The Concept Of Charity In Islam Religion Essay

The Concept Of Charity In Islam Religion Essay The paper which I am going to right is about Islamic concept of charity. The concept is not new for so many people because every religion of the world preached that charity is a way of bringing justice to society. But here I would like to explain different forms of charity in Islam, their differences and its impact on society. Charity is for those in need. This is general principle which enjoins us to help people in need, be they good or bad, on the right path or not, Muslims or non-Muslims. No one should judge in these matters. The foremost ends in charity should be Gods pleasure and our own spiritual good. The concept of charity in Islam is thus linked with justice. It is not limited to the redressed of grievances. It implies apart from the removal of handicaps, the recognition of the right that every human being has to attain the fullness of life.   The definition of charity in Islamic tradition differs somewhat from its interpretation in other contexts. The Quran states: And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do . Charity is central to a Muslims life. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said No wealth (of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity. There are misconceptions by some people regarding Islamic concept of Charity. They think that Islam is taking Charity by force in the name of Zakat. But this is not reality. Islam does not force anyone to give charity. This is third pillar of Islam and its reward will be given in after world. The following five words are the most frequently used words to describe charity in the Noble Quran: 1. Infaq fi Sabil Allah (spending in the path of Allah).    Infaq Meaning spending benevolently 2. Ihsan Meaning the doing of good or (kindness and consideration) 3. Zakah  Ã‚   Meaning growth or purification 4. Sadaqah Derived from the root sidq and meaning truth, and comes to signify charitable deed 5. Khayrat Meaning good deeds Here two basic concepts will be explained that is Zakat and Sadaqah where Zakat is obligatory charity and Sadaqah is voluntarily Charity. DEFINITION AND IMPLICATION OF ZAKAT (ALMS GIVING) Zakat, is derived from the verb zaka, (which means to thrive, to be wholesome,[to be pure) and signifies purification. The Noble Quran referring to the purification of wealth states: Of their wealth take alms to purify and sanctify them ZakÄ t or alms giving, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a small percentage of ones possessions (surplus wealth) to charity, generally to the poor and needy. It is often compared to the system of tithing and alms, but it serves principally as the welfare contribution to poor and deprived Muslims, although others may have a rightful share. It is the duty of an Islamic community not just to collect zakat but to distribute it fairly as well. Zakat is a multi facial concept. In one form it is an act of worship while in other form it is the carrying out of social service. It is thus not just the payment of a tax as it is generally understood but is rather an act of religious significance. Muslims fulfil this religious obligation by giving a fixed percentage of their surplus wealth. Zakat has been paired with such a high sense of righteousness that it is often placed on the same level of importance as offering Salat. Muslims see this process also as a way of purifying themselves from their greed and selfishness and also safeguarding future business. In addition, Zakat purifies the person who receives it because it saves him from the humiliation of begging and prevents him from envying the rich. Its importance and centrality to Islam results in the punishment for not paying when able are very severe. Muslim jurists agree that zakat is obligatory on the Muslim who has reached puberty, who is sane, who is free, and who owns the minimum assigned nisab throughout Islamic history; denying Zakat equals denying the Islamic faith. However, Muslim jurists differ on the details of zakat, which may include rate, the exemptions, and the kinds of wealth that are zakatable. Zakatable refers to assets subject to zakat according to Islamic examples and directives. Some scholars consider the wealth of children and insane individuals zakatable. Some scholars consider all agricultural products zakatable; others restrict zakat to specific kinds only. Some consider debts zakatable. Similar differences exist for business assets and womens jewellery. Some require certain minimum nisab for zakatability. THE PAYMENT OF ZAKAT Zakat is obligatory on every sane adult Muslim who is malik al-nisab, i.e., who possesses wealth equivalent to the monetary value of 20 Dinar of gold or 200 Dirham of silver. In the case of Muslims below the age of puberty and those Muslims who are insane, Zakat is obligatory on their wealth and their guardians are entrusted to pay it on their behalf. The law stipulates that once a year (after the completion of one lunar year) Zakat must be calculated and 2.5% is to be deducted from a malik al-nisabs wealth (cash, savings, investments, gold and silver) and donated as Zakat. ZAKAT AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP Zakat is in spirit an act of worship and in its external form the discharging of a social service. It is, therefore, not a levy or a tax, but is rather an act of worship. That is why the Noble Quran often mentions the observance of Salah alongside the giving of Zakat: ÙˆÙÅ ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ £Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ØلؠµÃƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒËœÃƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ ÙˆÙÅ ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ªÃƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Øلؠ²Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ„¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ ÙˆÙÅ ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœ Ø ªÃƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ ÃƒËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ لؠ£Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ³Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ù†¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Ø ®Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚  Ø ªÃƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¬Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚  Ø ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ ØللّÙ†¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚  Ø ¥Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ ØللّÙ†¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ Ø ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœ Ø ªÃƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ ¹Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ Ø ¨Ãƒâ„¢Ã… ½ÃƒËœÃ‚ µÃƒâ„¢Ã‚ Ãƒâ„¢Ã…  ÃƒËœÃ‚ ±Ãƒâ„¢Ã…’ And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do Moreover, the Noble Quran emphasizes the importance of Zakat as follows: By no means shall you attain righteousness, unless you give of that which you love RECIPIENTS OF ZAKAT Allah (S.W.T) has mentioned paying of Zakat on multiple occasions like. Zakat is for the poor and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and for those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and for those who are overburdened with debts and for every struggle in Gods cause, and for the wayfarers: this is a duty ordained by God, and God is the All-Knowing, the Wise. According to the Noble Quran, the lawful recipients of Zakat must be Muslims who belong to either one or more of the eight categories: (1) The poor (2) The needy (3) Those whose hearts are to be reconciled (4) Securing the freedom of those who are captives (5) Those that are genuinely in debt (6) Muslim employees (7) Those who engage in the cause of Allah I (8) The wayfarers DEFINITION OF SADAQAH The word Sadaqah is derived from the Arabic root verb sadaqah which means to be truthful and hence Sadaqah implies engaging in any righteous act in order to earn the mardat (pleasure) of Allah. SOME RULES PERTAINING TO SADAQAH There are three basic rules involved for Sadaqah to be divinely rewarded. Firstly, it must be donated in the name of Allah alone. Secondly, all monies donated must be from a legitimate source. Money that has been stolen or earned unethically is rendered void by Allah . Thirdly, all excess wealth is seen being owned by Allah and Muslims hold the wealth as trustees. Therefore, it is left up to individual Muslims to determine as to how much they are willing to give back to Him in the form of charity. SOME MITIGATING CONSEQUENCES OF SADAQAH According to the teachings of Islam, the giving of Sadaqah serves a number of functions. First and foremost is the expiation of sins. The believers are asked to give Sadaqah immediately following any divine transgression. It also serves to compensate for any shortcoming in any past payment of Zakah. Moreover, it also gives protection against falling victim to calamities. Furthermore, it wards off affliction in this world, and punishment on Day of Judgment. It is therefore recommended to give Sadaqah, irrespective whether it is at night or during the day, in secret or in public in order to seek God Almightys pleasure (Al-Baqarah, 2:274). Finally, it is generally believed that the constant giving of a little charity pleases God Almighty more than the occasional giving of much charity. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZAKAT AND SADAQAH It is important to differentiate between Zakat and Sadaqah. Zakat is the obligatory annual almsgiving which is determined on the basis of the value of ones wealth. Sadaqah on the other hand is superogatory charity, given by Muslims over and above their Zakat contribution. Moreover, every Muslim irrespective of his/her financial status can in actual fact participate in Sadaqah in view of the fact that Sadaqah is not necessarily restricted to monetary contributions, but can also be given in kind as specified in the Noble Quran, for example, feeding the poor (69:34; 90:11-16; 107:1-3), extending any form of support to the orphans (17:34; 76:8; 89:17; 90:15; 93:9, 107:2) and widows, advising or counselling, and volunteering ones services in the community. CONCLUSION Thus charity, on a generic level, plays a major role in Muslim society. One of the key purposes of the religion is grounded in a sense of community, which is fostered by charity. The Noble Quran reassures those who engage in voluntary charity would be amply rewarded: Those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and establish regular prayers and regular charity, will have their reward with their Lord: On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. From the Islamic point of view, wealth belongs to God and is held by human beings in trust; so for those whom Allah has blessed with wealth, it is a test; and Muslims should strive to pass this test by not becoming worshipers of hoarded wealth. They should rather use the wealth only in ways God has permitted and realize that the amount to be given is not really their money but, rather, it belongs to those who have less than they do. Islamic charity is one of those unique forms of worship that bring out both the individual and the social aspects of ibada worship. Consider its sociopolitical effects: it frees society from the ill feelings arising out of class hatred. It opposes an individualism that is blind to the travails of ones neighbors and stands against a socialism that shackles individual freedom. It fosters neither selfishness nor renunciation. It also strengthens a sense of brotherhood and establishes social cohesion. Islamic charity represents the unbreakable bond between members of the community, whom Prophet Mohammed described as like the organs of the body, if one suffers then all others rally in response. We are fortunate to have sufficient means to live a quality life, but there are millions of people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Many millions of children, women and men live in abject poverty. Things that we take for granted-regular meals, housing, education and healthcare-are considered luxuries in some of the worlds poorest countries. It is our duty to help them-because helping the poor and destitute is emphasized again and again in the Quran and in the other Holy Scripts and traditions. By working together we can help make a real difference and bring about positive change to many peoples lives. The rewards for being charitable are also manifold: charity purifies our wealth and God has promised us a great reward for being charitable towards our fellow human beings.

Reward Strategy: Reasons and Perspectives Essay

Modern business environment is famous for various new trends. An environment where the businesses used to hire employees for the sake of monetary benefits only is now changed in multi dimensional and multi pronged environment. Now business are not run for the sake of money and short term financial benefits only but for a long time sustainable growth and development. Now the only focus of all business is customer  and Customer Satisfaction. This Customer Satisfaction (CS) cannot be achieved without proper involvement of internal customers i. e. , employees. Companies start their business philosophy from their main goals or objectives and make clear statements showing their mission and values. All lateral developments are performed on the basis of these predetermined values. Modern businesses focus only on customer satisfaction and this is the core concept of business as well. Who is Responsible for Customer Satisfaction? Now question is the responsibility of achieving customer satisfaction without any failure. Many plans are made for wining customer satisfaction, but all would be failure if company is not sure about the persons, method and tactics of achieving customer satisfaction. Whole management and its team is responsible for achieving business results so is the customer satisfaction. Modern management has no doubt in it that customer satisfaction can only be achieved if all employees regardless their departments work hard to satisfy customer. Conclusion is all employees are responsible for achieving and maintaining customer satisfaction on long term basis. How would Employees work for Achieving Customer Satisfaction? Employees are important for achieving customer satisfaction then the responsibility comes how these employees should work for achieving high standards of customer satisfaction? It’s an open secret that employees mainly intend to work for the physical work giving to them according to their job description. Though companies make different efforts to ensure quantitative and qualitative efforts to ensure performance of employees but there is not specific way to know how do employees behave and work for achieving customer satisfaction. As per Hertz Berg’s two factor motivation theory, people treat salary and working environment as routine requirement of their jobs and don’t fee motivated on the basis of nominal salaries. For doing something extra, they need motivation and for motivation they need to be given something extra by the employer. To overcome problems and obstacles on their way to customer satisfaction, companies design a special approach to involve employees into their challenging task of customer satisfaction. Reward Strategy Why do people work is the question often answered differently by all respondents. Few people surely confirm the cause of their work, mostly are trapped in wordy reasons like, just to make my life comfortable, to earn my livelihood, to support my family, to spend my spare time or to establish myself. Business psychologists still fail to understand the only common reason among people who work at different places. Similar to the concepts of employees, business researchers and scholars are also divided on certain human needs and employees’ concern bout growth. But all researchers and business psychologists are of the opinion that rewards really award. If you give rewards to your employees reward, they will award business with better results. Various rewards to employees make different behavioural and motivational changes in their personalities. Almost modern business and non-business organizations believe in good reward system that would base on financial compensation or Remuneration, certain benefits regardless their job hierarchy and business status, and perquisites of different types based on hierarchy. These three factors make the most successful blend of modern reward package. As such package is a motivating blend of financial and non-financial benefits, this suites majority of people.

Global Poverty and Cultural Issues Essay

Poverty has been a pervasive phenomenon in the world. Hunger, high level of illiteracy, high rates of child morality to mention but a few, all have characterized poverty. In response to fight against poverty, several strategies have been developed globally to help improve the quality of human living which have had different impacts on social, economic and political spheres. The purpose of this presentation is it to discuss the global poverty in the context of globalization, the role played by international monetary agencies in addressing this issue and the resulting effects on culture. Global poverty It has been found that almost half of the people in the world are living on less than $2. 50 in a day and more than eighty percent of the world’s population live in the countries which have a widening income difference. This is reflected by the fact that forty percent of the poorest of the world’s population account for only five percent of the global income while twenty percent of the richest people account for three quarters of the whole world income (Wilson, pp 172). In level of literacy, it has been found that close to one billion people have stepped in twenty first century unable to read a book or even be able to sign in their names (Birdsall, Kelley and Sinding pp 153). Approximately forty million people are living with HIV/AIDS and about five hundred million cases of malaria are witnessed every year. Africa has the highest percentages of these cases and deaths. In the developing countries majority of people do lack adequate access to clean and safe water and still a greater portion lack basic sanitation. Children who are born, one billion live in poverty while about six hundred and forty millon children live without adequate shelter while about four hundred million children lack access to safe water. In rural areas three out of four people are found to earn less than $ 1 and the same proportion of the world population is malnourished. The growth of slums is at alarming rate where out of half of world’s population living in cities and towns, one out of three urban dwellers lives in slum conditions (Otlin, pp67-69). Globalization and Poverty Reduction The term globalization refers to a process of interaction and integration that involves different groups such people, government of different nations and companies. It is driven by international trade and investment and is aided by information technology. It has caused significant effects on culture, environment, political systems, economic development and human physical well being of many societies around world (Lawig, pp15). The ideology of globalization has been made effective by policies that have paved way to economies both locally and internationally. The world has become a global village. Commodities which had been earlier confined in one part of the world are now available across the globe. Both goods and people can reach destinations in a relative short time due to improved infrastructure. Also, work can be outsourced from any part of the world provided there is internet connectivity. Apart from policies, technology has been the great driver of globalization. Information technology has also become an important tool for identifying and perusing economic opportunities in the fastest rate possible in addition to more informed economic trends analysis. In the context of global poverty, globalization is considered to be an approach to boost the poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and improve their living standards. Free trade creates new opportunities for new investments, jobs and enhances more efficient way in resources use that in turn increases productivity. Liberalization of capital flows enables greater access to external resources needed to finance investments. Besides this, foreign direct investment do encourage the transfer of technology , easy accessibility to a wider range of better quality of goods at competitive prices in addition to managerial expertise and skills (Niggle, pp 22-24). World Bank and IMF The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are main international financial institutions in the world. In Africa for example, they are the major sources that provide financial support. Over the past the poorest countries in Africa have often turned to World Bank and IMF to request for financial support due to their impoverished situation. To be able to implement this, these agencies have Structural Adjustment Programs/Policies (SAPs). These are economic policies that must be followed by any country that is in need of their loans. These policies in many countries, they have common principles such as export led growth, privatization, liberalization and efficiency of the free market (Winter, pp36). Structural Adjustment Programs demands the countries to devalue their currencies against the dollar. This helps to make goods cheaper for foreigners to buy. Also there is need for the government to balance their budgets and not to overspend, remove price controls and state subsides. Balancing national budgets usually should be through cutting government spending and usually not by raising taxes. The implication of this is deep cuts in government programs such as education, health, social care as well as removal of subsides that are aimed to control prices of basic necessities such as food. These SAPs often emphasis on production and exportation of primary commodities like tea and coffee for earning foreign exchange. However, in practice the Structural adjustment Programs have only result to escalating state of poverty in countries where they are implemented due to various reasons. First, privatization requires governments to sell off the enterprises to private owners and in many cases they are foreign investors. This result to lay-off and pay cuts for employee in these privatized organizations. Secondly, reduction in government spending results to reducing services to the poor especially the critical ones such as health and education. Thirdly, the promotion of exports by countries as required in SAPs is done at the expense of production for domestic needs. This is because the export orientation is often involved with displacement of people who grow food for their domestic own consumption because land is occupied by plantations for growing crops for foreign markets. The fourth factor is that increased interest rates that are recessionary are bound to affect national economies in that small businesses where women are the main actors find it hard to access to affordable credit which make it hard to survive. This leads to unemployment. Lastly, trade liberalization requires elimination of tariff protections for industries. When this happens in developing countries, it causes mass layoff of employees. For instance in Mozambique World Bank and IMF ordered for removal of export tax on cashew nut that caused about ten thousand workers to loose their jobs (Udayagiri & Walton, pp101-102). Effects of World Bank and IMF Aids on Zimbabwe: A Cultural Perspective Culture can be defined as the perspectives, practices and products of a social group. It is shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and affective understanding that are acquired through socialization process. It is through these shared patterns that identify the members of a particular culture group and also it distinguishes those of another group. The following is a cultural perspective discussion on the effects of international monetary funds and globalization in Zimbabwe. Since Zimbabwe sought aid from IMF and World Bank and adopted their Structural Adjustment Programs, the situation has been deteriorating. The negative effects of Structural Adjustment Programs have not been felt on economy levels alone but also in the Zimbabwean culture. Zimbabwe was a choice in this presentation because of its current worrying socio-economic trends which have been catalyzed by high inflation rates than any other African country and has also witnessed tight IMF/World Bank screws (Mumbengegwi, pp 22-26) When IMF demanded adoption of SAPs by Zimbabwean government they were not tailored to address the local needs of common man. Rather they were in favor of foreign investors through trade liberalization. One of SAPs required Zimbabwe government to privatize state owned enterprises. This is culturally because most of Zimbabweans have been known, for instance, to be small-holder dairy farmers as their livelihood. As result of privatization, for instance of dairy cooperatives through floatation of share, majority of the farmer experienced a cultural crisis. This is because they were unable to continue with their selling of milk. They could no longer enjoy relatively cheap and affordable credit facilities as before making it impossible to continue with dairy farming. Also the issue of privatization provoked alterations in land tenure system. It has been a tradition to own land on communal basis as opposed to private land ownership. However, this tradition has been broken through issuing of freehold title to male landholders which never used to exist before. This anticipated productivity crisis particularly in farming system in many small scale commercial farming. SAPs had effect on the Zimbabwean culture of maize farming. Before implementation of SAPs in Zimbabwe, the country was used to grow maize in large scale which made it to have enough to feed its population and have stock piles. But due to the demands of World Bank and IMF for the country to be export oriented to increase if foreign exchange, it forced the country to sell all of its stockpiles in obedience. Due to unfavorable climatic conditions, now Zimbabwe does not have any maize reserves to feed it population as it was its culture. It now relies on importation which is scarcely enough to meet food needs of it starving citizens. Before, introduction of export-oriented concept in Zimbabwe, it practiced traditional farming that focused on growing of indigenous crops for local consumption. This has gradually phased out because of SAPs demand for growing crops that are export oriented. Instead of improving on indigenous crops that will enhance attainment of food sufficiency , community has ended up suffering from extreme hunger because growing the local foods have been abandon for cash crop growing. To facilitate cash crop growing, most of land was commercialized. This privatization and commercialization of land have suppressed women rights in regard to land control. In the past when communal land system was practiced, women had access and control over the land. But commercialization and privatization of the land in the country have adversely affected land rights of most of the women because they now have limited access and control of the land despite the fact that they are the main contributors in agricultural production (Wod, pp 122). World and IMF policies further demanded the Zimbabwean government to reduce its national budget by retrenching certain number of employees and strict wages control. In addition to this, it was expected to cut down social spending on health, health and public services and charge them some fee. To make matter worse apart from privatization of state owned enterprises, Value Added Tax was to be introduced. This resulted to high cost of living which altogether affected the normal way of living of Zimbabwean citizens. This led to high rate of unemployment. In response to this family ties started loosening as many men migrated in search for jobs causing increased rate of female headed household in the country which is contrary to existing culture. Thorough keen scrutiny, one would clearly see that globalization ideology is Structural Adjustment Policies in disguise. This is because it also lobbies for trade liberalization. Because the majority of Zimbabwe citizens are small scale entrepreneurs, trade liberalization has severely affected them. Women being the major actors in agriculture production, trade liberalization have failed them to acquire credit and other farming inputs because of their high cost. This has resulted to increased rural urban migration, great number of squatters in urban areas and high crime rate which has now become a new cultural phenomenon. There has been increased moral decay. Significant numbers of women have resorted to cross border trade whereby there have been several reported cases of extramarital affairs while the husbands who have been left at home indulge in the same (Schweiker, pp11). Children are no longer seen by fires side listening to counsel that instill values and norms that hold society together because every one is struggling for survival as living standard has skyrocketed in the country Conclusion World Bank and IMF policies have caused more evil than good in the countries which they have been implemented. SAPs have not been tailored to address the poverty situation in developing countries but are only to cater the interest of those formulated them. They do not attempt to address poverty using local context perspective but are generalized to favor the international corporations from developed countries. But because aid can not be given without compliance to these polices, the needy countries end up falling being their preys. Both SAPs and globalization is one and the same thing and their effects are not only felt in spheres of political or economies alone but also deeply felt at cultural sphere. Their effects alter practices and perspectives of community by imposing a change in tradition way of doing things and because of the essence for survival some practices are dropped while others are adopted to cope with the present challenges that are threat to human living such as hunger. References Birdsall, N. Kelley, A. C. , Sinding, S. ; Population Matters: Demographic Change, Economic Growth, and Poverty in the Developing World. ISBN 0199244073, 9780199244072, Oxford University Press, 2001. Mumbengegwi, C. ; Macroeconomic and Structural Adjustment Policies in Zimbabwe. ISBN 1403914419, 9781403914415. Palgrave, 2002. Lawig, K. ; Overcoming Globalization: The Root of Violence. The Ecumenical Review Journal, Vol. 55, 2003. Otlin, Josh; The Causes of Poverty: Thinking Critically about a Key Economic Issue. Social Education Journal, Vol. 72, 2008. Niggle, C, J. ; Globalization, Neoliberalism and the Attack on Social Security. Review of Social Economy Journal, Vol. 61, 2003. Schweiker, W. ; Whither Global Ethics? Moral Consciousness and Global Cultural Flows. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Vol. 42, 2007. Winter, C. A; The Globalizes: The IMF, the World Bank and Their Borrowers. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 41, 2007. Wilson, S. ; The Struggle over Work: The ‘End of Work† and Employment Options for Post-Industrial Societies. ISBN 0415305500, 9780415305501, Routledge, 2004. Wod, B. ; Re-evaluating Socioeconomic Conditions and the Continuing Spread of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Western Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 29, 2005. Udayagiri, M. & Walton, J. ; Global Transformation and Local Countermovements: The Prospects for Democracy under Neoliberalism. International Journal of Comparative Sociology . Vol. 44, 2003.

Capital Punishment and Redemption - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 780 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/03/05 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Capital Punishment Essay Did you like this example? Introduction In 2005, a man named Stanley Tookie Williams was sentenced to death by the State of California after being convicted of murdering four people. While waiting for his execution, Williams attempted to make amends by writing children’s books that warned about the dangers of gangs and violence. Because of these acts, many people believed that Williams’ sentence should be reduced to life in prison. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Capital Punishment and Redemption" essay for you Create order The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, did not believe he truly regretted his actions, due to the fact that he laughed and bragged about the situation while on trial, and rejected his plea for clemency. Was the governor’s decision to execute Stanley Williams morally permissible? Should his attempts at redemption allow him to have a lesser sentence? It was morally right of Governor Schwarzenegger to uphold the decision to execute Stanley Williams. According to Social Contract Theory, the morally right action is the one that adheres to the set of rule a person has agreed to follow. In this situation, the United States Constitution is the social contract that governor Schwarzenegger had to abide by. Although it does not explicitly say what should be done in cases involving capital punishment, the eighth Amendment does ensure that a person cannot be deprived of their life, liberty, or property without a fair trail for the crime they are accused of. Williams was given a fair trial and he was found guilty. As a result, the state of California had the right to execute him. Even though he tried to amend his situation, it does not change the fact that he was convicted of four murders. If Governor Schwarzenegger had granted Williams’ plea for clemency, he would have broken the rules of the social contract. This could potentially cause other criminals on death row to do some sort of charity work with the motivation that they, too , could be given a lesser sentence. There is no room for exceptions in the social contract, so therefore no exception can be made for Stanley Williams. The Categorical Imperative states that right actions must be carried out regardless of what our particular wants or needs are. This concept plays a vital role in defining Kant’s form of ethics. Kant believed that there was a maxim, or rule, that could be applied to every situation. These rules are universal and indisputable. In regards to justice, Kant’s ethics believes that criminals should be given a punishment that is as severe as the crime they committed. With this knowledge, the conclusion can be drawn that the categorical imperative would not allow Governor Schwarzenegger to lessen Mr. Williams’ sentence. The punishment of life in prison is not equal to the crime of murdering four people. Furthermore, the categorical imperative does not believe that redemption is related to justice. The fact that Williams wrote books for children does not change the crime he committed, and therefore it should not change his sentencing. If Governor Schwarzenegger were to giv e Stanley Williams a less harsh punishment, he would be universalizing this action. As a result, all murderers who tried to seek redemption would be given life in prison instead of an execution. According to the text, Ethical Egoism is the moral theory that says that the right action is the one that produces the most favorable balance of good and evil for oneself. This means that in every situation, ethical egoists ask themselves which action will create the best outcome for them. Because ethical egoism is so individualized, it is impossible to state that all ethical egoists would agree with Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to execute Stanley Williams. If an ethical egoist was living in California while the drama surrounding Mr. Williams unfolded, it can be assumed that this specific person would want him to be executed. They might think about how their safety would be compromised if Williams was allowed to live. There would be a chance, however slim, that Williams could escape from prison and terrorize citizens of California as he had before. They could also think about what impression the situation would leave on society. People could see this as an opportunity to act recklessly because they believe that they may not receive the full punishment. This would cause a serious strain on everyone in society, including the ethical egoist. Conclusion Because of Social Contract Theory, the Categorical Imperative, and Ethical Egoism, Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to execute Stanley Williams was justified. Rules have been created for situations like this one, and if those rules are not followed, the consequences can be severe. The stability of society should not be compromised in order to cater to the wants of a single criminal.