Alcohol Consumption Among Youth Is Not A New Issue Essay

1. Introduction Alcohol consumption amongst youth is not a new issue – New Zealand has a long standing history of alcohol consumption both good and bad. In New Zealand, as is also around the world, the consumption of alcohol has baggage both good and bad. It is seen on a positive note as a social enabler, it allows oneself to let their guard down a bit and feel at ease in situations out of their normal comfort zones, however to every story there is also a flip-side, and this is the idea that alcohol consumption is the cause of social harm. These views are also reflected in the thoughts of many New Zealander’s today. An online article, Contrary to belief, we may be losing ‘binge’ from our drinking culture (2012) highlights the disparities of views between those who are 50 years or older, and those I deem part of the youth of New Zealand who are 30 years or younger. The views show that the older group believe that New Zealanders, especially the younger demographic have a problem with alcohol consumption, however, those in the younger group acknowledged that as a society New Zealanders drink excessively, many argued that we (New Zealand) was no different to any other country in regards to alcohol consumption. This perceived social norm of excessive drinking highlights the need to further explore how as a society we can change the social norm so excessive drinking is not an issue without stigmatizing a particular segment of society. This literature review, which is to exploreShow MoreRelatedYouth Addiction Alcohol : Causes And Concerns1544 Words   |  7 PagesYouth Addiction to Alcohol – Causes and Concerns Instruction In today’s society, alcohol use and heavy drinking is very common among young adults and adolescence. Since the end of the 20th century, more and more of the younger populations have started participating in alcohol consumption. 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Since alcohol is associated withRead More Drugs and Alcohol in the Adolescent Years Essay1547 Words   |  7 PagesDrugs and Alcohol in the Adolescent Years The years of adolescence are a very important time for both young girls and boys to make decisions that will essentially have the power to shape their lives. In life there are conflicts to be overcome from both the â€Å"evil† social world and also a young girl’s vulnerability can cause problems. Both have a huge impact on decisions she will make. Drugs and alcohol are both issues that almost any young person in today’s society is going to comeRead MoreCollege Campus : Dangerous Incidents On Colleges Campuses1716 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on experts will help me better understand the consequences of underage drinking. Articles such as Dean-Mooney (2008) and Dryden (2013), related to my topic would help determine my reliability and credibility. 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Merchant of Venice Mercy and Justice Free Essays

Ever been in a situation where you do not know whether to be fair or bend the rules a bit? In The Merchant of Venice, mercy and justice are the continuing predominant themes. Situations occur, that doing the just act does not seem to be correct or the right thing to do. Technically, the correct thing to do is to follow and abide by justice and the law. We will write a custom essay sample on Merchant of Venice: Mercy and Justice or any similar topic only for you Order Now For in this case, justice means the taking of a man’s life for the greed and sick revenge of another man. One of the true morals in this play is to be careful for what you wish for. Just as Shylock asked for justice, and in the end, justice was served. Throughout The Merchant of Venice, the themes of mercy and justice are continuously contradicting when it comes to Shylock’s situation with Antonio, in the court scene. In the play, Shylock has a deep desire for his bond to be satisfied and justice to prevail. In this Shakespearian time period, Jews are looked down upon. They are not treated as equals to the Christians. Shylock had a well justified reason to hate Antonio after Antonio would treat Shylock like a dog and spit upon him. Shylock said that Antonio’s reason for disrespect is because he is a Jew.Shylock talked of how Jews and Christians are the same thing, except they follow different beliefs. Once Antonio admits he cannot repay his debt, Shylock is eager for his bond and justice. However never did he show mercy, even towards his own daughter, he said, â€Å"I would my / daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her / ear; would she were hearsed at my foot and the / ducats in her coffin,† (III. 1. 87-90). Since he lacked mercy and kindness, he was shown no mercy when Antonio was to set his demands. Antonio begged for mercy and said, â€Å"I pray thee, hear me speak,† (III. 3. 12).Shylock showed no mercy for Antonio and persisted that he will have his bond. Solanio reassures Antonio that the Duke will not abide to a contract of this nature. Antonio replied saying that, â€Å"The Duke cannot deny the course of law,† (III. 3. 29). That is where the justice falls into play, if the Duke does not allow Shylock’s pound of flesh to be taken, then the whole Venetian courts and government would be a disgrace. This meant that for the trial to be fair, the bond will need to be satisfied. It looked bad for Antonio, until Portia came dressed as Balthazar, a lawyer. Portia’s first approach was to ask Shylock to be merciful.Shylock however was disgusted by the idea like proven before. Portia talks of God and how Christians beg for mercy to reach salvation. She said that, â€Å"Therefore, Jew, / Through justice be thy plea, consider this: / That in the course of justice none of us / Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, / And that same prayer doth teach us all to render / The deeds of mercy,† (IV. 1. 203-208). Being as deliberate and stubborn as he is he said that â€Å"My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, / The penalty and forfeit of my bond,† (IV. 1. 212-213). After that plan fails, Portia tells Shylock that Bassanio is offering nine thousand ducats.Portia tells Shylock, â€Å"there’s thrice thy money offered thee,† (IV. 1. 235). The stubborn and immovable Shylock insists on his bond even after three times the original three-thousand ducats are offered to him. Finally, Portia agrees to Shylock’s demands and tells him to cut and retrieve his one pound of flesh. Just before he starts the process she brought up a very significant point to be noticed that changes the fate of the whole trial let alone Antonio’s life. She said, â€Å"This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood / The words are expressly are a pound of flesh,† (IV. . 319-320). She points out that the contract specifically said a pound of flesh not including blood. She follows to say, â€Å"if thou dost shed / One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods / Are by the laws of Venice confiscate / Unto the state of Venice,† (IV. 1. 322-325). The second Shylock heard this part of the contract, he immediately took his words back. He said, â€Å"I take this offer then. Pay the bond thrice / And let the Christian go,† (IV. 1. 332-334). He has taken back his lust for justice and wants his money back so he can just leave.Portia however makes his situation worse for Shylock by bringing out more laws that get Shylock in bad situations. She insists that Antonio’s flesh be cut and given to Shylock. Portia as her final attack at Shylock said to the court, â€Å"If it be proved against an alien / That by direct or indirect attempts / He seek the life of any citizen / The party ‘gainst the which he doth contrive / Shall seize one half his goods; the other half / Comes to the privy coffer of the state / And the offender’s life lies in the mercy / Of the Duke only, ‘gainst all other voice,† (IV. . 364-371). It turned out to be very ironic how Shylock had held grasp of someone’s life and now his life is in the hands of the Duke. Antonio begged Shylock to rethink the contract and be merciful. Now Shylock is asking for mercy and half of his property and goods is going to the very man he swore an oath to kill. It is very funny how such a small missed detail caused such a great deal of events to occur. Portia then asked Antonio, â€Å"What mercy can you render him, Antonio? † (IV. 1. 394).In the end of the great turn of events, Shylock is forced to agree the terms that he will give his money to Jessica and Lorenzo, he will make a will leaving everything to Jessica and Lorenzo, and finally he will become a Christian. The major themes shown are clearly and evidently in the play, especially when Portia is able to use the desire for Shylock’s justice to her advantage and turn the tables on the old Jew. Not only does she free Antonio, but she did the whole case legally and with tremendous justice but lacking mercy. Just as Shylock showed no mercy towards Antonio, he was rendered no mercy either. How to cite Merchant of Venice: Mercy and Justice, Papers

Sustainability Reporting in Accounting

Question: Discuss about the . Answer: Introduction In the era of twenty-first centuries, the definition of business is not bound in sales and revenues. Now a day, businesses all over the world is considering the effects of their business on environment, human resources and communities. They are concerned to maintain the sustainability in their business. Businesses all over the world are publishing their sustainability report that provides information about their steps to revive the environmental, social and economic issues through sustainability approaches (Bebbington, Unerman and O'Dwyer, 2014). The aim of the report is to analyze and evaluate the sustainability reporting of one of the Australian Stock Exchange listed companies. For the purpose of the report, Wesfarmers Limited is considered as the company is well known for their sustainability reporting system. Wesfarmers is one of the largest conglomerates in Australia, founded in the year of 1914. Their various businesses include coles, home improvements, departmental stores, che micals, energy, fertilizers and many others (About Wesfarmers, 2016). Sustainability at Wesfarmers Wesfarmers is well known for their sustainability approaches. It is the commitment of the organization to create values for shareholders, employees and communities. One of the ways to create value to Wesfarmers is to manage the impact of their business on the environment and community. There are some companies that use Wesfarmers as their benchmark for sustainable development. Wesfarmers has acknowledged the growing issue of climate change like the increase in weather volatility, frequent weather conditions, high level of temperature and others. On the other hand, there are others human resource issues like gender inequality at the workplace and others. The sustainability approach of Wesfarmers is based on these issues. The sustainability report of Wesfarmers is the summary of their sustainability strategies and actions. The sustainability report of Wesfarmers is prepares according to the rules and regulation Global Reporting initiatives (GRI). All the sustainability actions of the o rganization is done as per the guidelines of GRI principles. As per the FRI principles, there are four major dimensions of the sustainability report of Wesfarmers; they are materiality, completeness, sustainability context and stakeholders inclusiveness. Wesfarmers uses to address ten widely accepted principles of the United Nation Global Compact (UNGC). The sustainability program of Wesfarmers is known as Wesfarmers supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are certain goals of the sustainability program of Wesfarmers. They are to end poverty; to fight inequality and injustice at the workplace and to make strategies for responding the climate change issue by the year of 2030 (Our sustainability reporting, 2016). Materiality Issues One of the most important aspects of the sustainability report of Wesfarmers is to address the various materiality issues in the organization. Some major materiality issues have addressed in the materiality report of Wesfarmers. The first materiality issue is to maintain a safe workplace. The Second issue is to give great career opportunities to the employees of the organization (Moscardo et al., 2013). The third materiality issue is to create a inclusive work environment where there will be gender diversity along with the inclusion of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people in the workforce. Fourth issue is to maintain a respectful relationship with the suppliers. Fifth issue is to source the products in a responsible manner. To contribute to the well-being of community is the sixth material issue. Providing safe products to the customers is the seventh material issue. Eighth materiality issues of Wesfarmers are to reduce the emission intensity in order to fight the issue of c limate change. Ninth material issue is to reduce the portion of wastage of water and other materials. The tenth and last materiality issue is to maintain robust corporate governance policies in the whole organization. These material issues are addressed in the sustainability report of Wesfarmers (Australia, 2012). Sustainability Principles There are five major principles the sustainability reporting of Wesfarmers. They are People, Sourcing, Community, Environment and Governance. All the aspects are discussed under. People: It is the major focus of Wesfarmers to provider ultimate safety to the employees of the organization. Wesfarmers uses various strategies like safety leadership, strategies targeting risk reduction and improving physical as well as mental health to implement safety. On the other hand, the company is determined to create a diversified workplace that will include people of all gender, age, race, cultural background, religion and others (Safety, 2016). Sourcing: It is the aim of Wesfarmers to maintain a healthy relationship with their suppliers. The company has been successful to maintain a good relationship with their more 15,000 suppliers and Wesfarmers has paid $45,525 million to the suppliers. The ethical sourcing policy of Wesfarmers implies that the company wants to source the materials of business in an ethical way (Suppliers, 2016). Community: In the year of 2016, Wesfarmers has contributed more than $57.8 million to the welfare of different communities of Australia. On the other hand, Wesfarmers has given $53.8 million as donation. The company has done the welfare of communities by providing foods, clothing, jobs and others (Community contributions, 2016). Environment: One of the most important dimensions of Wesfarmerss sustainability program is to fight the issue of climate change. For this purpose, Wesfarmers has adopted strategies to control the emission intensity from their business operation. Wesfarmers has been able to maintain the emission of green house gases from the production operation with the assistance of improved technology. On the other hand, Wesfarmers has taken strategies to reduce the wastage of water and other resources from their business operation (Climate change resilience, 2016). Governance: The Company has been successful to implement strict corporate governance policies in order to maintain the sustainability in the organization. Sustainability Achievement in 2016 In the year of 2016, Wesfarmers has achieved many sustainability milestones. The injury frequency rate in 2016 is 33.4 that are 15.2% lower than last year. The company has identified more than 3,300 indigenous employees. The inclusion of 3,200 factories in the audit program has brought transparency in the supply chain. Wesfarmers has contributed a total of $110 million for the well-being of communities. The company has been successful to reduce the greenhouse emission by 2% in this year. The workforce of Wesfarmers contains 55% of women employees and this is a great achievement to reduce gender inequality. These are the major sustainability achievements in 2016 (Sloan, 2016). Stakeholders Analysis It is the sustainability vision of Wesfarmers to add value to their various stakeholders with the help their sustainability activities. One of the effective policies of the company is that they use to communicate with their stakeholders on a regular basis and they invite the precious feedbacks from them. Wesfarmers has different stakeholders that include employees of the organization, customers, shareholders, suppliers of the company, the government, non-governmental organizations, media and community (Kenny, 2013). Wesfarmers has implemented some major sustainability policies for all of their stakeholders. As per the report of 2016, Wesfarmers has employed around 220,000 employees; the company has created many career opportunities for these employees. Wesfarmers has created many channels so that the customers can contact with the company and can provide their valuable feedback. One of the major stakeholders of the company is the shareholders. The well directed sustainability strateg ies of Wesfarmers have been successful to attract the attention of the shareholders. Wesfarmers various sustainability initiatives like ethical sourcing, suppliers relationship, climate change strategies and others have helped the company to gain more investments from the investors. On the other hand, the sustainability initiatives of Wesfarmers have helped the organization to earn praise from the government. Wesfarmers has received many awards from the government for their sustainability reporting. All the sustainability activities of Wesfarmers have helped the organization financially as it helped to improve the financial position of the company (Rowe et al., 2014). Conclusion: The objective of the report is to analyze and evaluate the various aspects of sustainability reporting of Wesfarmers. It has been seen in the study that there are some major aspects of the sustainability reporting of Wesfarmers. As per the above report, the vision of Wesfarmers is to continuously add value to their various stakeholders like shareholders, employees, customers and others. Sustainability reporting is one of the means to add value to the stakeholders. It has been seen that Wesfarmers uses to follow the GRI principles and frameworks to prepare their sustainability reports. The five major dimensions of sustainability reporting of Wesfarmers are people, sourcing, community, environment and government. All these sustainability activities of Wesfarmers have helped the company to invite more investments from the shareholders. On the other hand, the various sustainability strategies of Wesfarmers to implement health and safety for their various stakeholders have assisted the or ganization to create a good band image of the company. The sustainability activities of Wesfarmers are already perfect. However, there are still some scopes to improve. It is suggested that Wesfarmers should focus more on the improvement of the relationship with the suppliers. It is recommended that there should be more transparency in the supply chain of the organization. Another recommendation is that Wesfarmers should promote mental health among the employees. References Australia, A.C.C.A., 2012. The state of sustainability report assurance in the ASX 100. Bebbington, J., Unerman, J. and O'Dwyer, B., 2014.Sustainability accounting and accountability. Routledge. Kenny, G., 2013. The stakeholder or the firm? Balancing the strategic framework.Journal of Business Strategy,34(3), pp.33-40. Moscardo, G., Lamberton, G., Wells, G., Fallon, W., Lawn, P., Rowe, A., Humphrey, J., Wiesner, R., Pettitt, B., Clifton, D. and Renouf, M., 2013.Sustainability in Australian business: Principles and practice. Wiley-Blackwell. Rowe, A.L., Nowak, M., Quaddus, M. and Naude, M., 2014. Stakeholder engagement and sustainable corporate community investment.Business Strategy and the Environment,23(7), pp.461-474. Sloan, E., 2016. Improving dragline productivity and increasing reliability using big data.AusIMM Bulletin, (Aug 2016), p.58. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.About Wesfarmers. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-approach/about-wesfarmers/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.Climate change resilience. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-principles/environment/climate-change-resilience/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.Community contributions. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-principles/community/community-contributions/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.Our sustainability reporting. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-approach/our-sustainability-reporting/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.Safety. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-principles/people/safety/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016]. Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au., 2016.Suppliers. [online] Sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://sustainability.wesfarmers.com.au/our-principles/sourcing/suppliers/ [Accessed 30 Dec. 2016].