligibility to favorable tax treatment, the insurance contract should be qualified therefore contract is guaranteed renewable and all the refunds of premiums and dividends are applied as future reductions in premiums or to increase the future benefits (Beam and McFadden 360). The cost of the group long term insurance is covered by the employee. The initial premiums are calculated on five year age period brackets and increase significantly with the increase in the age of the employee (Wiener and Illston 65). Most of the States require the insurance companies to protect the benefits of employee from

A Comparison of The Ministers Black Veil and the Birthmark Essay

A Comparison of The Ministers Black Veil and the Birthmark Both of these stories revolve around a lot of symbolism. These stories, since they really don't make a lot of sense on their own, force the reader to look deeper in an attempt to understand the ideas that Hawthorne tries to get across. The first and most evident symbol is the faces of the people. Georgiana has the birthmark if the shape of a hand, and the black veil that Hooper wore. I think that Hawthorne chooses to focus on the peoples faces because a person"s face is pretty much the center of their being. The face is where a person shows the majority of their emotions, and it holds the brain, which well, is where everything starts at. So, a person"s face is very important. Another prevalent symbol to me is the idea of sin. In The Ministers Black Veil Hooper just suddenly one day shows up to church wearing a veil. At first the people are sort of angered by it. People soon start to flock to his congregation to view the spectacle, and go so far as to test their 'courage' by seeing who will go and talk to him. I think that the veil could represent sin. In The Ministers Black Veil Hooper was either trying to hide his sin from the people so that they could not judge him, which is god"s job, or maybe he was trying to protecting his self from the sins of the people. In the end of The Ministers Black Veil Hooper dies, and sees his congregation all wearing black veils, which would probably hint that maybe it represented the sin in all of us. In The Birthmark Georgiana"s birthmark could represent, as some religions believe, the original sin which is bestowed on all by the 'hand' of god. But, unlike Hooper, Georgiana could not help her markings. ... ...iana, almost perfect, is still mortal, and carries the burden of original sin. This is the puritan idea that every human is sinful. The Birthmark is in the shape of a hand because it is the work of God, done by God's own hand and will. In short, Alymer tries to play God by ridding Georgiana of her original sin, and make a perfect being. But no mortal can be perfect, and no mortal can not have original sin. Thus when the experiment works, Georgiana achieves perfection and can no longer be a mortal, thus she dies. Moral of the story: You cannot improve on God's creation. Alymer is a sinner because he tries to be god by trying to improve on God's creation. He is successful in improving georgiana, but is not successful in improving God's creation, because Georgiana can no longer live as a mortal, and she then dies - thus Alymer is unsuccessful.

Adults with Mental Retardation

Mental retardation is considered to be a condition where in the development of the brain is behind most of the people and disorderly, which also comes before the age of 18 that impairs the ability to learn adequate and relevant skills and knowledge (Ainsworth & Baker, 2004).In more simple terms, the condition of mental retardation is where a person’s mental capabilities are behind most people for the particular age group he/she belongs to (Patel, 2002). As these are life-long illnesses, these lasts up to the stage of people where they live as young and adults.Mental retardation is indeed a serious condition in which the people with such case are suffering from different difficulties. Normally, a person that is diagnosed with such case, is seem to be of a lower capability to developed mentally, learn and solve problems on their own.As such, mental retardation has within its scope the conditions wherein the person or individual with this diagnosis has a lower than average physic al capability.There are different types of mental retardation. First, clinical retardation is considered to be the type of mental retardation which is a result of a particular medical cause (Shepherd, 1982). It can be detected early and that this is associated with insufficiencies in terms of â€Å"neurological, metabolic, or physiological† (Shepherd, 1982, p. 174). The intelligence quotient of the individuals suffering from this is commonly lesser than 50 (Shepherd, 1982).Second, there is also a form of mental retardation that is referred to as social cultural retardation that is milder and usually involves people who have intelligence quotient that ranges from 55 to 69 (Shepherd, 1982). There are several differences that are noticed from that of the first and this classification especially in terms of the degree to which they are disadvantaged (Shepherd, 1982).Needs of Adults with Mental RetardationWith the several types of mental retardation and the broad range of illnesse s associated with it, there are also different needs that are realized in light of these illnesses (Drew & Hardman, 2000).There are several general needs that are required by the adults with mental retardation and while it can be seen that most people also have the same type of need, there are specific types of special attention that are required in light of the disabilities that they have.First, there are residential services that are given to the young and old adults who are suffering from mental retardation (Hersen & Van Hasselt, 1998; Fluharty, 1988; Melillo & Houde, 2005).It is realized that these adults require more time and a form of special medical attention that could not be given at home, there are shelters which provide for services for a fee.There are changing patterns of familial relationships and set-ups especially with the greater demands such as the need of people to earn a greater rate of income. Likewise, lesser time is spent at home with more people being required to take additional hours at work to finish certain tasks and responsibilities.Second, this particular group of people should have access to information (Walling & Irwin, 1995). The situation of these people is that their mental conditions are retarded or are impaired but it has to be realized that it is not totally absent.While it may take them time for them to learn and acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities, patience would lead them to reach the normal condition where they are able to live a life that is near normal. Their state of mental retardation should not be the cause of them being deprived for information services. Rather, they should be the ones who are given a privilege and consideration for such to enable them to accomplish and live the life they are expected to live.Third, there is a need for their mental health to be constantly monitored and given ample medications for individuals suffering from mental health conditions have a greater likelihood of acq uiring mental problems (Thyer & Wodarski, 2007).In cases where it is applicable, regular monitoring with a doctor is needed to ensure that the condition of the person is maintained to a healthy level and the risk of acquiring mental problems are kept at bay. It is proven that prevention is definitely better than cure and this holds true for mental health.Fourth, the government should be able to provide a subsidy for the young and old adults in terms of their basic and medical needs. There are several programs that intend to provide for care with regard to the mental health of patients and it would be helpful if there are specific health advocacies which are intended mainly for the young and old adults and their needs.This step would take a considerable amount of public lobbying especially for the funds that are required for it. Relevant studies and public policy analysis would have to be made for them with experts on the said field converging together with other authorities in order to come up with a comprehensive and implementable plan for the people with regard to their mental health and other needs.With regard to their basic needs, identification and provision of such would also have to go through the same process in lieu of a stakeholder analysis.Lastly, people with mental retardation also need a greater social sphere where they could interact and learn (Luchterhand & Murphy, 1998). They should not be deprived of the right to have social development and should not be isolated from other people simply because of the condition that they have. In fact, the social surrounding that is built for them would greatly help as they cope with the difficulties that they have to face.Community InvolvementThe primary factor in reaping community involvement is that of a heightened awareness in terms of the real setting that people with mental health retardation have to live in. There are several stereotypes that should be cleared and these include â€Å"lack of inhibitio ns and moral sense, rigidity, and attention seeking† (as cited in Wiener & Dulcan, 2004, p. 238).Members of the community should be involved with programs that are intended to uplift the self-esteem and the living condition of young and old adults with mental retardation.This should require them to deal from the first stage, which is the identification of the problems or the planning stage until the time where these programs are implemented. The members of the community could serve as volunteers and friends of young and old adults with mental retardation, which also broadens the social sphere of both groups (Switzky, Hickson, & Schalock, 2006).Constant evaluation through the help of key persons in the community is also necessary to oversee the different problems and achievements that would serve as the constant motivating factor for the members of the initiative.ReferencesAinsworth, P. & Baker, P. (2004). Understanding mental retardation: A resource for parents, caregivers, an d counselors. USA: University Press of Mississippi.Drew, C. & Hardman, M. (2000). Mental retardation: A life cycle approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.Fluharty, S. (1988). International review of research in mental retardation. Vol. 20. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Luchterhand, C. & Murphy, N. (1998). Helping adults with mental retardation grieve a death loss. NY: Brunner-Routledge.Melillo, K. & Houde, S. (2005). Geropsychiatric and mental health nursing. Sadbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.Patel, V. (2002). Where there is no psychiatrist: A mental health care manual. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.Shepherd, M. (1982). Handbook of psychiatry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Switzky, H., Hickson, L., Schalock, R. (2006). Mental retardation, personality, and motivational systems: Mental retardation, personality, and motivational systems. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Thyer, B. & Wodarski, J. (2007). Social work in mental health: An evidence-ba sed approach. NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Walling, L. & Irwin, M. (1995). Information services for people with developmental disabilities: The library manager’s handbook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Wiener, J. & Dulcan, M. (2004). Textbook of child and adolescent psychiatry. 3rd ed. USA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Strokes Used in Chinese Characters

The earliest forms of Chinese writing date from the Xia Dynasty (2070 - 1600 BC). These were etched on animal bones and turtle shells which are known as oracle bones. The writing on oracle bones is known as ç” ²Ã© ª ¨Ã¦â€"‡ (jiÄÆ'gÃ… ­wà ©n). Oracle bones were used for divination by heating them up and interpreting the resulting cracks. The script recorded the questions and answers. JiÄÆ'gÃ… ­wà ©n script clearly shows the origins of current Chinese characters. Although much more stylized than the current characters, jiÄÆ'gÃ… ­wà ©n script is often recognizable to modern readers. Evolution of Chinese Script The JiÄÆ'gÃ… ­wà ©n script consists of objects, people or things. As the need for recording more complex ideas arose, new characters were introduced. Some characters are combinations of two or more simpler characters, each of which can contribute a particular meaning or sound to the more complex character. As the Chinese writing system became more formalized, the concepts of strokes and radicals became its foundation. Strokes are the basic gestures used to write Chinese characters, and radicals are the building blocks of all Chinese characters. Depending on the classification system, there are about 12 different strokes and 216 different radicals. The Eight Basic Strokes There are many ways to classify strokes. Some systems find up to 37 different strokes, but many of these are variations. The Chinese character æ ° ¸ (yÇ’ng), meaning forever or permanence is often used to illustrate the 8 basic strokes of Chinese characters. They are: DiÇŽn, (é »Å¾/ç‚ ¹) DotHà ©ng, (æ © «) HorizontalShà ¹, (ç « ª) ErectGÃ… u, (é‰ ¤) HookTà ­, (æ  ) RaiseWÄ n, (Ã¥ ½Å½/Ã¥ ¼ ¯) Bend, curvePiÄ›, (æ’‡) Throw away, slantNà  , (æ  º) Pressing forcefully These eight strokes can be seen in the diagram above. All Chinese characters are composed of these 8 basic strokes, and knowledge of these strokes is essential for any student of Mandarin Chinese who wishes to write Chinese characters by hand. It is now possible to write in Chinese on the computer, and never write the characters by hand. Even so, it is still a good idea to become familiar with strokes and radicals, since they are used as a classification system in many dictionaries. The Twelve Strokes Some systems of stroke classification identify 12 basic strokes. In addition to the 8 strokes seen above, the 12 strokes include variations on GÃ… u, (é‰ ¤) Hook, which include: æ ¨ ªÃ©â€™ © Hà ©ng GÃ… uç «â€"é’ © Shà ¹ GÃ… uÃ¥ ¼ ¯Ã©â€™ © WÄ n GÃ… uæâ€"Å"é’ © Xià © GÃ… u Stroke Order Chinese characters are written with a codified stroke order. The basic stroke order is Left to Right, Top to Bottom but more rules are added as the characters become more complex.   Stroke Count Chinese characters range from 1 to 64 strokes. The stroke count is an important way to classify Chinese characters in dictionaries. If you know how to write Chinese characters by hand, you will be able to count the number of strokes in an unknown character, allowing you to look it up in the dictionary. This is a very useful skill, especially when the characters radical is not evident. Stroke count is also used when naming babies. Traditional beliefs in Chinese culture hold that a persons destiny in greatly influenced by their name, so great care is taken to choose a name that will bring good fortune to the bearer. This involves choosing Chinese characters that are in harmony with each other, and which have the proper number of strokes. Simplified and Traditional Characters Beginning in the 1950s, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) introduced simplified Chinese characters to promote literacy. Close to 2,000 Chinese characters were altered from their traditional form, in the belief that these characters would be easier to read and write. Some of these characters are quite different from their traditional counterparts which are still used in Taiwan. The underlying principals of character writing, however, remain the same, and the same types of strokes are used in both traditional and simplified Chinese characters.