Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Bielski Brothers in Belarus A Story of Survival,...

â€Å"The Bielski Brothers† is a story of three amazing brothers, their journey of survival and experience they faced in World War II. Peter Duffy places this extraordinary story of survival in context by describing the Bielskis lives and experiences , quoting from Tuvia Bielskis previously unknown journal, and revealing the sociopolitical history, including the anti-Semitism of Belarus, a region the Bielski Brother’s had grown up in. WWII was one of the most unforgettable events in history, an event that has changed the world drastically, and an event that inspired the Bielski Brothers to act upon and try to make a difference in their Jewish community, a change that could have cost their lives. It’s the true story of three men who defied†¦show more content†¦(Bielski Brothers)The book states and lets us know that a strict quota system limited the entry of most Jews into Polish universities, craftsmen were forced to pass a discriminatory Polish  œlanguage test. Just as in Botwinick she mentions â€Å"that the advocates claimed that Jews are forever aliens who cannot share the national ethos; differences prevented Jews from assimilating with the superior cultures of the host countries (Bowinick).Anti-Semitism in Germany was introduced by Wilhelm Marr, the hatred of Jews was at the core of Hitler’s obsession, the claim that Jews were the bearers of a genetic flaw enabled the Nazis to rationalize their nearly successful genocide. Duff also brings up the subject of Zionism in his book; a movement that increasingly influenced the Jewish advocates â€Å"the new government’s tolerance of Jewish expression was a boon to Zionism, the increasingly influential movement that advocated Jewish return to the Land of Israel† (Bielski Brothers). Zionism was very important in the Jewish culture it was a struggle to create a national homeland for the Jews. Political Zionism, which is the organized effort to bring about national Jewish state, evolved from the confluence of several historic streams. It was always important for the Jewish community to be recognized and that recognition dates all the ways back to the 1920’s. Jewish people have struggled enormously to receive their own piece of land, which in the end

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Socio-Cultural Dimension at Workplace

Question: Discuss about theSocio-Cultural Dimension at Workplace. Answer: Introduction With increasing population and modern outlook of people, the society is facing numerous dilemma and issues related to several social and political aspects. As commented by Bowler et al. (2012), these issues are handled ethically through autonomy, distributive justice and responsibility. It is the responsibility of society to conserve the environment properly after its massive usage due to industrialization and modernization. As the organizations are utilizing the maximum benefit of the renewable and non-renewable sources of energy, it is their responsibility to make the best use of it and conserve it for future use. According to Chapin et al. (2013), conservation of environment refers to protection of land, water, soil and forests in an integrated and planned way. A framework is needed to be developed for addressing landscape, global dimensions as well as eco-system for the present and future benefit of the environment. There are several aspects of socio-political issues such as cons ervation of the environment, reformation of guns and same-sex marriage. In this context, ethical approach and discussions will be done on basis of organizations approach and advancement towards environmental conservation across the globe. In this contemporary society, one of the major socio-political issues that have recently arisen is the extent of environmental conservation approaches taken by several organizations operating across the world. As opined by Finger Princen (2013), protection of environment is a practice of safeguarding and protecting natural environment, its wildlife and humans along with maintaining an ecological balance in this bio-diverse environment. With the rising population, the level of food consumption and usage of non-renewable and renewable resources are increasing. Moreover, technological advancement and industrializing are also increasing rapidly to cater the rising demand for food and basic necessities of people. Hence, industrial countries are engaging in several environmental agreements for keeping balance between ecology and their usage. Chasek, Downie Brown (2013) had an opinion that several practices are involved that ensure development of policies for sustainable usage and conserv ation of land. It also ensures strengthening of several institutions as well as coordinating mechanisms to encourage environmental conservation to the maximum extent. Strong environmental conservation laws need to be set up and make all the international, national and state organizations to strictly adhere to its policies, rules and regulations. These laws also extend their regulations against soil, water or air pollution and even to global warming and depletion of non-renewable resources (Conca Dabelko, 2014). Ghai Vivian, (2014) suggested that it is our Earth and hence we should ensure its protection and safety. Since, we are utilizing the maximum resources of the Earth for meeting our own demands, respect should be given to nature along with conservation of the same. As per environmental laws, several methods are to be adopted that helps in strong conservation of environment. One of the methods of conservation of environment is adoption of green practices to reduce carbon footprint. In this method, organizations adopt environmental conscious operations and practices in the workflow that reduces global warming and take a strong step towards sustainability. It can be done through less printing that leads to less paper usage. O'riordan (2014) had a proposal that organizations need to go digital to prevent paper wastage in the workplace. Moreover, when the electrical equipment are not in usage, it is the responsibility of all the human beings irrespective of workplace or home, should unplug the appliances to conserve energy. Along with this, organizations should emphasize on recycling process where waste materials are recycled and given a new shape and form for future usage. It, therefore, makes the maximum utilization of waste materials and hence reduces the wastage of it. Even more, the organizations can also build green offices from recycled and renewable materials and use certain sustainable fabrics like bamboo or hemp for its window making and floor-up (Mannion, 2014). These ethical approaches embraced by the organizations will definitely help in conservation of environment. As mentioned by Sullivan (2013), another method of conservation of environment is tough embracing as well as promoting alternative and renewable sources of energy. It will definitely help in sustainable living as well as conservation of non-renewable resources. Solar, wind and tidal energies are the renewable sources that can be used to the maximum extent in generating electricity for all purpose activities at home or in industries. It is subsequently better than utilization of fossil fuels, which is a non-renewable energy and once depleted cannot be replenished. This ethical and moralistic behavior of the organizations towards conservation of resources is another justified way of social changes. Susskind Ali (2014) commented that it is the responsibility of all the industries across the world to protect every single element of the environment. The organizations should involve in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities to ensure more plantation of trees, conservation of soi l erosion and low level of wastage disposal to water bodies. It, therefore, helps in protecting the human and other organizations from excess heating up and ill-effects of global warming. The conservation of soil helps in retaining the nutrients beneath it that leads to production of good quality crops and supply of oxygen to environment (Pearce, 2014). Sutherland et al. (2015) stated that all the organizations should conduct training sessions at workplace for educating the employees in pursuing several practice habits for environmental conservation. With the increase in purchase of vehicles, the fuels like petrol, gasoline and diesel are mostly used. Their combustion produces the emission of harmful gasses like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gasses that pollute air. So, employees are taught that while they go out for any purpose, they should either walk down to the place or take any public transport. It will definitely help them in saving their money and will also add less pollution to environment. According to Tscharntke et al. (2012), people are also taught about less usage of chemicals and artificial pesticides for growing plants. Nowadays, organic growing of plants is more emphasized by the global environmental conservation bureaucratic bodies. It will help in conservation and preservation of soil nutrient s and will make our food products less toxic in nature. In addition to this, there are several other ethical ways of conservation of energy and less input of pollutants into the environment. Van Vliet et al. (2012) also commented if people quit smoking, then it will definitely help in improving their lungs health as well as add low level of air pollution. Moreover, people can adopt a habit of washing clothes after the laundry bag is entirely full. It will reduce less usage of water and will also lead to less utilization of synthetic shops for washing. Plastic bottles and plastic bags should be entirely banned across the world. It is due to the fact that it causes clogging of water as well as prevents oxygen to reach the surface of water bodies leading to death of several equal specifies. It, therefore, misbalances the ecological balance of the world that may lead to serious problems in the Earth. So, Tyberghein et al. (2012) mentioned that ethical steps need to be adopted for conservation of energy. Strict rules and regulations are to be established in several organizations across the world to prevent plastic manufacturing and usage of the same for any purpose. Organizations should be bound to sign up such petitions of environmental conservation as well as promotion of the same. Even more, the organizations should adhere to international rules, standards and regulates pertaining to environmental conservations (Whalley, 2016). Chasek, Downie Brown (2013) stated that the different Environmental Laws and Rules are constituted by the several global environment conservation organizations to make the other industries to adhere to its rules and regulations. The Environmental Protection Act and Rules are laid down to control and treatment of hazardous elements into the environment. These laws also have set standards that to permit emission and discharge of several poisonous environmental pollutants. Moreover, about these laws and ethical standards, organizations are also not liable to throw out any solid wastes into the environment without treating it (Finger Princen, 2013). In this entire essay, one of the socio-political issues like environmental conservation is thoroughly discussed. It explains several harmful impacts of non-conservation of the environment. It is seen that depletion of renewable energy may adversely affect the industrialization and modernization of the societies. Moreover, it is clearly depicted that environmental conservation leads to conservation of soil, water, forests and land. As we are benefited from Mother Earth through these natural resources, it is our duty and responsibility to preserve and conserve it rather than misusing it. Moreover, in this context, several ethical methods of conservation of environment are also discussed. Misuse of electricity, non-usage of plastic materials, encouraging organic growth, embracing alternative methods of energy sources, quitting smoking and making the organization digital are some steps towards preserving environmental resources. Along with this, the CSR activities adopted by the organiza tions also helps in conducting certain campaigns to encourage and people in adopting several ethical and moralistic ways of conversation of the environment. The context also discusses several laws adopted by global environment conserving organizations to make industries and organizations adhere to its rules and principles. References Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Healey, J. R., Jones, J. P., Knight, T. M., Pullin, A. S. (2012). Does community forest management provide global environmental benefits and improve local welfare?.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment,10(1), 29-36. Chapin, F. S., Sala, O. E., Huber-Sannwald, E. (Eds.). (2013).Global biodiversity in a changing environment: scenarios for the 21st century(Vol. 152). Springer Science Business Media. Chasek, P. S., Downie, D. L., Brown, J. (2013).Global environmental politics. Westview Press. Conca, K., Dabelko, G. (Eds.). (2014).Green planet blues: Critical perspectives on global environmental politics. Westview Press. Finger, M., Princen, T. (2013).Environmental NGOs in world politics: Linking the local and the global. Routledge. Ghai, D., Vivian, J. M. (2014).Grassroots environmental action: people's participation in sustainable development. Routledge. Mannion, D. A. (2014).Global environmental change: a natural and cultural environmental history. Routledge. O'riordan, T. (2014).Environmental science for environmental management. Routledge. Pearce, D. W. (2014).Blueprint 4: capturing global environmental value. Routledge. Sullivan, S. (2013). Banking nature? The spectacular financialisation of environmental conservation.Antipode,45(1), 198-217. Susskind, L. E., Ali, S. H. (2014).Environmental diplomacy: negotiating more effective global agreements. Oxford University Press. Sutherland, W. J., Clout, M., Depledge, M., Dicks, L. V., Dinsdale, J., Entwistle, A. C., ... Monk, K. A. (2015). A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2015.Trends in ecology evolution,30(1), 17-24. Tscharntke, T., Clough, Y., Wanger, T. C., Jackson, L., Motzke, I., Perfecto, I., ... Whitbread, A. (2012). Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification.Biological conservation,151(1), 53-59. Tyberghein, L., Verbruggen, H., Pauly, K., Troupin, C., Mineur, F., De Clerck, O. (2012). Bioà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modelling.Global Ecology and Biogeography,21(2), 272-281. Van Vliet, N., Mertz, O., Heinimann, A., Langanke, T., Pascual, U., Schmook, B., ... Castella, J. C. (2012). Trends, drivers and impacts of changes in swidden cultivation in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers: a global assessment.Global Environmental Change,22(2), 418-429. Whalley, J. W. (2016). Compensation or retaliation: Developed and developing countries and the growing conflict over global environmental conservation.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The Lottery Essays - Dystopian Literature, Films, Human Sacrifice

The Lottery The Lottery: Symbolism Essay submitted by In The Lottery, Shirley Jackson uses symbolism to make us aware of the pointless nature of humanity regarding tradition and violence. The story starts off on a beautiful summer day in a small town. The author describes the day as very euphoric but strikes a contrast between the atmosphere of the town and the atmosphere of the people gathered in the square. The atmosphere is subdued, where the children are gathered around quietly. The black box is the central theme or idea in the story. It symbolizes at first some type of mystery, but as we read the ending we realize that it is synonymous with doom. Someone's fate lies in an inanimate object, the black box. We do not always enjoy change, even if it might prove beneficial to us. The box is symbolic of our loathing of change; it is old and splintered showing that we cling to what is familiar rather than change and it also symbolizes the traditions of the community. No one in the little town questions the origin of the black box, but accept it as an intrical part of their lives. The lottery itself is symbolic of the paradox of the human psyche between compassion on one hand and the thirst for violence and cruelty on the other. An example of this is when the children are enjoying a break from school, playing and being children, and suddenly they are being joined by rational adults in stoning a mother to death. It appears that tradition has blinded these people in an irrational way, making them unable to think of a reason why this possibly should not be happening. When forced with the possibility of death, human nature in all its complexity, comes down to one instinctive urge, that of survival. When Tessie was in no danger she was gossiping with the other ladies and even encouraged her husband to go and pick a piece of paper. When Tessie wins the lottery; she pleads for another chance and screams for mercy. She demands that her daughters take their chances as well, which is indicative of regression toward our basic instinct of survival. The pieces of paper that are lifted away by the breeze is not only symbolic of the ease with which life can be taken but is also symbolic of vast civilizations that were doomed to eventual failure for believing in and acting on tradition and not living according to the word of God. We see that even as Tessie is being stoned to death does she not question the reasoning behind the lottery, but why it should be her that has to die.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Sentence Adverbs

Sentence Adverbs Sentence Adverbs Sentence Adverbs By Maeve Maddox Not all adverbs end in -ly, but many do. Like all adverbs, -ly adverbs are used to add meaning to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. For example: Jones deals honestly with all his customers. (adverb modifying the verb deals) The lecture on adiabatic and isochoric kinetics was mercifully brief. (adverb modifying the adjective brief) The concert is over. You have arrived unfortunately late. (adverb modifying the adverb late) Some -ly adverbs can also be used to modify an entire sentence. For example: Honestly, most television comedies are unbearably vulgar. (adverb modifying entire sentence) Mercifully, the blast was prevented by the swift arrival of the fire brigade. (adverb modifying entire sentence) Fortunately, the ship stayed afloat long enough for all the passengers to be rescued. (adverb modifying entire sentence) In each of these examples, the adverb at the beginning of the sentence is set off by a comma and conveys the attitude of the speaker toward the entire thought being expressed. Generally speaking (as opposed to more precise classifications in linguistics) adverbs used in this way are called â€Å"sentence adverbs.† Here is a list of other adverbs that may be used as sentence adverbs: actually apparently basically briefly certainly clearly conceivably confidentially curiously evidently hopefully ideally incidentally interestingly ironically naturally presumably regrettably seriously surprisingly thankfully truthfully Note: Some last-ditch language sticklers reject the right of hopefully to be included in this list. According to these cranky holdouts, the only meaning for hopefully that â€Å"careful writers† should recognize is â€Å"with hope,† as in â€Å"My dog Cash stared hopefully at the treat jar.† They reject the notion that hopefully can also be used to introduce a sentence with the sense of â€Å"I hope† or â€Å"it is to be hoped,† as in this sentence: â€Å"Hopefully, the new millage will pass, and we can expand the library.† English speakers have been using hopefully as a sentence adverb for eighty years at least- possibly longer. â€Å"Careful writers† may continue to avoid its use as they wish, but ridiculing its use by others is bad form. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the Future25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)Epidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

Friday, February 21, 2020

Nitrogen Recovery in WasteWater Treatment Term Paper

Nitrogen Recovery in WasteWater Treatment - Term Paper Example Nitrogen in domestic wastewater consists of approximately 60 to 70 percent ammonia?nitrogen and 30 to 40 percent organic nitrogen (Tchobanoglous et al. 2003; Crites and Tchobanoglous 1998). Environmental Effects Health Effects from Drinking Groundwater Contaminated with Nitrates- Human health concerns from nitrates in groundwater used as a drinking water source primarily focus on methemoglobinemia, however some studies suggest that nitrates may increase the risk of birth defects and development of certain cancers in adults. Surface Water Pollution with Nitrogen- The harmful effects of eutrophication due to excessive nitrogen concentrations in the aquatic environment have been well documented. Algae and phytoplankton growth can be accelerated by higher concentrations of nutrients, leading to harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). In addition to stimulating eutrophication, nitrogen in the form of ammonia can exert a direct demand on dissolved oxy gen (DO) and can be toxic to aquatic life. Even if a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) converts ammonia to nitrate by a biological nitrification process, the resultant nitrate can stimulate algae and phytoplankton growth. Removal of nitrogen from wastewater is a complex process, even for large wastewater treatment plants. Quality control of nitrogen removal processes from individual onsite wastewater systems is even more difficult to manage. Most of the nitrogen is released as nitrate (NO3-), which is highly mobile in the soil water. Wastewater treatment has generally been defined as containing one or more of the following four processes: (1) preliminary, (2) primary, (3) secondary, and (4) advanced (or tertiary) treatment. Preliminary treatment consists of grit removal, which removes dense inert particles, and screening to remove rags and other large debris. Primary treatment involves gravity settling tanks to remove settleable solids, including settleable organic solids. The perfo rmance of primary settling tanks can be enhanced by adding chemicals to capture and flocculate smaller solid particles for the precipitation and removal of phosphorus. Secondary treatment follows primary treatment in most plants and employs biological processes to remove colloidal and soluble organic matter. EPA classifies advanced treatment as â€Å"a level of treatment that is more stringent than secondary or produces a significant reduction in conventional, non?conventional, or toxic pollutants present in the wastewater† (U.S. Public Health Service and USEPA 2008). Effluent filtration and nutrient removal are the most common advanced treatment processes. Nitrogen Removal Processes The biological removal of nitrogen is carried out through a three-step process: (1) the conversion of ammonia from organic nitrogen by hydrolysis and microbial activities, called ammonification; (2) the aerobic conversion of ammonia to nitrate by reacting the ammonia with oxygen in a process call ed nitrification; and (3) the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas by reacting the nitrate with organic carbon under anoxic conditions in a process called denitrification. The nitrification process is accompanied by the destruction of alkalinity (e.g., bicarbonate, HCO3-, is neutralized to carbonic acid, H2CO3). Alkalinity is recovered as part of the denitrification process with the generation of hydroxide. The chemical equations involved in the biological conversion of nitrogen are as follows: 1. Formation of ammonia fro

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Essay on a religious leader - Abu Hanifa Annotated Bibliography

Essay on a religious leader - Abu Hanifa - Annotated Bibliography Example When Hanifa was growing up, the people around him were being oppressed by the rule of Abdul Malik bin Marwan. At this time also, Al-Hajjaa ibn Yusuf was the governor of Iraq. Yusuf was a staunch follower of Abdul. Amazingly, these issues did not affect Hanifa in any way. He never pursued any elementary education, instead choosing to be a businessman just like his ancestors. . His earliest business was a silk waving shop. Here, his fairness and honesty were exhibited. Hajjaj and Abdul died in 95AH and AH respectively, and this marked the start of fair rule in the area (. Good administration and justice prevailed in the land unlike in previous regimes. The new ruler, Umar encouraged and promoted education all over the land. He was so passionate about education such that every homestead was a Madrassah. As a result of this, Abu Hanifa started taking an interest in education (Khan 67). His quest for education was boosted by the advice of as-Sha’bi, a respected scholar in Kufa. His keen interest in education would later have a profound effect on Islam. Madrassahs were Hanifa’s earliest source of education. Through this, Hanifa was able to learn about the Quran and Hadith. A jurist in kufa called Hammad assisted Hanifa greatly in his quest for Islamic studies (Umar-ali-qadri 42). Hanifa performed very well in his studies. Abu Hanifa declined a post in 763 by al-Mansur to be the Chief Judge. Hanifa wanted to remain independent. However, his students benefitted from his tutelage. One of them, Abu Yusuf was instead appointed the Chief Judge of the State instead of him. When declining the post, he asserted that he was not fit for the post, a fact that illustrates his humility. Mansur was incensed by his decision to refuse his appointment (Sachedina & Esposito 176). He branded him a liar, but Hanifa responded to this by asking him that if he was indeed a liar,

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay

The Inter Professional Practice In Social Work Social Work Essay This essay will outline and explain why inter professional collaborative practice in social work is important. It will also examine key factors that help or hinder effective inter professional collaborative practice. It will explain why it is important that professionals work together and effectively as a team and the consequences that can occur when professionals fail to collaborate successfully. There has been a great deal of political and professional pressures for the development of inter professional collaborative practice. From the late 1990s onwards there were vast amounts of official documents to promote the importance of collaborative working within the health and social care sector. The 1998 social services White Paper Modernising Social Services (DoH, 1998) and The NHS Plan (2000) devoted entire chapters to the subject. It has been argued that inter professional working has advanced further in relation to services for older people than it has in relation to children and families. The Green Paper Every Child Matters (DfES 2003) recognised this and one of the main elements of this paper focused that improved collaboration was required so as not to repeat the tragic events of the Victoria Climbie case (this case will be discussed in further detail later in the essay). Government recognition suggests that many social problems cannot be effectively addressed by any given organisation acting in isolation from others. That is, when professionals work together effectively they provide a better service to the complex needs of the most vulnerable people in society. Inter professional collaborative practice involves complex interactions between a range of different professionals and is when professionals work together as a team to reach mutually negotiated goals through agreed plans. It is a partnership that can be defined as a formal agreement between the different professions who agree to work together in pursuit of common goals. Collaborative is defined as putting that partnership into operation or into practice. It involves the different professions working together and using their own individual skills instead of working in opposite directions to meet the needs of particular service users. It is suggested that when social workers and other professions work collaboratively the service user gets a better deal. Willing participation (Henneman et al, 19 95, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.19) and a high level of motivation (Molyneux, 2001, cited in Barrett et al, p.19) have been stated as vital aspects of effective inter professional collaboration. Social workers have certain ethical obligations to society that they must follow and this comes in the form of The British Association of Social Work (BASW) Code of Ethics and the National Occupational Standards for social workers. The Code of Ethics follow five basic values, Human Dignity and Worth, Social Justice, Service to Humanity, Integrity and Competence whilst the National Occupational Standards outline the standards of conduct and practice to which all social workers should adhere to. Whilst working in collaboration with other professionals, social workers should follow these Codes and Standards to ensure that the best possible outcome is achieved for the service user. In the past inter professional collaborative practice has been difficult with many disadvantages and that this has caused problems between the different professions involved. This has in the past led to catastrophic tragedies as in the case of Victoria Climbie. Shared accountability is important for effective collaboration and all professionals should be accountable. Each profession should support one another, not be seen as self interested and that no one profession is higher than another. Some of the problems that can occur are when there is not a logical distribution of power. Unequal power distribution can be oppressive (Payne, 2000, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) and can limit participation for some group members. Struggles for power are rooted in professional tradition and social difference. It is believed by some critics of social work that social workers have often been located in settings where they were considered as subordinate to other more established professional g roups (Brewer and Lait, 1980, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.401). Traditionally there have been difficulties within the medical profession and Cooke et al, (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) suggests that general practitioners felt threatened by a redistribution of power and had problems letting go of their traditionally held power base. Social work in the past has been described as a semi profession and similar to nursing and teaching and not comparable to the learned profession of medicine or law as it does not have the required features of those professions (Freidson 1994). Payne (2000 cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.23) identifies this as peoples capacity to get what they want. Power in inter professional collaborative practice should be shared and distributed and no hierarchy of power should exist. If some professionals see themselves as more powerful than another they are not meeting the needs of the service user. Being territorial and not sharing information and know ledge has long been a problem in inter professional collaborative practice. Molyneux (2001, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p20) found that professionals who were confident in their own role were able to work flexibly across professional boundaries without feeling jealous or threatened. Professional adulthood was an expression used by Laidler (1991, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.20) to describe professionals who were confident in their own role to share information and communicate effectively with other professionals. These professionals do not feel territorial about relinquishing their knowledge and understanding to further enhance good inter professional collaborative practice. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.20) suggests that a combination of personal and professional confidence enables individuals to assert their own perspectives and challenge the viewpoints of others. Open and honest communication is a vital and probably one of the most important aspects of inter professional collaborative practice. It requires professionals to take into account each others views, be respectful, dignified and to listen to each other without being highly critical of one another. Constructive criticism needs to be undertaken alongside constructive suggestions and encouragement and should take place at a time when other professionals are receptive. Active listening is an important skill. To be able to recognise and respond to what is being communicated is a fundamental skill. Professionals working collaboratively should demonstrate this verbally and non-verbally to each other. This is greatly helped if all concerned put aside the typical stereotyping of each others professions in order to hear and listen to what the speaker is saying. Keeping good eye contact and having good body language is just as important. It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of communic ation is non-verbal, i.e. something is communicated through body language by a body movement, a posture, an inflection in the voice (Birdwhistell, 1970, cited in Wilson, 2008, p.297). A breakdown in communication and the lack of sharing of information between the professions in the past have been major failings in inter professional collaborative practice for example in high profile child protection inquiries and this has led to tragic consequences. Effective systems of communication and knowing what information should be shared are essential not just between the professions but also between the service users. Trust, mutual respect and support are key features to inter professional collaborative practice. Trust was highlighted by many professionals as one of the most important factors in successful collaboration. When trust is absent professionals may feel uncomfortable and insecure in their role and this in turn can lead to defensive behaviour to counteract their insecurities. Stapleton (1998, cited in Barratt et al, 2005, p.22) suggests that trust develops through repeated positive inter professional experience and develops gradually over a period of time. Trust cannot be gained overnight so it is important for professionals working collaboratively to give one another time for trust to develop. When professionals feel valued, they feel respected. This can be achieved by actively listening to each other and having an insight into one anothers professions. Conflict between the professions can have a huge impact on the different professionals and service users. Loxley (1997, cited in Barrett et al, 2005, p.24) suggests that conflict is interwoven with collaborative practice. To counteract some of the problems associated with conflict it may be beneficial to all concerned to form ground rules. These ground rules could go some way to prevent and help the management of conflict and could include; open discussion and the obligation to be able to give each other honest feedback. Most importantly these ground rules need to benefit all parties involved. A great deal of emphasis is placed on social workers to critically reflect their practice. It literally means that social workers reflect on their practice before, during and after, thinking through tasks carefully. Other professionals may not do this in line with social workers beliefs of critical reflection or in the same way or see that reflection on their own practice is an important aspect of successful inter professional collaborative practice. To illustrate the above points a practice example will now be explained. The inquiry into the death of ten year old Victoria Climbie highlights the disastrous consequences when communication in inter professional collaborative practice fails. This child death case was fraught with communication breakdowns across the range of professionals associated with the case. In Lord Lamings report (2003) he draws attention to and illustrates lack of communication as one of the key issues. Victoria Climbie was failed by a system that was put into place to protect her. Professionals failed in this protection by not communicating with each other or with Victoria herself. One of the criticisms in the Laming Report (2003) was that none of the professionals involved in the case spoke to Victoria about her life or how she was feeling and suggests that even basic service user involvement was absent. There was an opportunity which is highlighted in his report that a social worker missed an opportunity t o communicate with Victoria by deciding not to see or speak to her while she was in hospital. It could be argued that if basic levels of communication with Victoria herself had been implemented, then more could have been achieved to protect her. It was not only a lack of communication with Victoria herself but a lack of communication between the professions that were investigated in the Laming Report (2003). Communication is equally important between the service user and the different professional bodies. Professionals are less effective on their clients behalf if they cannot communicate precisely and persuasively. (Clark, 2000, cited in Trevithick, 2009, p.117). For successful inter professional collaborative practice to work a combination of personal and professional skills are required, together with competent communications skills to enable the different professions to challenge the views of others. Recommendation 37 of the Laming Report (2003) states The training of social work ers must equip them with the confidence to question the opinion of professionals in other agencies when conducting their own assessment of the needs of the child. On at least one occasion, this did not happen when a social worker did not challenge a medical statement which turned out to be professionally incorrect which in turn led to the tragic eventual death of Victoria. Had the social worker challenged the medical opinion in this instance then it could be argued that more efficient communication and less confusion in the case may have saved Victoria. Alan Milburn (Hansard 28 January 2003, column 740, cited in Wilson et al, 2008, p.474), the then Secretary of State commented when introducing the Children Bill in the Commons that Victoria needs services that worked together and that down the years inquiry after inquiry has called for better communication and better co-ordination. Communication lies at the heart of high quality and successful inter professional practice and Victoria is just one case of when there is a lack of communication between the professionals and the devastating consequences that can arise. In conclusion, successful inter professional collaborative practice has many elements and all these different elements require that the different professions adopt them. Although inter professional working practice has been around for many years and is not new, it still needs to be continued, developed and incorporated into the daily work of all professions. When health and social care professionals from different disciplines truly understand each others roles, responsibilities and challenges, the potential of inter professional collaborative practice could be fully realised and many of the barriers alleviated, giving a more successful outcome to the service user.