The Emergency Evacuation and Quarantine Program Assignment

The Emergency Evacuation and Quarantine Program - Assignment Example Additionally, the CDC with the implementation of the programs has planned to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases and challenges associated with them. In this respect, it can be comprehended based on the evaluation that the CDC with the assistance of the programs will be facilitated in providing better health security. Â  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health institute, which operates in the United States of America (US). The organization was founded in the year 1946 with the aim of developing a better healthy society. Over the last sixty years, the organization has contributed an enormous amount of effort to cure various catastrophic issues. In order to attain the objectives, the organization has performed its operations with the help of the political council, government, business enterprises and non-governmental organizations in the US. The primary goals and objectives of the CDC are to improve the health of the people of the US through preventing as well as controlling the threats of catastrophic issues. Apart from this, the secondary objective is to improve the health measures through promoting health education activities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Â  The objective of the quarantine program of the CDC has been to eliminate the ill effects disaster. Thus, the CDC has targeted to improve the impact and the effectiveness of its emergency disaster operations along with preventing the non-communicable diseases in the US and certain other nations. Additionally, the CDC’s intention is to reduce the spread of infectious diseases for better protection of public health as well as safety. At the same time, the CDC has planned to assist other nations along with international agencies with different health measures to minimize the effects of the non-communicable diseases with the assistance of disease prevention and control programs for better health security.

Changing Character of Alien Immigration in Early Modern Period Essay

Changing Character of Alien Immigration in Early Modern Period - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the most powerful of European powers ventured into the immigration spree during the Early Modern Period to show specific interests. Nearly through the entire 16th century, the most explorative and dominant figure of alien immigration into the Americas was undoubtedly Spain. Since the turn of the Century, Spanish interests in the New World were perhaps one of the most organized and resolute. As early as 1513, sections of the continent had been identified for settlement by the Spanish explorers as led by Ponce De Leon. Florida was among the settlement areas identified by De Leon, paving way for similar incursions into other American territories by the Spanish. In as much time, Cazabeza de Vaca and his crew had discovered Arizona, New Mexico and Texas in a similar adventure. Discovery and navigation of main American rivers such as Colorado and Mississippi were nigh as exploration continued into the 1500s, soon making it possible to take ove r Florida and California. In the meantime, other explorer countries in Europe were preparing to compete with Spain in the venture and English explorers sooner came on board. Despite the fact that much of the discoveries leading to the immigration of the Europeans were by chance, they took complete advantage of the discoveries and eventually occupied the New World. The English explorers, for instance, were in search of routes to the Indies, making the stumble-upon impact good to their interest in overseas territories. Virginia was taken over in 1607 by the British. The French got interested in the immigration and settlement in 1608 through the assistance of Samuel Champlain in form of identifying and taking over Quebec. By 1670s, interests of expansion of the overseas territory by the French led to exploration and takeover of Louisiana.

Analysis of a foreign film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of a foreign film - Essay Example The major characters are Li Mu Bai ( Chow Yun Fat), Yu Shu Lien ( Michelle Yeoh), Yu Jiaolong ( Zhang Zhi-Yi), Jade Fox ( Chang Chen). The movie’s plot is great due to its historical undertones and stimulating conflict which makes the story interesting for the viewers. Even from 100 critics nationwide, it was hailed as â€Å"Best Picture of the Year† according to Sony pictures. The over-all direction can be credited to Ang Lee who is also known for the masterpiece â€Å"Sense and Sensibility†. Thus, the fusion of evocative drama and balletic martial arts is enough to entertain even a jaded moviegoer. Moreover, the story’s theme does not only focus on revenge but also on a love story that is failed from the very start. The rating given to the movie is PG-13 due to martial arts violence and sexuality. Nevertheless, the movie is appealing to moviegoers of all ages. From the characters alone, one would observe that this movie is very Asian as ethnic Chinese actors were used in this movie. The first theme that one would see in the movie is â€Å"hidden love† that eventually became a failed love affair. Yu Shu Lien and Li-Mu Bai have feelings for one another but they have so much respect for the one person they both loved. This makes them live their whole life with so much longing for each other. Although both of them are considered might warriors, they are both cowards when it comes to expressing their love for one another. This a characteristic of Asian cultures where one would place self-sacrifice over personal gains. Here, love is forbidden because they chose to do so. It was excruciating to see them subtly expressing their affection for one another through looks or subtle verbal messages. Unfortunately, they both lose the chance to express that love since Li Mu Bai died from poison darts. Love is such a terrible thing to waste and Yu Shu Lien felt the pangs of regret. Aside from these two characters, another parallel love

The 'What' and 'Why' of Employee Engagement Research Paper

The 'What' and 'Why' of Employee Engagement - Research Paper Example An engaged employee is aware of the business and works closely with the peers to improve the organizational performance (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010). Scope of the study The present study has been confined in order to analyze the key issues related to the topic of employee engagement as well as to explore the importance of the employee engagement. The study also looks to identify the key factors influencing the level of employee engagement (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009). Over the course, the research study conducted by Dale Carnegie and MSW research has been referred in order to find out the importance of the employee engagement in the context of the organizational performance as well as to find out the key factors influencing the employee engagement programs in an organization ((Mullins, 2010). Add to this, in order to get a more holistic view, various employee engagement programs undertaken by various major organizations round the globe has also been referred to (Buelens, Sinding, Wal dstrom, Krietner and Kinicki, 2011). Research Question What is Employee Engagement and what is the importance of employee engagement in the context of the organizational performance? Literature Review Employee engagement overview Engagement at work place has been conceptualized by Kahn as the harnessing of the organizational member or employees with respects the roles and responsibilities towards the organization (Boselie, 2010). In case of engagement, the people may actually employ and express the feelings towards the workplace cognitively, physically and also emotionally (Boxall and Purcell, 2007). Another related construct to employee engagement happens to be the notion of the flow mentioned by Csikszentmihalyi (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). According to Csikszentmihalyia flow is the state in which there are very little distinction between the individual and the overall organizational environment (Simons, 2011). In this way employee engagement can be defined as the level of involvemen t and commitment that an employee exhibits towards the organization and the values of the organization (Bowditch and Buono, 2001). An engaged employee is always aware of the business perspective of the organization and work closely with the colleagues to improve individual, team as well as organizational performance (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006). Therefore the organization must look to nurture and develop engagement which needs a two way relationship between the employee and the employers. In this way it can be said that employee engagement is actually a barometer that shows the level of association of a person with the organization (Bhattacharya, 2009). Employee engagement is quite closely related to the existing structure of the job involvement. Job involvement can be described as the degree to which the job situation is matching the individual and his or her personal identity. Some researchers actually believed that the job involvement is a cognitive state of the psychological rec ognition. Job involvement depends upon both job satisfaction and saliency (Senscombe, 1998). The HR practitioners feel that engagement has a lot do with what the employees feel about the work. The engagement is also related to the way the employees are being treated in an organization (Alderfer, 1972). There would always be the presence of people who would not give the best effort

The Drunkard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Drunkard - Essay Example As the story unfolds, each new event hits the reader with an unexpected scenario. Larry lives up to his task and gets Mick out of the pub, sober and early, though not in any way the reader can imagine. O'Connor's tenacity at weaving reality into a humorous irony leads to an unexpected ending to their adventure. One of the most remarkable aspects of O'Connor is that he uses everyday situations and language to paint his humor. When they are burying Mr. Dooley you could feel the simple self gratification of Mick's attendance when he experiences, "a pleasant awareness that however much he would miss poor Mr. Dooley in the long summer evenings, it was he and not poor Mr. Dooley who would do the missing". Mick was glad to be alive and looking forward to the pub. He whispers to his friend Crowley, "We'll be making tracks before they break up". Bolting toward the pub before the last prayer falls silent he worries "in a crowd like that a man might be kept waiting". Once safely on a barstool he orders some lager beer and turns to chat with his friend Crowley. As his back is turned, young Larry decides to taste Mick's beer. Once again, O'Connor turns the mundane into a comedy with the use of plain language and lack of props. After tasting the bitter brew Larry recalls, "I was astonished that he could even drink such stuff.

Hydraulic Fracturing Essay Example for Free

Hydraulic Fracturing Essay Thousands of feet below the Earth’s surface, flows vast reservoirs of one of our planets most sought after commodities. In ancient Babylon there are writings of a dark elixir oozing from the lands surface, even then the people understood how precious this material was. Oil, along with Natural gas, are exceptionally rich sources of energy. A gallon of oil surpasses the output of five kg of coal, ten kg of wood, and over fifty times the amount of energy that fifty humans can produce. The richest oil can actually provide one hundred more times the energy, than the resources used to extract it from the ground. Currently the US is entering one of the largest modern oil booms the world has ever seen. Unfortunately unlike in ancient Babylon, oil today does not simply ooze out of the ground and into our cars. New advances in science and visualization technology have given us a process known as hydraulic fracturing. Also known as horizontal drilling, or fracking, these new techniques have caused a great controversy and sparked a public debate over the potential risks â€Å"fracking† could ensue on our environment. Despite the negative pictures environmental lobbyists have painted, hydraulic fracturing is essential for the future of America’s economy. Its main purpose is to create jobs, a stable market, and advance the future of clean energy in the United States. Currently, there has been a focused attention on the negative environmental impacts fracking could potentially carry with it especially in the water supply. There are hundreds of on-going investigations taking place to ensure the protection of the environment as well the health of citizens who currently populate near sites that are using a horizontal drilling method. Most of the negative impacts on the environment, associated with fracking, are poorly understood by the general public. The water supply has been one of the main concerns voiced by lobbyists and various media outlets. Currently the United States government has issued extensive research on the matter through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA has focused much of its attention on the sustainability of the water supply and soil surrounding current and former drilling sites. The EPA recently released on their main website a statement  confirming the following: The EPA currently is working closely with indus try partners to identify locations and develop research activities for prospective case studies. In prospective case studies, research at the site begins before hydraulic fracturing occurs, and then continues during and after hydraulic fracturing activities. The studies to date have shown no correlation to contaminated water supplies before or after the process of hydraulic fracturing. According to the New York Times, â€Å"Shale gas is accessed at depths of thousands of feet while drinking water is extracted from depths of only hundreds of feet. Nowhere in the state have fracking compounds injected at depth been shown to contaminate drinking water.† It is important to understand the process at which the gas is extracted to understand where the areas of risk occur. â€Å"Each well contains multiple layers of steel casing and cementing to effectively protect groundwater.† (API 1) This is essential to the protection of our water supply. It is important to understand the access large oil companies have to advanced equipment and the most brilliant minds. Each year bill ions of dollars are spent on research towards the extraction and containment of natural gas as well how to dampen the carbon footprint left after drilling. Many natural gas operators have chosen to disclose the ingredients of their cocktails to the website FracFocus.org, it is operated by the Groundwater Protection Council. This website includes a public record that can be examined by drill site or well location, individuals can effortlessly view the components used to fracture detailed wells. â€Å"As of early 2012, nearly one hundred companies have already provided information about approximately ten thousand wells and that number increases every day.† (API) Companies in our modern society understand the importance of transparency. Access to websites and detailed logs have given the public the ability to make their own judgments on the safety of individual operators. This makes large and independent companies held to higher standards than ever before. While there are greenhouse gases released during the extraction process they are significantly less than our current coal-fired plants. â€Å"Shale gas emits half the carbon diox ide per unit of energy as does coal, and coal burning also emits metals such as mercury into the atmosphere that eventually settle back into our soils and waters.† (New York Times) This is of great importance to understand especially as one of the oldest and largest coal-fired plant operates in  west Texas. Advocacy groups such as the Sierra Club are fighting to shut down these highly destructive plants. â€Å"Coal and gas-fired power plants emit more than 2.3 billion metric tons per year of carbon pollution, approximately 40% of total U.S. energy-related carbon pollution.†(SierraClub.Org) Because of intense restrictions any emissions from oil and gas wells must stay within agreed state and federal restrictions to guarantee the health and well-being of residents. â€Å"Natural gas is considered a clean burning fuel because of its comparatively low emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.†(API 1) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, natural gas-fired electricity generates half the carbon dioxide of coal-fired production. As a country we have gained a dependency on energy and as we grow new techniques will have to be discovered to maintain our consumption rate. Hydraulic Fracturing brings us closer to clean energy while having an instanta neous benefit to our atmosphere and environment by making dangerous coal-fired plants obsolete. The oil and natural gas industry resources are considerably valuable to the United States ‘economy as one of the country’s major employers and buyers of imports. Maintaining its growth through a struggling economy, Americas oil and natural gas operators carry on to deliver well-paying employment, returns to administrations and share growth for millions of Americans. â€Å"With increased access to U.S. oil and gas resources we can create 1 million new jobs in the next ten years alone.†(Green 1) That means if the nation could regulate the practice of fracking, while protecting the environment, it in return would create one million American jobs. That would not only raise our unemployment rate exponentially, but would insert millions of tax dollars back into the economy for improved infrastructure or education. â€Å"Expansion of oil and natural gas shale assets sustained more than 2.1 million jobs in 2012.†(API 1) Affordable, native natural gas is vital to refreshing the chemical, manufacturing, and steel industries. These great industries have supported our nation in the past and will continue into the future. The American Chemis try Council determined: A 25 percent increase in the supply of ethane (the liquid derived from shale gas) could add over 400,000 jobs across the economy, provide over $4.4 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue, and spur $16.2 billion in capital investment by the chemical industry That added boost to  the job market is a gift long overdue to our struggling economy. Similarly, the National Association of Manufacturers estimated that high recovery of shale gas and lower natural gas prices will help U.S. manufacturers employ 1,000,000 workers by 2025. This will directly stimulate small town communities by offering technical job positions with life-long benefits. As well the added income will help to slowly relieve the burden of debt many families are suffering from. An IHS report, America’s New Energy Future: The Unconventional Oil and Gas Revolution and the US Economy, estimates that: â€Å"Mainly due to lower energy prices, average disposable income per household increased by more than $1,200 in 2012.†(IHS 4) This has continuously been omitted from the main stream media. Numerous industry sponsored reports are connecting gushing oil and natural gas production brought on by fracking is lifting the United States economy by dropping energy costs for clients and producers. It has a direct correlation as we produce more on shore energy our costs and high import taxes decrease. This in affect has a trickle-down policy when oil costs less to extract, ship, and use then household energy bills go down. President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address the President claimed recognition for governing the leading decline in oil imports in current times and for accomplishing the lowest use of need on oil imports in sixteen years. He accredited that notable outcome somewhat to improved oil production in North and South Dakota but mainly to the substantial surge in gas production that has directly stemmed from hydraulic fracturing. There is a clear indication that the risks of fracking are reducing day by day as the benefits continue to increase. The crash of 2008 brought our economy to a grinding halt. There is currently no other market that could stimulate the economy as much as the energy sector. The United States Economy will progress substantially over the next ten years due to the shale boom. Hydraulic fracturing will reduce the cost of energy while raising manufacturing. Most importantly it will reassure chemical and technology companies will receive higher endowments givin g us an edge over our competitors. Fracking will also reduce the cost of transportation by fueling our vehicles with clean natural gas. By performing quality due diligence we can omit the fears associated with hydraulic fracturing once and for all. Joint cooperation from the US Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency will contribute access to up to date reports on the environment and public safety. Hydraulic fracturing offers us hundreds of years producing clean, dependable, sustainable energy. It will directly affect the following generations while having a positive effect on our current economy. â€Å"Hydraulic fracturing is the future without it, we would lose 45 percent of domestic natural gas production and 17 percent of our oil production within 5 years.†(API 1) Some view hydraulic fracturing in an undesirable context. I am confident in hydraulic fracturing and see it as a window of opportunity for America that will help boost the economy while giving an immediate reduction in greenhouse gases. The benefits and rewards of hydraulic fracturing simply outweighs the risks. Works Cited Brantley, Susan L., and Anna Meyendorff. The Facts on Fracking. Nytimes.com. New York Times, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. Efstathiou, Jim, Jr. Bloomberg. Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. . Green, Mark. Energy Tomorrow Home. Energy Tomorrow Home. API.ORG, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. Hassett, Kevin A., and Aparna Mathur. American Enterprise Institute. AEI. Aei.org, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. Larson, John W., and Richard Fullenbaum. Americas New Energy Future. Rep. no. Vol. 3. IHS.com, Sept. 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. . Pierce, Richard J., Jr. Scholarly Commons. Site. Gwu.edu, 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. . Sierra Club Home Page: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. Sierra Club Home Page: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. Sierraclub.org, 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Department of the Enviroment. Progress Report Webinar. Epa.gov, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. . Zobak, Mark. American Petroleum Institute. American Petroleum Institute. API.ORG, Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.

Comparison of Tolerance in Various Faiths

Comparison of Tolerance in Various Faiths Tolerance as a skill and an attitude to life has become essential for the very survival of humanity. One of the fallouts of the much discussed globalization process is the demand to meet, work and live with people of totally different culture,.. ethnicity and backgrounds. How one manages this heterogeneity of cultures and lire styles is very crucial for the survival of humanity. In 1995 when UNESCO declared the year as a year of Tolerance, the purpose indeed was to bring to light the high levels of intolerance manifested all over the world. UNESCO called for education for tolerance to counter the influences that lead to fear and exclusion of others. The most significant thing about the whole exercise was the acceptance of the fact that the diversity of our worlds many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a pretext for conflict, but is a treasure that enriches us aI1.(UNESCO,1995). Just as religion and various faiths have created intolerance, they also have the resources and the fundamental insights and practices to build a tolerant world. This paper is an attempt to highlight how various faiths and religions can contribute to the building of tolerance in the world at large. It will look at the context of the discussion, various religious faiths and search for commonalities that build tolerance. Distortions also need to be identified. The argument of the paper is that the core of any religious faith promotes tolerance and hence the struggle is to keep faithful to the core of religious faiths and practices. THE CONTEXT: A MULTI-RELIGIOUS SOCIETY India is known for its multiplicity of religions. It is in fact the cradle of world religions. Being the birth place of many religious traditions and an eternal source of spiritual inspiration and guidance, Indian is looked upon as a source of spiritual succour. It is interesting that everyone in India, barring a very small minority officially profess a religion, though they may not be practicing it. Table 1. India Land of Religions Hindus 80 per cent Muslims 14 per cent Christian 2.4 per cent Sikh 2 per cent Buddhists 0.7 per cent J ains 0.5 per cent Others 0.4 per cent Religion not stated 0.07 per cent It is only a minuscule section who does not publicly affirm any religious affiliation. It is still a regular experience that people from the West flock to India looking for spiritual guidance and fulfillment. At the same time, religious fundamentalism and consequent communal disharmony have become everyday experience too. Communal riots have become a regular feature, destroying the very peace that religion tries to build and maintain. There are claims that in three to five years there were 37,000 communal riots in the country (Hussain, 2002). The fact is that there is communal disharmony created by the fundamentalist groups in various religions and abetted by political interests. Religion by its very nature works for harmony. Can these religions regain their original inspiration for harmony and peace? Understanding Religion It is important to understand religion in its original meaning. Very broadly, religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics and a philosophy of life. This definition includes all of the great monotheistic religions, Eastern religions, neopagan religions, a wide range of other faith groups, spiritual paths, and ethical systems, beliefs about the existence of Gods and goddesses.(Glock and Stark, www.hewett.norfo/k.sch.uk/curric/soc/reliqion/re/1.htm) Five core dimensions of religion Five core dimensions of religion as listed by Glock and Stark (ibid.) are the following: The belief consequence The practice consequence ritualized worship The knowledge dimension information and knowledge about the beliefs The consequence dimension affecting behaviour The expectation experience Expectations regarding and experience or through prayer. Invariably every religious system contains these components of belief, rituals, information and knowledge, behavioural consequences and the expectations that guide the whole system. At the primordial level religions come together or are able to vibe with each other in the areas of expectations and experiences. At the belief levels, particularly the dogmatic articulations, the rituals, or the behavioural traditions, there are likely to be diversities. A brief look at major religions Hinduism: Hinduism is the worlds third largest religion, after Christianity and Islam. It claims about 837 million followers, i.e. 13 per cent of the worlds population. Geographically, it is the dominant religion in India, Nepal and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka. According to the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches there are about 1.1 million Hindus in the U.S. A more accurate estimate may be 7, 66,000 Hindus in 2001 in the U.S. and in Canada 1,57,015. As the worlds oldest organized religion, Sanathana dharma, is best known for its tolerance. It is this religion which gave enough freedom for its followers to think on its basic principles. It even accepted and accepts the valuable concepts from other religions. The Rig Veda proclaims, Let the knowledge come from all the directions. It is this free thought and tolerance that allows the existence of many disciplines under this big tree each respecting one another. Hinduism is also the worlds largest pluralistic tradition. A multiplicity of spiritual paths and ways are recognized as valid in Hinduism. Hinduism is not based on the teachings of a single prophet or a single book. The teachings of many different sages and saints find home within Hinduism. God may be worshipped both in male and female forms. Hinduism has much in common with the earth based religious traditions ofthe world. Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future. It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology. It covers both the natural and spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. It teaches that all existence is suffering, that suffering is born of desire and that freedom from suffering, Nirvana, can be achieved by following the eightfold path that combines ethical behaviour, wisdom and mental discipline, including meditation. It has found followers in substantial number of people. Christianity as a religion focuses on the Fatherhood of God, and brotherhood of man. Jesus and his life form the basis for Christian faith. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the means by which God saves the world. Christianity is a way of belief, worship and life characterized by love. With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents in 2001, Christianity is the worlds largest religion. It is the predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Philippine Islands, Australia, and New Zealand and is spreading widely in Asia, China and South Korea. Though Christianitys association with the colonization of the world has given it a different face, Christianity too like other religions carries a core of tolerance and love. Islam is a monotheistic religion which originated with the teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, a7th century Arab religious and political leader. Today, Islam is the second largest religion, and has about 1.4 billion followers, spread across the world. Islam emphasizes submission to the will of God. Etymologically it means peace, acceptance submission and total surrender of ones self to God. The divine revelation was communicated to the world through Muhammad, the prophet, the final one. The Koran, the traditions, Hadith and the manner of life of Muhammad, Sunna guide the life of a Muslim. For Islam, there is no god but God, Allah and Muhammad the prophet, is the apostle. Judaism propagates monotheism. The primordial experience of this community is the covenant election of Israel to be the bearers of this belief. Divine transcendence, God as the ground of all existence, ethical conception of God, concern for individual moral culture, universalism, election for service, and the unity of history in the purpose of God are some of the basic tenets of this ancient religion of the Jewish people. The practice of Judaism has been marked by the study and observance of the laws and commandments revealed by God and as written in the Torah, as well as those found in the Talmud. Around 14 million followers make Judaism the worlds eleventh largest organized religion. Seeking for the common and the Universal Religions have contributed to the peace of the world, but they have also led to division, hatred, and war. Religious people have too often betrayed the high ideals they themselves have preached. Thus people have felt obliged to call for sincere acts of repentance and mutual forgiveness, both personally and collectively, to one another, to humanity in general, and to Earth and all living beings.(UNESCO, 1994) It is true that religions can make a substantial contribution to an emerging culture of peace and harmony. The contribution the religions can make to an emerging culture of peace and harmony is to seek out what is common, or universal in all the religions. However, discovering a universal ground upon which the various religions could relate is problematic when it is attempted at the level of belief or ideology or in the doctrinal sphere. (Teasdale, Wayne and UNESCO, 1994) Religiosity divides, Spirituality unites In discussing religion as an instrument of peace and harmony, one needs to make this distinction between religiosity, which only can divide, and spirituality which can unite all believers. Religiosity focuses on the differences, whereas spirituality emphasizes what is common. Spirituality provides meaning to life and reality. It reveals the significance of life, making sense of situations and helping one to derive a purpose in life. Spirituality focuses on values, beliefs, standards and ethics one must cherish. Transcendence is the quality of spirituality, inviting the believer to move beyond the experienced. Spirituality connects, with the self, others, God and nature. Spirituality is also an invitation to become, to unfold life, reflecting and experiencing, ultimately leading to an experience of who one is and how one knows. In this sense, spirituality is more primary, primordial, numinous and a religious experience, and the emphasis is decidedly on experience, not on doctrine or b elief. Points of Similarity found in dialogue between spiritualities A close analysis of the various spiritualities reveals the following similarities which would really become a basis for building a culture of peace, harmony and tolerance 1. Experience of an ultimate reality, known by different names e.g. Allah, God, and Brahman and so on Ultimate reality cannot be limited by any name or concept Ultimate reality is the ground of infinite potentiality and actualization 4. Faith is opening, accepting and responding to Ultimate reality. Faith in this sense precedes every belief system 5. The potential for human wholeness- Enlightenment, Salvation, Blessedness, Nirvana etc. 6. Ultimate reality may be experienced not only through religious practices but also through nature, art, human relationships and service of others 7. As long as the human condition is experienced as separate from ultimate reality, it is subject to ignorance and illusion, weakness and suffering. 8. Disciplined practice is essential to the spiritual life; yet spiritual attainment is not the result of ones own efforts, but the result of the experience of oneness with Ultimate reality. Similarly there are some common practices too in all spiritualities. Practice of Compassion Service to others Practising moral precepts and virtues Training in meditation technique and regularity of practice Attention to diet and exercise Fasting and abstinence Relationship with a qualified teacher Repetition of sacred words( Mantra, Japa etc) 9. Movement and dance Formative Community. It is an amazing unity. There is so much common in the religious striving of humanity, in the common search for peace, harmony and ultimate satisfaction. Whereas fundamentalist and disruptive forces will focus on the religiosity and the differences, spirituality will seek for the commonalities and the harmonious. Agenda for the youth and Youth Animators. The social scenario in India and the world over demands an active youth population striving for peace and tolerance. In order to build a world of peace and harmony, tolerance as a skill and an attitude must precede. Hence the youth needs to take this agenda. And in this agenda for a harmonious world, where tolerance is the hallmark of every interaction, the youth must get involved in the following agenda: 1. Facilitate a change from religiosity to spirituality. Where there is so much of exhibitionism in religiosity, spirituality is quietly practicing peace, harmony and tolerance. 2. Confront the social and religious reality with insights from social sciences. Much of fundamentalism is fed on rumors, stereotypes and prejudices. This can be challenged with data and insights gathered from Social Science research. When factual data and critical analysis are combined, insights follow which will make a difference to practice. 3. Promote a new culture of spiritual activism. The society does witness substantial religious activism, the kind that divides and disrupts. A new culture of spiritual activism can and must be promoted to build a tolerant world, a world of peace and harmony. The commonalities in the spiritualities provide the basis for action. Conclusion There is far too much of communal disharmony in India and the world over. All of this is created by human being and much of it in the name of religion. The survival of humanity depends on the levels of tolerance that men and women are willing to develop and practice in their every day living. Religiosity has helped deepen this crisis. If communal disharmony is man made, communal harmony and tolerance also can only b e made by man. The only difference being that the latter needs to be built up as the result of a planned action towards a tolerant, just and humane society. As the paper argues, this can be facilitated by a focus on the spiritualities that unite. The youth and the youth animators can contribute to the building of a tolerant society by inculcating and training youth in healthy spirituality and by downplaying the difference creating religiosity. As UNESCO declared, We are aware of the worlds cultural and religious diversity. Each culture represents a universe in itself and yet it is not closed. Cultures give religions their language, and religions offer ultimate meaning to each culture. Unless we recognize pluralism and respect diversity, no peace is possible. We strive for the harmony which is at the very core of peace. References: 1. Hussain Syed Shanawaz. 2002. Reported in rediffmail. com 26 April 2. UNESCO. 1995. Various Papers in connection with the International Year of Tolerance 3. UNESCO. 1994. Declaration on the role of religion in the promotion of a culture of peace 4. Glock and Stark. Quoted in Sociology at Hewett. 5. www.hewett.norfolk.scl1.uk/curric/soc/religion/reI1.htm