Our societies are just like human organisms: they fall ill and get cured. When handled badly, by selfish and greed officials, practicing all forms of corrupt actions, our society becomes ill, weak, and can eventually break down. Corruption is a cancer to our society. It undermines the growth and development of any society. So, you want to know about how dangerous and damaging corruption is to the society? The following are some of its damaging effects on any society:

On Economy

Corruption poses a very serious threat to the economy of a society. No matter how economically powerful the society is corruption weakens the economic growth of that society. Officials in a corrupt society mismanage the economy, loot the public treasuries, and allow embezzlement and inflation to take over. Contracts, which are meant for public services, are diverted to service the private pockets of the officials. What does this means to the masses and the nation's economic growth? It means that the poor masses have nothing to enjoy and the economy remain stagnant. In Africa; for example, economists are of the view that one of the reasons why corruption is widely practice in the region is because corruption has primarily taken the form of rent extraction. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts estimated that from 1970 to 1996, capital flight from 30 sub-Saharan countries totaled $ 187 billion, exceeding those nations' external debts. In Nigeria, for example, more than $ 400 billion was stolen from the treasury by Nigeria's leaders between 1960 and 1999. This means that, for African countries like Nigeria, the poor is in a very critical condition. This is because, aside from the rising prices of commodities in consequence of inflation created by the officials through the offering of "economic rent" – bribery and misappropriation– the poor can hardly enjoy anything from his country, and the consequences, as we have been seeing, is the continuing rage of anger and violence on the part of the marginalize poor to overcome, by any means necessary, the huge gap between them and the wealthy that has left them almost into nothingness.

On Polity

Corruption undermines democracy and good governance. In election, for example, where the electorates vote the candidate that they think will improve the quality of their lives, corruption damages this chance by sabotaging electoral processes with bribery and fraud. Wherever we look at it, whether it's in politics or in governance, corruption reduces accountability, distorts representation in policymaking, and compromises the rule of law in judiciary. In the Third World countries, where corruption is more rampant, rule of law is breached in consequence of grave abuse of power, making the checks and balances almost impossible. This is very serious in the face of the nation's public administration and citizens' survival.

On Societal Development

Corruption slows down economic growth and discourages investment. How can a society develop in a land tainted with corruption? Any society that is willing to develop itself, engage itself in prudent practices and transparent administration must avert corruption. But corrupt societies find it difficult to avert looting public treasuries and, therefore, their development is almost impossible.

Corruption is a lethal threat to any society. It kills the economic development of a nation, weakens political culture, and destabilizes the growth and the development of a society. In the Third World countries, where corruption is widely spread, the poor suffered the most. Unless accountability and punishment is ensured, the authorities will remain corrupt and the society will remain weak and ill.

Typically, alternative medicine differs from traditional medicine in that alternative medicine is older and what we might call unconventional or non-Western medicine. Alternative medicine does not follow the traditional science and research that current medicines undergo. Alternative medicine could also be termed complementary or traditional medicine or the therapies that can be integrated into current medicine. The staff of the National Library of Medicine of the United States classified alternative medicine under the category of complementary therapies in their Medical Subjects Heading Section. This was done in the year 2002. The definition provided was that alternative medicine therapeutic practices were not considered as an integral part of the traditional allopathic medicine. Therapies like acupuncture, dieting, physical therapy like exercises or yoga, etc. are termed as alternative medicine. These therapies are called complementary when they are used along with conventional treatments. If they are done in place of conventional treatments, they are known as alternative treatments.

In April 1995, the panel of National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, worked on Definition & Description, CAM Research Methodology Conference, Office of Alternative Medicine. The panel defined alternative medicine and complementary medicine as those healing resources that encompass all health systems and practices that are different from the dominant health system of a particular society or culture. Usually, therapies like ayurveda, herbal medicine, folk medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, naturopathy, diet practices, chiropractic, music therapy, massage, pranic healing, etc. are classified as alternative or complementary medicine. People who do not find a cure, remedy or success in allopathic medicine generally try alternative medicine. Such people generally suffer from cancer, arthritis, acquired immuno deficiency syndrome (AIDS), chronic back pain, etc. Therapies included under alternative medicine would cease to be included in that category once their efficacy is proven and they are considered safe and effective. They are then considered as part of traditional medicine. An example would be chiropractors. Twenty years ago insurance would not pay for them as they were considered “alternative and ineffective.” Today thousands of people have been helped by chiropractors and they are now recognized in the medical community. A similar movement is underway in the nutritional supplement and nutraceutical industry.

Over the years, more and more people have been using alternative medicine because traditional medicine is not working for them. The 2004 survey by the National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine of the United States revealed that approximately 36% of Americans used alternative medicine in 2002. If alternative medicine is used in conjunction with traditional allopathic medicine, an integrative doctor is a person’s best option. Some traditional doctors are adamantly against or simply do not believe in complementary medicine, even though research continues to show the benefits of many compounds. Your doctor should be informed about other approaches you may be using and if they are not comfortable with that then always feel free to choose another doctor. This would enable the doctor to foresee any possible complications or a better time in which to use a complementary therapy. The concern in using alternative medicine stems from the fact that some practitioners of alternative medicine do not have an accredited medical degree and therefore do not have a valid medical license. However, in recent times, many educational institutions and universities have started offering courses in homeopathy, ayurveda, siddha, unani, acupuncture, and naturopathy. The recent growth in this industry is evident by the many people demanding different, and in some cases better, care than what they are receiving in “modern medicine.” They are no longer accepting the fact that they need to suffer with pain or illness because modern pharmacy does not have a magic bullet for them.

Most folks who have never run a business think all the regulations are a good thing, to protect us all from evil entrepreneurs. Little do they know how much better their lives would be without all those onerous and ridiculous regulations from the blob of bureaucracy. Interestingly enough, when they hear of the small business person's plight, they want government to fix it, which to me is laughable, as they are the problem, not the solution. When discussing this I just said; Okay, but give us entrepreneurs a little credit, we kick ass, and at the end of the day, we will find a way – just get the government out of the way.

Still, the naïve citizen stated; "Entrepreneurs will always come out on top! I am a firm believer in that. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that if a government taxes a business more, they also tax the people (consumer). Let's take a look at the Health Care issue and Papa John's pizza. What's to keep a business from increasing the slice of pizza by 50 cents to offset the losses due to healthcare? Nothing really, people still love pizza, and the top dogs of Papa Johns will still make their profits. So who is the loser, the consumer right? "

Yes, and really regulations work the same way, you put incessant regulations on businesses and those businesses pass on the cost of compliance. It's like an inefficiency tax on the population. If you over regulate energy, resources, transportation, distribution, same thing; manufacturer, supplier, vendor, business consumer, worse it's often a compounding effect and most regulations these days are enforced on business models or industries they were never intended to, but the growing bureaucracy does care.

It's a status quo machine 'sorry but that's the law' no matter that the intended law was drawn up the day before the bill was to be voted on in congress in a congressional members office at midnight by lawyers of a lobbying firm from a company or industry that donated money to the politician who is drunk at a party bending over a young call-boy brought in by Barney Franks and Company LLC. who is not present at that careful crafting in their office with interns and staffers who think this is all legit, or the way of things, sure it is the way things work there sometimes, but that doesn't make it right. Worse, the company in question with the lobbyists, a competitor of yours.

Personally, I am with Trump we need to drain the swamp, and I'd like to see them go after more Congressmen stashing corruption cash in a popsicle box in their DC apartment freezer, but I digress – AGAIN.

Meditation has become extremely popular in western society in the recent years however; it has existed for thousands of years and has obviously passed the test of time in various other cultures. Meditation has in fact survived 4500 years of political upheaval and socioeconomic transition (Andreson, 2000). If meditation was not beneficial would it still be around and being practiced thousands of years later? Probably not.

The word meditation tends to cause confusion in many people due to it being unknown or regarded as somewhat metaphysical, new age, or associated with a special dogma or religion. Well as just discussed there is nothing new about meditation and I believe that the foundation for meditation in its purity is not confusing or complex. The very essence of meditation is simplicity, but as Ayaja states in his psychotherapy text, “simplicity is often the most complicated thing” (Ajaya, 1983, 126). I genuinely believe this statement to be accurate in especially western society’s way of life.

Life consists of simple principles, however human beings tend to complicate them within their minds rather than living and being from the soul. I know for my life, I choose to keep meditation and living as simple as possible. I think Stephen Levine says it best when he discussed meditation in his book, A Gradual Awakening, “meditation is for many a foreign concept, somehow distant and foreboding, seemingly impossible to participate in. But another word for meditation is simply awareness. Meditation is awareness” (Levine, 1989, 1). Now, this explanation is indeed workable and practical to an individual wanting to become involved in meditation.

Within this paper, I will offer a simple explanation of the process of meditation, its psychological, physiological, and spiritual benefits as well as a brief description of my personal experience.

There are several types of meditation, however Levine states that “differences in these techniques are basically due to the primary object which is concentrated on through the process” (Levine, 1989, 8). Thus, I will base this paper on mindfulness meditation (Vipassanna) which involves directly participating in each moment as it occurs with as much awareness and understanding as possible. In my opinion this is the simplest and most effective form of meditation and actually a very enlightened way to live your daily life. We live “now” right in this moment and that is what this type of meditation proposes. After all, as Goleman (1972a) states, “the goal of all meditation systems, whatever the ideological orientation or source…is to transform the waking state through the fruits of practice – to die to the life of the ego and be reborn to a new level of experience” (155).

As previously discussed, the focus of this paper will be mindfulness meditation rather than concentration meditation which is what usually comes to mind when the word meditation is mentioned. While concentration meditation focuses on the attention of a single object, mantra, or deity, mindfulness meditation includes a more dynamic inclusive field of observation. It is inclusive of the depth that surrounds us rather than shutting the world out, which is more practical for the average participant in western society (Tacon, 2003 ). It was also suggested by Kabat-Zinn (1994) that mindfulness may be beneficial to many people in western society who might be unwilling to adopt Buddhist traditions or vocabulary. Thus, mindfulness meditation is considerably more appropriate for our society than discussing the full range of meditation techniques from eastern traditions, due to its simplicity, practicality and perceived detachment from eastern philosophies and religions.

Rather than try to choose one definition to describe what mindfulness meditation is, I will present a variety of views from those familiar with this specific practice in order to get the point across more succinctly. First of all, mindfulness meditation is more specifically called “insight meditation” in Buddhist traditions, or vipassanna which is sanskrit and means “to see clearly.” Mindfulness meditation is a large part of Buddhism as well as Zen practice; however it can be successfully practiced detached from these traditions. As previously mentioned it is not necessary to be a practicing Buddhist to enjoy the fruits of mindfulness meditation (Levey & Levey, 1999). At this time I will present varied definitions or descriptions of what mindfulness meditation actually is.

Tacon (2003) describes mindfulness meditation as a “form of meditation that involves stimuli from the field of consciousness rather than the exclusion of stimuli, as in concentration meditation” (67).

Kabat-Zinn (1994) states that mindfulness meditation is “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” (108).

Levey and Levey (1999) describe mindfulness meditation in the following way: “mindfulness liberates us from memories of past and fantasies of future by bringing reality of the present moment clearly into focus” (89). They also state that “mindfulness makes us more aware of life’s everyday miracles” (89).

Dunn, Hartigan, and Mikulas (1999) state that “mindfulness practice involves open receptivity and awareness to all stimuli, while evaluation, analysis or classification of those stimuli is suppressed” (p.148).

Ruth Baer states “mindfulness is the nonjudgmental observation of the ongoing streams of internal and external stimuli as they arise” (2003, p. 125).

Although each of these passages utilize different terminology to articulate what mindfulness meditation is; the overall consensus comes down to “being present in life.” In my personal opinion, this may well be the secret that all human beings have been searching for outside of themselves. Being present in the moment is very simple, yet profound. Most people will likely say, “There has got to be more to living than this.” Is there?

Mindfulness meditation focuses on all areas of our being. Levey and Levey (1999) present a variety of these areas in their book, Simple Meditation and Relaxation. These elements of the human being include being mindful or aware of your sense without judgement, being aware of your emotions with acceptance, maintaining awareness of your thinking and allowing thoughts to flow by, just noticing. Another two vital areas include being aware of your breathing as well as what is going on with your body (pp. 95-97). What it comes down to is being aware of what is going on for you in each moment. To further articulate this I will provide various excerpts from a mindfulness meditation by Stephen Levine (1989).

o “Find a comfortable place to sit, with back straight but not rigid…”

o “Keep your attention at one precise point and note the sensation that accompanies each breath…”

o “Sounds arise. Thought arise. Other sensations arise. All background, arising and passing away…”

o “Sensations arise in the body, Thoughts arise in the mind. They come and go like bubbles…”

o “Don’t get lost. If the mind pulls away, gently, with a soft non-judging, non-clinging awareness, return to the breath…”

o “Moment to moment awareness of whatever arises, whatever exists” (pp. 32-36).

My hope is that these excerpts further clarify mindfulness meditation to the reader. Levine is a master when it comes to simplicity in one’s life as well as having the capacity to make meditation practical and efficient. Next, I would like to discuss a variety of interventions using mindfulness followed by research demonstrating the psychological, physiological, and spiritual benefits. Mindfulness meditation is truly a holistic application and this will be shown through the research findings discussed in this article.

Interventions

As previously discussed meditation has been around for thousands of years, however has only recently been integrated into psychotherapy in western society. The American Psychological Association, around 1977, suggested that “meditation could facilitate the therapeutic process” (Taskforce on Meditation, 1977, p. 3). Unfortunately, about 20 years later it still hasn’t actually become mainstream. However, we must be fortunate that some progress is being made. At this time, I would like to discuss four current interventions that are using mindfulness meditation as part of the therapeutic process.

The first intervention is the integration of mindfulness meditation in the general psychotherapy process. La Torre (2001) discussed it as an effective component of psychotherapy and stated that as meditation brings awareness to feelings and discomforts in the therapeutic process, psychotherapy can provide discussion and exploration of these insights. She also expresses that the ability to practice meditation in and out of the therapeutic session fosters independence and self mastery on the client’s part. La Torre (2001) concludes by stating, “That in most cases the incorporation of meditation into the therapeutic process has enriched therapy and given clients a greater sense of control and awareness” (p. 104).

In a separate case study by Boorstein (1983), he describes his integration of mindfulness meditation and bibliotherapy and its effectiveness with a depressed, agitated, and paranoid client. Boorstein integrated various readings with a transpersonal theme as well as mindfulness meditation in and out of session. Boorstein claims that the outcome was significant and included increased self-esteem, psychological and spiritual growth and relief of presenting symptoms. Boorstein conducted follow ups and stated that the positive outcomes were maintained and the client continued to focus on personal and spiritual growth in his life.

A second popular intervention and the most frequently cited method of mindfulness meditation intervention is the program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This program was developed specifically for chronic pain and stress related disorders. It is an 8-10 week course for groups which utilizes a unique combination of discussions related to stress, coping, as well as homework assignments and an intense instruction and practice of mindfulness meditation. The ability for clients to practice inside and outside of session in real life situations is again a benefit of this modality (Baer, 2003).

Another intervention which is strongly associated with MBSR is Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). This intervention incorporates aspects of cognitive therapy that facilitate a detached or decentered view of ones thoughts including statements such as “Thoughts are not facts” and “I am not my thoughts” (Baer, 2003, p. 127). MBCT is designed to teach skills for previously depressed individuals to observe their thoughts and feelings non-judgmentally and to see them as simply mental events that come and go rather than as reality or aspects of themselves (Baer, 2003).

The final intervention that I will discuss that incorporates mindfulness meditation is a therapy termed Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). This specific therapy was designed to treat borderline personality disorder however it is currently being applied to a variety of different populations. DBT integrates mindfulness meditation training with cognitive behavioral skills in order to facilitate acceptance and change at the same time. Specific aspects of this intervention include emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, and distress tolerance skills (Baer, 2003). In my personal career I have had direct experience with this an addiction facility and found it to be quite effective. Residential clients embraced the mindfulness components in all aspects of their lives and appeared to truly benefit from practicing acceptance and non-judgment as part of their recovery. I genuinely hope that more interventions will become available and mindfulness meditation will eventually get the respect it deserves in the field of psychotherapy and life in general.

Mindfulness meditation is a holistic tool for growth and self awareness. It benefits the mind, body, and soul as a whole, however for this papers purpose I will separate the components into the benefits related to psychological, philosophical, and spiritual elements of the human being. These will be based on the literature pertaining to mindfulness meditation specifically and what has been discussed in a variety of research studies.

Physiological Benefits

The literature discusses an immense amount of physiological benefits derived from mindfulness meditation. To list and discuss all of them is beyond the scope of this paper; however I will discuss some of the main physical benefits shown throughout the empirical literature. First, the physiological changes that have been noticed when practicing meditation such as decreased heart rate, breathing and the lowering of blood pressure has been termed the “relaxation response” by Benson (1975). These changes can of course be extremely beneficial to those individuals needing to escape the daily stress and chaos of society. However, the physiological benefits of mindfulness meditation transcend the momentary changes during the act of meditation. In Perez-De-Albeniz’s (2000) 75 study Meta analysis he discussed a vast array of benefits that were found in his perusal of the available research. These included increase cardiac output, muscle relaxation, increased serotonin and melatonin levels, and significant improvement in chronic pain. In addition mindfulness meditation was found to be beneficial for psoriases, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and hypertension. This brief summary obviously demonstrates that mindfulness meditation can be effective for the body component of a human being. Lets explore the other two elements that make up human beings.

Psychological

Numerous psychological benefits of mindfulness meditation are mentioned throughout the empirical literature. Again, this is not an exhaustive review of the literature, but a brief articulation of outcomes reported regarding the practice of mindfulness meditation. La Toree (2003) explains the benefits of mindfulness meditation in terms of its emotional benefits concerning self growth. In her article she explains that overwhelming feelings are better able to be accepted as an individual is able to own these feelings and experience them with a greater sense of safety.

In Perez de Albeniz’s Meta Analysis of the literature the following were demonstrated throughout the empirical studies that were reviewed:

o Increased happiness

o Increased joy

o Increased positive thoughts

o Increase problem solving skills

o Enhanced acceptance

o Enhanced compassion

o Enhanced tolerance

o Increased relaxation

o Increased resilience

o Better control of feelings and personal responsibility

o Improvement in psychological well being

o Decreased anxiety

o Decreased substance abuse

Perez de Albeniz also discussed mindfulness meditation’s ability to help patients understand that there are no quick solutions in life which leads to development of patience in their personal growth journey. In addition, the promotion of a non-judgmental attitude as well as the ability to come to terms with what is rather than what could have been.

Finally I think it is important to mention a study by Shapiro, Schwartz, and Bonner (1998) in which MBSR was offered to medical and pre medical students. The application involved a 7-week intervention with a wait list control. The outcome of this study included reduced self-reports of overall psychological distress, including depression, reduced self-reports of state and trait anxiety and increased scores of empathy levels. Again, in the psychological domain it is obvious that mindfulness meditation has enormous benefits.

Spiritual

Spiritual benefits are also demonstrated in the practice and application of mindfulness meditation. In the Shapiro et al study (1998) it was also found that there were increased scores on the measures of spiritual experiences, which basically meant that following the mindfulness introduction, participants had a greater conviction of the existence of a higher power as well as an increase in the internalization of a personal intimate relationship to a higher power. In Perez de Albeniz (2000) it was noted that mindfulness meditation helps a patient or person to trust their inner nature and wisdom. Finally, Walsh (1983) expresses in his article that meditation is “available as a tool for those who wish to plumb the depths of their own being and explore the nature of mind, identity, and consciousness. It’s a tool that can be used from the beginning to the end of the spiritual quest” (45). Obviously, there are many other spiritual benefits of meditation, including the obvious, Nirvana; however I merely supplied the reader with a summary. Perhaps, it may motivate some to enter this journey of awareness and explore the many additional gems along the path.

Personal Experience

Henry Miller said “the aim of life is to live, and to live means to be awake, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.” This is what mindfulness meditation has brought to my life. By all means, do not think that I sit in meditation continuously and detach from the world. Mindfulness allows me to feel every moment of life within my entire being. It allows me to live life rather than just existing and the application of this practice throughout the past five years of my life has transformed who I am. I have tapped into my genuine being and united with the energy of the universe. Simply by cultivating awareness of the moment through mindfulness I have been able to transcend my ego and travel each day on the path of self-actualization. I have experienced the pure essence of mindfulness meditation. Each moment of my life allows continuous practice and application of this essential skill that genuinely gives life. Each human being on this earth has the innate ability to tap into the perfection and precision of mindfulness meditation. Go and experience the bliss that it offers.

Finally, throughout this paper I have discussed what mindfulness meditation is, provided a variety of description by the experts in this practice, and given the reader examples of the process of mindfulness meditation based on writings by Stephen Levine. It was concluded, that simply mindfulness meditation is being aware of life, which obviously can be practiced in any setting. Mindfulness mediation is extremely practical in the west and has been utilized in a variety of therapeutic interventions with much success. Additionally, it has been shown to have physiological, psychological, and spiritual benefits by the research thus far. In short, mindfulness mediation is a great tool for the whole person to utilize toward personal and spiritual growth. Mindfulness is genuinely living life in this very moment. Go truly live in the now and experience the true essence of life without the deluded impediments caused the thinking mind.

References

Ajaya, S. (1983). Psychotherapy East and West, Honesdale, Pa:The Himalayan International Institute.

Andreson, J. (2000). Meditation meets behavioral medicine. Journal of Conciousness Studies, 7(11-12), 17-73.

Baer, R. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: a conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143.

Benson, R. (2003). The Relaxation Response, New York, NY: Morrow.

Dunn, B. R., Hartigan, J. A., & Mikulas, W. L.. (1999). Concentration and Mindfulness Meditations: Unique form of consciousness?. Applied psychophysiology and BioFeedback, 24(3), 147-165.

Goleman, D. (1972a). The Buddha on meditation and states of consciousness, Part I: A typology of meditation techniques. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 4(1), 1-44.

Kabat-Zinn, K. (1994).Wherever you go there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion

La Torre, M. A (2000). A holistic view of psychotherapy: Connecting mind, body, and spirit.. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 36(2), 67-68.

Levey, J & Levey, M. (1999). Simple meditation and Releaxation . Berkeley, CA: Conari Press.

Levine, S. (1989). A Gradual Awakening. New York, NY: Anchor Books.

Perez-De-Albeniz, A. (2000). Meditation, concepts, effects and uses in therapy. International Journal of Psychotherapy, 5(1), 49-58.

Tacon, T. M. (2003). Meditation as a complementary therapy in cancer. Family and Community Health, 26(1), 64-73.

Taskforce on Meditation. (1977). Position statement on meditation. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 720.

"Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living in nightmare in the darkness of the soul." Child abuse is one of those rare topics which are being discussed in our society. This issue has become a catastrophic dilemma at this point in time. Our kids are as insecure as those who are facing armed conflicts around the globe. All kids who get abused in their childhood become mentally destructive souls. They lose their innocence and confidence. They lose their self-esteem and stability. They lose their inner critic to make their parents proud at a very young age. They curse themselves for what has happened to them. They behave like broken souls mimicking adult's life. As a result, most of them get so frustrated and mentally retarded, that they become abusers themselves. They think that they can satisfy their inner brutal voice by taking revenge. 60% of abusers are those who have faced such situation in their childhood. They really need some psychological therapies for their wretchedness.

But anyways, it is important that we should educate our kids regarding child abuse. This is the time when this social dilemma should be openly discussed. It is a parent's sole responsibility to teach their kids about good touches and bad touches. They should pay close attention and be able to understand their kids comfort zone. They shouldn't allow their children to sit in someone's lap because this is actually happening where abusers politely touch toddler's private body parts by making them sit in their lap. Parents shouldn't leave their kids alone with uncles and especially workers like drivers and maids. Parents should make their kids believe they will always stand by their side. Educational institutions should have wellbeing centers where students would be given full leverage to discuss their problems. Teachers should be active enough to observe the behavioral changes in student's nature eg if a kid who speaks a lot in class goes silent for no noticeable reason, and then it is the teacher's responsibility to find the reason behind their silence. Most of child abuse cases take place in rural areas where people are not educated enough to educate their kids. They pay less attention towards their children wellbeing and more of their educational grades. It is a bitter truth of our society that many child abuse cases are taking place in the most sacred place called Madarras.

Finally the time has arrived that we should break our silence and be more sensible in analyzing that child abuse is a serious crime. We need to understand the intensity of the situation because these children are our future. We all should come forward and join hands in protecting these poor little souls from such horrific tragedies. Our governmental bodies should be active enough to teach these abusers terrifying lessons. They should be punished and provided with proper mental treatment. These guys are a blessing from Allah (SWT) and basic building blocks of Pakistani Nation.

Belief in witchcraft, spells and other superstitions are widespread. In some places, it is not just something used to entertain children during Halloween; it is big business and it can be life and death.

Belief in witchcraft is a common phenomenon in some developing nations, particularly, Sub-Saharan Africa. This belief has a very pronounced effect on the day to day lives of the believers. Again, it burdens the economies of the societies where the belief is endemic.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, some of the ways belief in witchcraft affects lives include:

1. How individuals treat one another for fear that evil spirits, spells or witchcraft might be invoked against the offending partner
2. How people accept or shirk responsibility for mishaps. There is always the witch to blame for any situation even when individuals have literally been irresponsible.
3. The value people put on their lives. Believers in spells and witchcraft perpetually expect the worse to happen and consider their lives of less value than non believers.

A Gallup study recently conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa shows that individuals who believe in witchcraft rate their lives worse than those who don’t. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the best possible life, those who believe in witchcraft rate their lives at a 4.3 on average, while those who do not believe or don’t have an opinion rate their lives higher on the scale, at 4.8 on average.

Generally, the lower the education level and household income, the more likely it was for a person to believe in witchcraft. Even among the most educated those who say they believe in witchcraft rate their lives worse than those who don’t. The poll also showed that on the average 55% of all residents in Sub-Saharan Africa believe in witchcraft.

It is important to remember that while the repercussions of the belief may be severe in some parts of the world, belief in witchcraft is a worldwide phenomenon. In the US, 21% believe in witchcraft, 23% believe in ghosts, 25% believe in astrology. Approximately 33% Americans believe in unidentified flying objects and ghost.

Belief in witchcraft has diverse societal implications. A couple of months ago, an elderly Ghanaian woman was burnt by some young men for suspicion she was a witch ( http://www.talkafrique.com/issues/ghana-witch-killing-points-to-a-broader-culture-of-fear-and-superstition ). Women, especially the elderly, are taunted and abused indiscriminately for any concerns they might be witches. There are several local and international non-governmental organizations fighting on this front in several African countries to defeat this social stigma. We will look at specific examples of these efforts in Part 2 of this series.

Certain professionals in the law field specialize in safeguarding the rights of the aging population. It's quite obvious that a large percentage of the senior citizens have little or no say in the society when left on their own and this highly subjects them to risks of being mishandled by the rest especially when they don't have relatives or close friends to take good care of them. In such instances, the Elder Law comes as the last option for such people. This team of professionals practicing the Elder Law protects the elderly from such victimizations.

How the Elder Law works

• The Elder Law is mandated to protect the old people from going through certain hardships that result from their old age.
• Health is one of the common factors contributing to poor life among the elderly ones and this law ensures that the necessary health care services are made available on regular basis for such people and this helps so much make their life better as compared to when left out there to take care of themselves.
• The old ones are also not energetic to work and earn their living and this being basic can be quite frustrating if not provided. The same law is entitled to make such basic facilities available for the old ones and this further helps shape their live more.

How to contract an Elder Law firm for related services

• Getting into an agreement with an Elder Law lawyer can cost you less than one can expect and the procedures involved are quite cheap to follow up. This ensures that no one is scared away while looking for such services and that everyone has equal rights to enjoy such services.
• However, the charges are fair enough to bear with for most law firms providing such services. Such old people are mandated to financial support and imposing heavy charges to them does look good although not all law firms put this factor into consideration.
• Actually such people are highly helped throughout the filling process as their age does not allow them to take such responsibilities on their own.

Other services provided by this law is ensuring that the aging ones are protected against losing their property to fraudsters and also following up certain requirements like pension on their behalf. Therefore the Elder Law should ensure that the lives of their clients are free from minor problems resulting from their old age.

Fashion is one of the most important factors in terms of social interaction and status. People would often judge other people according to their clothing. From social gatherings to status groups, fashion is often the main theme in such gatherings. In the case of social institutions, clothes also define people. For example, students would not be able to go to class if they are not sporting the right attire. Bars and social clubs also have a policy in attires. If a person is sporting a type of fashion which is not allowed in the establishment, then that person would not be able to enter. In the workplace, offices also require their employees to wear the proper attire if they are going to work or if they would have a meeting. Since sporting the right attire is important, most people do not have the choice in clothes.

There are also other institutions that prohibit the use of casual clothing, for example, in terms of the hospital setting. Nurses, health coordinators and doctors need to wear the proper attire before they can work. Hospitals are all about hygiene and cleanliness. If there would be an operation, doctors need to wear sanitized scrub suits and gloves before having a surgery. Lawyers also need to wear suits and formal attires so that they would be distinguished when they would enter court. We can define the profession and status of a person through his clothing. Psychologists would also use the attire of a person in their diagnosis. People who are wearing inappropriate or dirty clothes may be defined as a person who has a problem. Hygiene and attires would be a great defining factor in terms of assessing a person and his background.

Imagine a world without the laws on clothes. People can just enter hospitals pretending to be doctors or nurses because everyone is wearing casual outfits. We would not be able to distinguish the profession and status of a person since everybody is sporting the same outfit. Cleanliness in the hospital would be removed because doctors can just enter and do any operation without changing their clothes. That is why fashion is important in our society. Fashion sets standards in professionalism and hygiene. Because of fashion, there is a decline in sexual harassment in schools and in the workplace. Men are not tempted to harass their colleagues because their co-workers are sporting the right outfit.

Fashion has set the social boundaries in the community. People would look distinguished and clean if they are sporting the right outfit. Children would look neat and tidy if they are wearing the prescribed attire when going to school. Through fashion and the use of the right outfit, we have improved the society. That is why people should always have some formal type of clothing so that they can be accepted by the society. Having the right attire when going to work would not only increase professionalism in the office but it would also improve the aura inside the workplace.

Comic books and graphic novels have long captured the imaginations of children, teens and adults everywhere. Many people have read comics when they were kids, occasionally hiding a comic book inside of a school book in order to read it while their teacher lectured. The frequency of which we would enjoy these tales usually decreased the more we grew into adulthood however, they still have a tremendous appeal. Comic books have usually been thought of as nothing more than mere “children’s books” however, they have come a long way over the years.

Comics and graphic novels address a range of societal issues and allow us to showcase what is happening in the world today. Some comic books act only as plot devices, some as social commentary, and others try to make us think.

Their has been a rise in interest in comics in recent years primarily due to the entertainment industry and the internet. The internet has given people new options for buying, selling and trading comic books with the online marketplace and websites such as eBay and Amazon.com. Online comic book forums and message boards have also given comic book readers and collectors an instrument through which to connect and share their passion for this creative medium and have piqued interest in those new to comic culture.

Comics are now recognized as a valued medium and we can see their influence in just about every sector of our entertainment. From movies to television and from video games to amusement parks, comics have had a tremendous impact on our culture. As a result comics are no longer being censored in the sense of what should and shouldn’t be in them. This may be a bad thing for some but for others it is a basic part of free speech and the first amendment.

The world is now too much conscious about fashion. Almost every day a new trend makes headlines and people soon start following it. There is much influence of the western culture all over the world right from hairdressing to styling their feet. Another thing that has grown is the use of technology with fashion. It has a larger hand in influencing the fashion. This is because whatever one dresses up they take a picture of it and post them on their individual social media profiles. People who like them would surely emulate the style when they get ready.

Fashion has not only influenced the common people but it has inspired the office goers too. They also try to maintain a fashionable look though in their formal wears. However, there are two kinds of people in the society. One group are the followers like we have mentioned earlier and the other group are the ones who have little to do with fashion. They follow their own style and add a different variation to the ongoing fashion trends. Even that sometimes becomes a trend which others intend to follow.

What fashion really means?

Fashion has nothing to do with hair or makeup. Neither it is about the cosmetics. It is the good looks the charm that one adds to his or her personality by wearing anything they like. All that matters is that how one teams up the accessories and the footwear with their dress. It does not have to be the most expensive clothes and accessories. A casual one can also work wonders if accessorized in the right way.

What are the trends?

Fashion trends keep changing every season. It has also undergone a huge change from the earlier times. Earlier the English women used to wear long gowns and flowery dresses with a hat on. Now the trend has shifted to jeans and tops.

Fashion used to be a part of an actor’s life but that has now become a part of the daily life. Fashion has become a big source of earning money. Many of the youths are making money by becoming fashion experts and giving people advice. They are making channels in YouTube and hosting shows on the television.

If you want to be a style diva you can follow their tips and dress up accordingly. Soon people will start acknowledging your sense of style and will take advice from you for styling.