The Mafia Essay Example For Students

The Mafia Essay The MafiaThe Mafia, a well-known crime organization,is still prevalent in society today. In the past five years the SicilianMafia has taken some heavy hits, with the murders of two leading prosecutorsin Mafia-related trials (Coming back). The prosecutors were GiovanniFalcone ( see picture), and Paulo Borsellino. Their successors have managedto put behind bars their murderers and an entire Mafia cupola ( ComingBack). So what exactly is the Mafia? And where did it originate?The word Mafia has two meanings, oneis that it means manly and the other is Morte alla Franca ItaliaAnela which means, death to France is Italys cry ( Mafia History). We will write a custom essay on The Mafia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The meaning came from the fact that Italians more specifically Sicilians,had to adapt to numerous invasions from Arabs, Normans and the French. The word Mafia in Arab also means refuge. The original inhabitants of Sicilywere oppressed and had to seek places of shelter and refuge ( Arlacchi). The Normans when invading Sicily in the 11th century; the native peoplewere forced into labor on the large estates their rulers made. Theironly way of escape was to seek shelter in the hills on the island of Sicily( refer to picture of Corleone). There in the hills the natives formed Secret societies that were meantto unify the natives against their enemies. The societies createda bond or strong sense of family based on their Sicilian heritage ( MafiaHistory). Their societies began to form structureand the idea of family was carried out through this framework. The layoutwas strongly hierarchical. At the head of the organizations were Dons orchiefs, who were in supreme control of the Mafia chapters in each village( Coming Back ). They however reported to the don of dons who livedin the capital of Sicily, the city of Palermo. Mafia leadership isthe Cupola much like a board of directors ( blumenthal p14). The Mafia Dons never really got into the actual business they were involvedin as not to get their hands dirty. They formed individual units calledCaporegime that answered to the Don. The Caporegime controlled thesoldiers or workers that did the dirty work of collecting debts and evenmurder (Arlacchi 23). Joining the Mafia is a lifetime commitmentstronger than family from which you cannot retire, you are bound by bloodand sworn by secrecy ( Mafia History). To join the Mafia you must takean oath based on five principals. The Omerta, is the first principal itis the code of silence that no matter what, even under the threat of tortureor death, you will reveal no secrets. Second you must pledge total obedienceto your don. Third you must lend assistance to any befriended Mafia faction. Fourth you must vow to avenge any attack on members of the family, anattack on one is an attack on all. Fifthly and the most important is toavoid any and all contact with the law ( Mafia History). By the 19th century the Mafia had grownvast and strong. It had once been a small group of rebels that had turnedinto a large criminal society ( I.O.C.G). In these early times of the Mafiathe most common form of extortion was the handing out of Black Hand Notes.These notes were handed to wealthy citizens, and were sincere requestsfor large sums of money in exchange for some form of protection. If thevictims did not comply with the note, they could expect bombings, kidnappings,and murders to help convince them ( Mafia History). In 1876 a Mafia donRaffeale Palizzo ran for political office to infiltrate Sicilian government,and run it from inside and outside the law. He succeeded in getting electedby holding many voters under gunpoint. Inside the government he had DonCrispi of Sicily elected Prime minister. Twenty-six hundred public administratorswere indicted for corruption and other crimes in Sicily ( Arlacchi 28-29). .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .postImageUrl , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:hover , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:visited , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:active { border:0!important; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:active , .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12 .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u36f7c2b3079304a108c435b1b4388f12:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Stem Cell Research EssayThe whole island had come under Mafia control and they began to suck nationalfunds into their hands. Yet the Mafia was and always will be opposedby some people or organizations. Opposition to the Mafia was always metwith violence ( Blumenthal 7). A well-known example of this, is the caseof a man Emanuel Notarbartolo who was the director of the bank in Sicily. Emanuel publicly announced that he promised to rid the land of the Mafiaonce and for all. In 1893 he was assassinated, and don Palizzo took overhis position. This was not the end though, Notarbartolos son vowed tobring his fathers killers to justice. He managed to get Palizzo indicted,but however the dons control was so vast that he was released ( MafiaHistory). Witnesses had been unwilling to cooperate and even policedocuments somehow disappeared ( Mafia History). By the 1980s in Italy the growth andexpansion of the Mafia in the businesses of drugs and such had reachedthe point of National emergency, and it didnt stop there ( arlacchi 38).The growth of the Mafia had also extendedoverseas. When people from all over Europe started moving to America fora new and better life, the Mafia saw it is a way to expand and escape persecution( I.O.C.G). The Mafia thrived in the small Italian neighborhoodsof America. During this early period New Orleans was the largest Mafiabase in the country ( Mafia History). A New Orleans Police Chief DavidHennesey began investigating a murder of an Italian Mafia member, he beganto learn a lot about the secret society operating in his city( MafiaHistory). He then set out to eliminate it, and was murdered by thedons of the city. In 1957 in Palermo (see map), the Sicilian Mafia metwith the American branch of the Mafia known as La Cosa Nostra, to set updrug trade(Blumenthal 47-48). La Cosa Nostra means in Sicilian our thi ng.The Sicilians would run the drugs into the United States and Canada andthe La Cosa Nostra, would sell the drugs. Profit made by one Mafia familyalways gave a margin of it to dons of other families as gratitude( Blumenthal47-48). They also would let other families share a part of a successfulbusiness as to wet their beaks.In conclusion the Sicilian Mafia whichstarted out as a small group of the oppressed fighting back against theinvading Normans and French, has grown into a vast criminal empire. TheMafia is still active to this day in Europe and America. The current headof the Mafia in Sicily is thought to be Salvatore Toto Riina, who iscurrently in jail for the Falcone murders. Many more Mafia members wereindicted for the murders, yet others remain at large. The American Mafiahad seemed to be broken with the arrests this trial made. But there istalk of La Cosa Nouva a New thing or Mafia regrouping, going back tothe less violent days of secret deals in backrooms with friends in po liticalcircles( I.O.C.G.). Opinion: My opinion on the Mafia is thatthey are good men at heart but go about everything in the wrong ways. Ithink it was a good thing to band together to fight off invading armies,and I also believe strongly in family and heritage. But whats wrong isthe selling of drugs and murder. I believe that gambling is harmless andthey shouldnt be punished for that, but killing and selling drugs aredifferent. Murder explains itself, and drugs can hurt people, their familiesand children. Also I think children raised in the Mafia will grow to beMafia involved as Italians have strong values of heritage, and if thiscontinues the Mafia may always be in society throughout the future.

American Attitudes about September 11th essays

American Attitudes about September 11th essays Osama Bin Ladin had more than just a plan to harm United States Citizens when he had the world trade centers bombed. He had a grudge with the whole way of life that Americans led. He was disgruntled about our economic strength, our cultural acceptances, and the "materialistic" way of life we led. He thought that by bringing down the world trade centers, our symbol of everything good about America, that he would destroy our lives. However, the opposite effect was produced. The country came together in a wave of patriotism and heroism. Granted, some racism took place against Arab Americans, but for the most part, the whole country came together in a moment that would change lives not only in America, but all over the world. Racism, as defined by Schaefer, is a doctrine that one race is superior. (Schaefer, pg. 506) When the world trade center came down, and the entire country came to a halt and gasped, we realized that the world suddenly changed. We saw scenes of people suffering, dying, and crying out for loved ones, and the heart of America sobbed for them. Everyone in America today, was affected by what happened 09/11/02. Many lost precious loved ones, more lost jobs, and even more lost the feeling that they were safe in the most powerful nation on Earth. We were attacked from more than one angle on that day. The economic consequences of September 11 were that many people lost their source of income across the land. Father's that had to make child support payments were left with no means in which to take care of their children. People who were getting ready for retirement were forced to look at working for another five years to guarantee their pensions. Consumers were afraid to spend money in fear that they would lose their jobs, and not be able to make rent. The economy seemed to come to a halt. However, Bin Laden was wrong. Not only was he wrong about our sprit as a nation, but also about the ...

Occupational safety and health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Occupational safety and health - Essay Example The states by this act are bound to ensure the workers safety, the best practices adoption, flexible situations for workers, healthy atmosphere and all other aspects which must be taken care of. Over twenty states are O.S.H.A state plan certified while the rest are either partially indulged or in the process of acquiring the OSHA recognized states (Osha, 2010). Processes undertaken by respective states must be properly mechanized and should have the backup plan along with safety of workers. The processes should indulge activities which require no or minimum direct contact of workers with heavy machinery and all other kinds of material that is hazardous for human life and safety. Processes conformity according to the desired standards is achievable only if the states in first step ensures that in a certain span of time, it would have all the necessary facilities and prerequisites fulfilled that are being prescribed by

The Influence Of High-Stakes Standardized Assessments On Pedagogical Essay

The Influence Of High-Stakes Standardized Assessments On Pedagogical Practices - Essay Example While evaluation has been a division of education for an extended time, Schoenfeld (2004) says that the existing augmented importance on consistency of curriculum and evaluation is exceptional. The author surveys changeable standpoints on evaluation considers the functional evaluation plays and then assess arguments on both sides of the discussion taking into consideration the present high-stakes testing surroundings which is fitting an essential constituent of education all around the world. As a final point, a debate of the suggestions of increased evaluation and chiefly that of high-stakes testing within the education prospectus discloses that noteworthy portions of imperative education conclusions are minimalized or unobserved because of the importance on standardized testing. Well on the system to apt a culture based on information, we are hearing progressively about the regeneration of education and confronts we face in changing the objectives and substance of the teaching/learning procedure (Wagner, 2005). The expression inventive is frequently used when we converse about fresh pedagogical methods and inventive educators who symbolize a divergence from conventional didactics. Efforts to begin modification in the classroom have got to now also add in the use of scientific resources that have enthused the beginning of the information society. Keeping swiftness with the progress of the age, AV equipment, computers and additional tools of communication have progressively established their place within the walls of enlightening institutions and the procedure of reorganization pedagogical practice. The manifestation of technological speculates and their exercise in the field of education, though, can not mechanically be looked upon as pedagogical innovation. Is it at all probable to describe the expression, and if so, how Education researchers are inquisitive about the response to this question when they evaluated the function of Information Technology in the ground-breaking pedagogical practice of different countries. Previous to assessing knowledge and opinions in association with ground-breaking pedagogical practice, it is worth investigative how the educational system of the culture is making the changeover to single based information. The altering roles of schools, students and parents in the course of education are vibrantly demonstrated by researchers in the following chart. Role Education in the developed Society (the conventionally significant paradigm) Education in the Information culture ( the promising paradigm) School out-of-the-way from society incorporated in society the majority information on the purpose of schools is not to be mentioned Information is candidly obtainable Teacher Initiates teaching Helps students find suitable pathway of teaching Teaches whole class Guides students' self-governing

Chinese Attitudes Toward Nature, Time, Good and Evil Essay Example for Free

Chinese Attitudes Toward Nature, Time, Good and Evil Essay As for the attitude of Chinese people toward nature, it is undisputed that it is marked by a strong feeling of harmony, for example, oneness of nature and man. According to Dong Zhongshu, who was the most important philosopher of the Western Han, Heaven had its will and purpose. It was Heaven that made the sun, the moon, and the stars move, the four seasons change, and all animals and plants grow and die. Heaven was kindhearted, so it made things produce one another; Heaven was also severe, so it made things overcome one another. Moreover, Heaven created a ruler to rule over the people. This meant that Heaven wanted the people to be ruled. When a ruler did something wrong, Heaven would be angry and would give the ruler warnings by causing strange natural phenomena to happen, such as eclipses, earthquakes, floods and droughts. This theory——the interaction between Heaven and man——had a clear purpose. On the one hand, it was intended to show that the ruler’s position and power were given to him by Heaven, and should not be questioned; on the other hand, the ruler should be virtuous and benevolent, and govern well, so as not to incur Heaven’s anger. Dong had a well-known saying: â€Å"The Way is great because it originates in Heaven. Heaven does not change; nor does the Way. † I would like to explain the idea clearly by an example. That is Feng Shui. Feng Shui (also known as geomancy) is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. Maybe many people think it is superstition, but I consider it can reflect the pursuit of harmonious life of Chinese people. There are four purposes in Feng Shui, seeking the harmony of human body; the harmony between people and people; the harmony between people and society; the harmony between people and nature. Let me give a small example about placing a bed. The bed shall be slightly higher than the knee and not near the door. And it shall face to the south and back to the north in order to adjust duxhlt, the aorta and large veins direction of the blood circulatory system, so that people can fall a sleep easily, and have a high quality sleep. The bed can’t facet the west, because the rotation of the earth is from east to west, making the blood rush toward the head, and people can’t sleep soundly. Beam presses which mean air conditioners hang above the pillow, or the lights suspend above the bed, bring about oppression, and cause adverse effect of body and mind. Mirrors can’t face the bed, if not people may be startled easily in midnight, and can’t be peace. It really can express the attitude toward nature, uniting of heaven and humanity. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward time, three features will be mentioned about. The first is round- type time outlook. In the oriental world, farming is the major way of carrying out material and exchanging goods dominates all the economic life of the whole society. This pastoral civilization treats human and the nature as interrelated and interacted,the world as an integer organically linked. So in oriental society the round-type time outlook is that nature and human is integrate. This kind of time outlook holds the view that time is like a circle and all the things in the world return to its origina1 state after a cycle of time, for example, the alternation of day and night, the come and go of the four seasons,the turning of the twelve months, the increase of the age and the growing of plants. This kind of time view makes the Orientals handle the time at their disposal and do things at ease. For instance, when a teacher has not finished an important point in his class,he can prolong his class. At the Chinese wedding feast, few people will come at the time which is written on the invitation card. Moreover, Chinese use time very casually and intangibly. Chinese prefer to say some uncertain words 1ike â€Å"at once†, â€Å"sometimes†, â€Å"a short while†, which a1ways confuse the westerners. Chinese students who are studying English tend to misuse the tense when communicate with foreigners. In a word, Chinese don’t have clear differentiation concept of time. The second is polychromic time system. Polychromic time system means people are very casual in using time. In other words, being punctual is important, but not strict. Polychromic time system is the heritage of traditional agricultural society. People are used to do severa1 different things at the same time and do things emphasizing prime time. Chinese think that everything in the world develops with the cycling of time, so people catch the time that is ripe for acting, which means each step of our action is determined temporarily by our surroundings. So action is poorly planned by Chinese. In some occasions, people can do many things in the same time. A Chinese salesman can check out with the first customer on the one hand,and show the goods to a second one on the other hand, even greet a third One at the same time. However, westerners can hardly accomplish them and also can not accept them. The third is past time orientation. Time orientation is a relatively stable factor in cultural difference. It is connected to the historical background of the. Generally speaking, people who have too heavy tradition, look up to history and past, so their time orientation is past-oriented. Chinese belong to past-oriented. People show great respect to the past. The past experience and 1esson are important reference for today’s success and failure. Chinese show respect to ancestors and teachers. They like to say things by referencing to the old books and stories. That is why Chinese call teachers â€Å"lao shi†. â€Å"lao† means old. People attach importance to age and experience, because they are symbols of power and wisdom, so words like â€Å"lao† and â€Å"da† always mean respect in Chinese. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward good and evil, perhaps the most extreme view of goodness is found in the Buddhist tradition. Buddhism maintains that we are born pure and are closest to what is called â€Å"loving kindness† when we enter this world. Hence, people are good, and our culture is what makes us evil. The view of goodness is also found in Confucianism. Meng Zi made the original goodness of human nature the keynote to his system. To him, the virtue of humanity together with the accompanying virtues of righteousness, rites and wisdom arises from the inner springs of the human heart. These four cardinal virtues come in their seed form—the â€Å"four beginnings†, as the feeling of compassion, shame, modesty, and of the distinction between right and wrong. Such feelings are universal among mankind and they come as naturally ad taste for food, and sight for beauty. This, Meng Zi argued, can be seen in the fact that a child naturally loves his parents and that a man will instinctively experience a feeling into a well. Therefore, human nature is originally good, and will be good if it is guided by its innate feelings, just as water is inclined to flow downward. In contrast to the concept of the goodness of human nature advocated by Meng Zi, Xun Zi declared that human nature is originally evil because human desires inevitably lead to greed and strife if left untrained. Believing that goodness can only be acquired, Xun Zi stressed the value of education and environment. To him it is environment and authority that make the man, and it is obedience of the precepts of the sage-kings that produces the goodness that is in him. In the end, however, not only is the life of virtue a possibility but even sage-hood is within reach. Therefore, Xun Zi said, â€Å"Every man on the street can become like the sage-king Yu†, a perfect orthodox Confucian note. What mentioned about are viewpoints from the ancients. Nowadays Chinese attitudes toward good and evil are very wide and vague, not like Christianity which has a ten commandments, making the general public even those without much cultural literacy has some certain standards, ruling what can do and can not do, their attitudes toward good and evil are absolutely clear. But to Chinese, nothing must been done and nothing can not be done. The boundary between good and evil is obscure, in some condition something is good but in other condition it may be bad. To Chinese the boundary is always about degree, whether it is excessive or not. For example, talking between Chinese friends sometimes contains abusive language, but it doesn’t mean they hate each other, most of time, it is just joking. That behavior is not really evil, but if it is overdone, it will be. Chinese People’s attitude toward nature, time, good and evil have been formed gradually, and they are relatively stable in a long time, but they are not without changes. The better living conditions, the development of the economy, the improvement of the society and the increase of the interaction of people from different cu1tural backgrounds will undoubtedly have subtle effects on their views, although it is also a long process. What I talking about is some basic attitude of Chinese, it will help foreigner to understand Chinese better, but not always apply to every Chinese at every time.

Essay --

RECRUITMENT PROCESS Job classification is to group job positions and then value them in a fair and transparent manner according to various functions as well as geographically. Job titling is to provide a title to each job classification in order to define and recognise the responsibility and level of the position. At ArcelorMittal, they use a customised statistical tool known as the LDA methodology which rates the function of the job, its content and the responsibility involved. Factors such as value added by a given business area, scope of function covered by the position, level of skill and professional know-how, geographical scope of the position – regional, national or global, autonomy – reporting levels and several Macro and Micro-economic environmental accountabilities and challenges are considered to obtain a numerical value termed ‘JOB POINTS’, based on which jobs are then classified. After this step an evaluation is carried out by the current incumbent and the manager in order to have a detailed understanding of the position. A report is then prepared on the...

Journalism around the world Essay

Traditionally, the term â€Å"international conflict† referred to conflicts between different nation-states and conflicts between people and organizations in different nation-states. Increasingly, however, it also applies to inter-group conflicts within one country when one group is fighting for independence or increased social, political, or economic power (e. g. , Chechnya, Kosovo). (Ref. 1) Five years into the 21st Century a dark and sinister cloud hangs over journalism around the world. More editors, reporters and media staffs are killed, targeted, kidnapped and subject to violence than ever before. Independent media are under intolerable pressure. This pressure comes directly from ruthless terrorists, with no respect for civilisation and human rights, who have targeted and murdered journalists in all continents. In Iraq alone, more than 50 media staff have been killed by political extremists and criminals, in pursuit of a grotesque agenda of hatred. (Ref. 2) New York, May 28, 2004—Two Japanese journalists and their Iraqi translator were killed on Thursday night when their car came under attack by gunmen in Mahmoudiya, 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of Baghdad, according to news reports. Bangkok-based freelancer Shinsuke Hashida and his nephew Kotaro Ogawa, also a freelancer, had been traveling to Baghdad from the southern city of Samawah, where Japan has deployed hundreds of troops, when the attack occurred. Agence France-Presse (AFP) listed the translator as Mohamed Najmedin. The Associated Press reported that both men were working for the Japanese tabloid daily Nikkan Gendai covering Japanese troops stationed in the southern city of Samawah. Japanese station NHK reported that the two journalists had also reported for several other Japanese news organizations. The Japanese foreign ministry acknowledged the incident but has not confirmed the identities of those killed. According to some press reports, the journalists’ car burst into flames after the attack. Reuters news agency reported that the car was hit by rocket propelled grenade (RPG) fire. The driver, an Iraqi, who survived the incident and spoke with Japan’s NHK News said he was able to exit the car before it exploded after the assault. Thursday’s attack occurred in the same area where two Polish journalists were killed by gunmen on May 7 and two CNN employees were gunned down in January. Hashida was an experienced journalist who had covered several conflicts as a television reporter, according to Japanese media. At least 28 journalists (not including Hashida and Ogawa) have been killed in Iraq since the US-led war in Iraq began in March 2003. At least seven other media workers have (â€Å"International Journalism†) also been killed. In other developments, U. S. television broadcaster NBC announced Friday that insurgents in Fallujah released three staffers and an Iraqi freelancer–correspondent Ned Colt, cameraman Maurice Roper, soundman Robert Colville, and journalist Ashraf al-Taie who had been kidnapped by armed insurgents on Tuesday. All four were released unharmed, and NBC said in a statement that local Iraqi leaders had mediated the releases when it was clear that the men were working as journalists. (Ref. 3) NBC said it did not previously report the abduction for security reasons. New York, December 11, 2003—Two journalists working with the U. S. newsmagazine Time were wounded today in a grenade attack in Baghdad while accompanying U. S. troops. Senior correspondent Michael Weisskopf and photographer James Nachtwey suffered undisclosed injuries when unidentified assailants threw a grenade into a Humvee the men were traveling in, Time managing editor Jim Kelly said in a written statement. Two soldiers in the Humvee were also injured in the attack, which occurred at about 9:30 p. m. The statement described both journalists as being in â€Å"stable condition† and said they were awaiting transfer to a U. S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. CPJ is seeking more details at this time. (Ref. 4) It is not unusual in conflicts to find mass media recruited to support political objectives often at the expense of professional credibility. Indeed, this holds true for almost all wars. But as peoples of one country turn against each other in ethnic conflict, journalists find themselves facing the grotesque choice of respecting their professional commitment to truth-seeking or risk being branded a traitor. In conflict situations there is always the danger that the media are conscripted by undemocratic politicians to inspire, provoke and underwrite national fears and hatreds. Journalists who lend themselves to this process abandon their professional status and become propagandists. Ethnic conflict and strife are not a new phenomenon but in recent years we have seen an ever increasing fragmentation of human society. As Harold Isaacs put it in his book ‘Idols of the Tribe’: ‘We are experiencing (†¦ ) an ingathering of people in numberless grouping of kinds – tribal, racial, linguistic, religious, national. It is a great clustering into separateness that will, it is thought, improve, assure, or extend each group’s power or place, or keep it safe or safer from the power, threat, or hostility of others’. (Ref. 5) (â€Å"International Journalism†) Towards an accurate portrayal of all groups in society One of the most important challenges faced by the journalists during international conflicts is to portray groups on both sides of the conflict accurately. It is important for the journalists to be impartial while reporting aggression and human rights violations in the conflict affected areas. The journalists should become the voice of the suppressed and worst affected group during the conflict. The main objective should be to bring out the truth through reliable sources and create an atmosphere for compromise. Threat to life from various groups and anti-social elements In covering and reporting international conflicts and warfare, journalists face threat to life from various anti-social elements and extremist groups. In their process to expose the culprit, journalists receive threats on a daily basis. The assignments are sometimes very dangerous which may involve covering the warfare and battlefield where bullets are being sprayed everywhere and shells are raining. With the international news agenda controlled by the world’s major media giants, it has become crucial to develop and strengthen media at the local level to maintain diversity of opinion. As media in many developing nations, such as Indonesia, move away from state control towards private enterprise, it is essential for local media to find their own voice and professional codes. A well developed media system with professionally trained journalists usually benefits both global and local audiences and provides a vital link to the outside world during conflict situations.