Caw Cacao

Caw Cacao

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life. What if he doesn’t have a fishing rod or even a fishing line?

What I’m really asking is: What if he does not have the fishing rod or the tools necessary to complete his job?

Chocolate—made from cacao beans, consumed by almost everyone. Some distribute chocolate during parties; some use it to get over breakups (tubs of chocolate ice cream); for many others, it’s just simply a guilty-pleasure.

Where does it come from?

Some say Swiss chocolates are the best; some say Belgium chocolates.

But, where does it really come from?

According to the Food Empowerment Project, about 70% of cacao comes from West Africa.

Majority of third world countries are suffering from poverty, and because cacao farming is very labor intensive, things like child slavery happen. In these desperate times, parents, and even kids, are exploited by capitalists who pay low wages and expect long working hours.

Here at Caw Cacao Caw, we aim to provide sustainable solutions through empowerment. By providing the underprivileged with ideas, knowledge or tools, we can multiply the great work they are capable of. We aim to provide the specific tools needed to grow cacao, and also provide part of the land for farmers to cultivate their own food crops too. We also plan to use a fixed proportion of sales to help improve these farmers’ living conditions by building things like better houses and multiple potable sources of water.

Most people are willing to work, but they do not possess the essential tools. If some businesses, namely Caw Cacao Caw, were set up to address some of these very evident social problems, they would profit from market demand and garner the support of many instead of simply profiting from the demand of consumers. Social entrepreneurship may not be a cure-all, but I know that it could be the first step in a more profound change in attitudes.

Challenge for Africa: Reading Post 3

One of my favorite phrases from the reading was about the 3 legs of stability. In the book, Wangari Maathai says that 3 important components of a stable society, or the 3 legs of stability, were a sustainable environmental management, democratic governance, and a culture of peace. I find this to be true for not just developing countries, but also developed countries.

Sustainable Environmental Management

I believe that while our generation might not get severely affected by the negative impacts we create on the environment, it is still very important to try to live as sustainably as possible. After all, we do not want our future generations to inherit an earth filled with problems. By acting today and keeping a conscious effort to remind ourselves, we create good habits that will be passed on to the future generations as well.

Democratic Governance

This is extremely important in underdeveloped nations because we want the government, who are the chosen leaders, to continually spend their time trying to improve the country instead of stifling its progress. If governments continue to accept bribes, their citizens will continue to suffer. This is also important in developed countries, and we must always be vigilant by not taking things for granted. By remaining as democratic as possible, the country will have great equality among its citizens.

Culture of Peace

I believe the culture of peace is something many of us take for granted. While there might certainly be “order” in many developed countries, it is hard to say that there is mutual peace among the citizens. By having peace with one another, we are more inclined to help one another instead of just standing by when bad things happen. Take Singapore for example. It is one of the safest countries in the world, but I don’t think the citizens are at peace with one another. Many times, I’ve seen arguments or even accidents happen while passerby’s just stand idle as the victim suffers. It is only when the authorities come by do Singaporeans try to “help”. Looking out for one another is certainly much better than looking over your shoulder. I hope that one day, Singapore would be a country where there is great culture of peace.

Social Responsibilities: Reading Post 2

In the Challenge for Africa, Wangari Maathai stresses the importance of the need for Africans to invent and implement their own solutions, rather than relying on foreign aid and Western vision for change. She calls for revolution in leadership (political and individual) for growth and development to happen in the country.  

"Africa has been on her knees for too long, whether during dehumanizing slave trade, under the colonial yoke, begging for aid from international community, paying now-illegitimate debts, or praying for miracles. At both the top and the bottom, all Africans must believe again; that they are capable of walking their own path and forging their own identity, that they can honor and practice their cultures and make them relevant to todays needs; and that they no longer need to be indebted-financially, intellectually and spiritually - to those who once governed them. They must rise up and walk." 

The book shows the immense amounts of hardships that Africans have to endure but "Africans must believe again". Their life would certainly get better as political and economic leadership will soon rise. I really hope the best for Africa. 

AMDP assignment

To:          Professor Clark Hansen, CEO, AMDP

From:     Frederick Tye

Date:       July 18^th 2015

Subject:  Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide – good investment choice

You have given me the opportunity to recommend a company that is committed to doing business in a socially responsibly, environmentally sustainable, and profitable manner. I recommend you invest in Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide because they have demonstrated great financial skills while maintaining the strict standards that are in line with our company, AMDP.

AMDP Standards

Triple Bottom Line:

The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is an accounting framework that incorporates three dimensions of performance: social, environmental and financial. This differs from traditional reporting frameworks as it includes environmental and social measures that can be difficult to assign appropriate means of measurement. The TBL dimensions are also commonly called the three Ps: people, planet and profits. (Indiana Business Review)

Corporate Social Responsibility:
Corporate initiative to assess and take responsibility for the company's effects on the environment and impact on social welfare. The term generally applies to company efforts that go beyond what may be required by regulators or environmental protection groups. (Investopedia)

Social Enterprise:

Social enterprises are businesses whose primary purpose is the common good. They use the methods and disciplines of business and the power of the marketplace to advance their social, environmental and human justice agendas. (Social Enterprise Alliance)

Carbon Footprint:

What is it?

The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (C02).

How do we measure it?

Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2, which were induced by your activities in a given time frame (usually for the time period of a year). This includes activities such as driving your car or heating your house as these activities release CO2 into the atmosphere.

Why is it important to reduce it?

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that causes global warming. Stop global warming and its negative impacts, like climate change, by reducing your carbon footprint. (Time For Change)

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide

Founded in 1969 as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), and later on in 1980 as a corporation, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies. The Company’s hotel business is focused on the global operation of hotels and resorts primarily in the luxury and upper upscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands.

It manages and operates its hotel business in three hotel segments: the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Its vacation ownership and residential business is a separate segment. As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s hotel business included 1,207 owned, managed or franchised hotels with approximately 346,600 rooms, comprising 36 hotels that it owns or leases or in which the Company has a majority equity interest, 583 hotels managed by the Company on behalf of third-party owners and 588 hotels for which it receives franchise fees. (Reuters)

Starwood’s values are:

·         Go the extra step by taking actions that build lasting connections and loyalty

·         Play as a team by working globally and across all teams in the company

·         Do the right thing by using good judgement, respecting our communities, associates, owners, partners and the environment (Starwood Hotels & Resorts)

Financial track record

Is the company earning a sustainable profit?

To get a good estimate on how the company would do in the future, I believe that the most important factors are its: financial strength, profitability and management effectiveness.

How do we measure these factors?

By using the current ratio, gross margin, and return on assets.

Financial strength: Current Ratio (Good)

The current ratio compares the next year’s liabilities to the current cash on hand. It is calculated by taking the total current assets divided by the total current liabilities.

Since 2012, Starwood’s current ratio was at an average of 0.98. This is good as it shows that Starwood has always kept its debt in check. The company has also ensured that it has enough assets to pay off its liabilities within the next year.

Profitability: Gross Margin (Very Good)

The gross margin shows the amount of revenue left after deducting direct costs of producing the goods or services. It is calculated by taking the gross profit divided by the revenue. The figure is then multiplied by 100 to get percentage terms.

Since 2012, Starwood has shown a constant increase in its gross margin percentage, with a 3-year-average of 67.59% (almost double the industry average). In terms of profitability outlook, the company is doing very well. The high gross margin indicates that Starwood is efficient in controlling cost.

Management effectiveness: Return on assets (Excellent)

The return on assets ratio measures how well a company’s management uses its assets to generate profit. It is calculated by taking the income after taxes divided by the total average assets. The figure is then multiplied by 100 to get percentage terms.

Since 2012, Starwood has shown a continuous increase in its return on assets percentage, with a 3-year-average of 6.30. In terms of management effectiveness, this is excellent as the company has increased its return on assets by an average of 20% each year. This shows that management is making very wise investment decisions to turn an even greater profit. (Reuters)

Environmental Track Record

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is committed to integrating leading environmental practices and sustainability principles aimed at:

·         Conserving natural resources

·         Protecting ecosystem biodiversity

·         Driving sustainable development

·         Minimize waste and pollution

·         Establishing and reporting on key environmental performance indicators

·         Raising environmental awareness among our associates, guests and communities (Starwood Hotels and Resorts)

What others say:

Environmental Leader:
Starwood has set out with a clear goal: reduce energy consumption by 30% and reduce water consumption by 20% by the year 2020.

With a clear goal in mind, Starwood has reduced its carbon emissions by 16%, water usage by 17% and energy use by 12% across all owned, managed and franchised properties from 2008 through 2014. While Starwood has not achieved its target, it has shown good promise. (Environmental Leader)

Green Hotelier:

Starwood has demonstrated clear intentions about helping the community around them. In 2012, they donated $4.8million to charity, and employees volunteered a total of 129,000 hours of their time in their local communities.

They have also been a long-time supporter of youth programs aimed at providing disadvantaged youth with real life training and employment opportunities.

Recommendations    

I believe we should capitalize on the excellent financial track record that Starwood has shown. Management has shown a good history of astute decisions. They have demonstrated that past performances are not based on luck, but instead, well-calculated decisions couple with good fundamentals. Without much luck, I believe this company will continue its great performance in the future.

Furthermore, Starwood has achieved many of its goals towards a greener future. Even while expanding its business to serve more clients, the company has successfully reduced their carbon footprints and energy consumption. Starwood has shown that it cares for their surrounding community, and has given back in numerous ways.

Starwood is definitely a “Buy” because of its great financial, social, environmental, and sustainable achievements.

http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article2.html

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp

https://www.se-alliance.org/what-is-social-enterprise

http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition

http://invreports.galegroup.com.libproxy2.usc.edu/reuters/getInvestmentDocument?DOCID=31585849&CONTEXT=BIE&DIGEST=edec862686cd53bbe3b301340b8affc2&LOCID=usocal_main&DOCTYPE=pdf&FILEEXT=pdf&PAGENUMBERS=0-11

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/06/30/starwood-achieves-16-carbon-reduction/

http://www.greenhotelier.org/our-news/industry-news/starwood-hotels-resorts-reveals-global-citizenship-report/

Places to visit in Singapore

Summer school is almost coming to an end and some of you might be planning a trip oversea. I would like to invite all of you to explore my home country, Singapore.

Singapore is a dynamic destination that offers a diverse range of activities to suit the different interests of visitors, whether they are leisure or business travelers. Its continuing transformation delivers unique, personal, and fresh experiences.

Below is a list of places that I feel is a must go-to places if you are planning on taking a tour around Singapore.

1. S.E.A Aquarium 

Step into the aquarium and be blown away by the breath taking nature of the ocean that is home to more than 100,000 inhabitants. On top of that, you will also be able to experience a face-to-face experience with over 200 sharks and be able to uncover centuries of myths about the ocean predators. FunFact: The Singapore Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world! (As credited by Guiness World Records)


2. Infinity Pool at Marina Bay Sands 

Imagine being in the world's most amazing hotel rooftop pool, stretching an impressive 150 meters across Sands Skypark. And looking down, is the skyline view of the entire Singapore and enjoying a cup of cocktail. How amazing and breathtaking would that be?

3. Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay is a park spanning 101 hectare. It has won many awards for its innovative design, and green efficiency. It even has the world's largest green house - flower dome. What's even better is, a few hundred meters down you can also see the Singapore Flyer, which used to be the world's tallest ferris wheel until Las Vegas built one that was 2.6cm taller.

Many World's largest for one of the smallest countries in the world

Social Responsibilities - Reading post 1

In the Challenge for Africa, Wangari  Maathai shows the immense amounts of hardships that Africans have to endure. From diseases that kill many to debt that has continuously held the country back from making any progress. The media has given light to many of the problems faced in Africa, but I couldn’t help but wonder how did the Africa land in such a depressive state. After reading a little bit about the history of Africa, I found that a string of unfortunate events led to their collapse.

Africa was once a powerful country too. However, slave trading took a large proportion of their men and women out of the country. With so many men and women being shipped off as slaves, I believe this severely affected the gene pool as many of the strongest and most intelligent people were brutally hijacked from their own country. Fast forward after several hundred years of lynching, this is why Africa has taken such a long time to recover. It’s funny how many of the superpowers today would not be where they are without Africa, and yet, no one has done anything noteworthy enough to help Africa out of the slumps.

Expert Article

Video Games: Bane or Boon?

Four years have passed since the mortal races banded together and stood united against the might of the Burning Legion. Though Azeroth was saved, the tenuous pact between the Horde and the Alliance has all but evaporated. The drums of war thunder once again in the World of Warcraft, as mortals from the noble Alliance and mighty Horde gather once again…

World of Warcraft is the culmination of 15 years of hard work from the tech wizzes at Blizzard Entertainment. A game, so immersive, that has even led to several cases of death.

Gone are the days when video games were simplistic two-dimensional games created by a handful of enthusiasts. Today, software companies are churning out three-dimensional games that are more realistic than ever.

The debate about whether video games are good or bad for children continues to rage. Video games get blamed for any manner of social ills from addiction to murder. While other types of addictions, like drug addiction, have led to the destruction of lives in many cases, could addiction to video games lead one down the same path—or even worse, to commit murder? 

Bane:

To understand how this negative stigma has been wrongly placed on video games, I’m going to address two of the most common concerns about the negative impacts:

·         Why are video games so addictive?

·         Do video games breed violent individuals?

Boon:

Following that, I’m going to show some of the surprising benefits that video games offer. These benefits are broken down into:

·         Physical Benefits

o   Losing weight

o   Increasing agility

·         Medical Benefits

o   Improving eyesight

o   Pain “killer”

Why are video games so addictive?

According to a book by Johnson and his team, video games are addictive because the human brain is wired to respond strongly to situations that combine both the promise of reward and the exploration of new environments. As video games are designed to give small victories in regular doses, each “dose” stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain which releases dopamine.

Drug addiction ≠ Gaming addiction

To make it clear, video games stimulate the neurotransmitters, while drugs alter the supply of neurotransmitters.

Gamers eventually outgrow video games, and research has shown that the average age of gamers is 29 years old. Ultimately, as video games do not alter the supply of neurotransmitters—eventually—people will stop playing it because these rewards become less fanciful. (Johnson)

Do video games breed violent individuals?

“Your parents know best.” How many of you have heard that familiar phrase before getting banned from doing something? Out of good intentions, many parents have banned their kids from playing violent video games. I don’t blame them as this is a controversial topic. But the question still stands: Do video games breed violent individuals?

Test: Aggression and Violent games correlation

In a research conducted by Ferguson and his team, test subjects were divided into three groups and tested for aggression:

·         3 Groups:

o   1^st group: Played violent video games

o   2^nd group: Played nonviolent video games

o   3^rd group: Chose between the two games

The results: Family violence determines aggression levels

The results revealed that family violence exposure, particularly exposure to verbal and physical abuse, remained a predictor of trait aggression as well as violent crime acts. More interesting is that even long term exposure to violent video games did not seem to have an impact on whether an individual becomes more violent. (Ferguson et al.)

Ultimately, people do not want to harm others for no reason. After all, how many times have you acted out a violent scene from a video game or even a movie? Not too many times I bet!

Why?

Before anyone decides to carry out a violent deed, there is some level of common sense that intercedes. The fact that there are many individuals who enjoy violent video games, and do not go out to commit violent acts is a testament to this.

Physical Benefits

Not all video games require players to sit in front of computer screens. In fact, some video games have proven to combat youth obesity!

Good news: Many of these games are readily available at home. If you feel awkward about exercising in public, try out one of these games! When used in the right way, video games do have many health benefits!

Losing weight

How often do you hear kids getting excited about exercise? Not too often I bet! While exercise is essential, encouraging kids to exercise can be an arduous task for just about anyone. Fortunately, video games offer a quick fix.

When the video game Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) was implemented in the physical education classes of a middle school in West Virginia, students were more willing to participate.  Since then, about two hundred schools in the United States have embraced video games in the classroom as well as the gymnasium.

Good news: The success of video games like DDR is not just limited to kids. A young woman lost ninety-five pounds with no exercise program other than DDR. (O’hanlon)

Increasing Agility

The success of DDR drew considerable media attention and these newfound games were quickly labeled ExerGames: a combination of exercise and video gaming. Soon after, studies were launched, and similar games were found to increase agility and reflex.

How?

These games typically interrupt the sprint mechanic with an orthogonal activity—this parallels performing aerobic exercises. Agility is inevitably boosted as players are typically rewarded for nimbleness and speed.

Good news: Games like these are often available on multiplayer platforms, so invite your friends over for game night and stay healthy together! (Bogost)

Medical Benefits:

How about using video games to provide alternative methods when conventional healing methods fail?

Improving eyesight

Ever heard of amblyopia or “lazy eye”? It is a condition that causes visual disorders and poor depth perception. Detecting it is usually a difficult task because the vision in the stronger eye is perfectly fine.  Standard treatment involves patching the stronger eye while the child is less than eight years old; however, treatment is unsuccessful in 25% of cases and no treatment is available for older patients.

What about adults and failed cases?

Fortunately, action video games with a split screen display, coupled with a brain stimulation technique, enable treatment of amblyopia. This treatment is targeted at children and adults to improve binocular resolution and sensitivity without the undesirable side effects such as diplopia. (Bavelier)

Pain “killer”

The medical world has advanced beyond many expectations. Today, adults have painkillers for just about anything.

What about kids who are too young for such narcotics?

Believe it or not, when an eight-year old boy burnt over thirty percent of his body and could not receive narcotics because of his young age, video games were used for pain relief in his treatment. He was reportedly so engrossed in playing that the nurses could occasionally lift his arms, stretch his skin, and clean him without him knowing. While distractions do not minimize the side effects that patients suffer, the pain can be more tolerable when patients are absorbed in the video game. (Streisand)

Conclusion: Everything in moderation

Although video games have the potential to cause adverse effects like addiction and violence, these drawbacks have control measures to avoid such catastrophes.  The focus on a few exceptionally violent games has led many to overlook the potential benefits of video games.   Ultimately, most of the drawbacks are usually only seen in extreme cases, and preliminary research has already shown great benefits that should not be overlooked. As with anything in life, perform in moderation and reap the benefits.

Happy gaming!

Works Cited

Johnson, Steven. “The Addictive Qualities of Video Games Are Not a Problem.” Video Games. Ed. Laurie Willis. Michigan: Greenhaven, 2007. 56-69. Print.

Ferguson, Christopher J., et al. "Violent Video Games and Aggression: Casual Relationship or Byproduct of Family Violence and Intrinsic Violence Motivation?." International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology. 35.3 (2008): 311-332. Web. 2 July. 2015.

Bavelier, Daphne. "Video Game Treatment For Lazy Eye." University of Rochester. (2010): 1-3. Web. 2 July. 2015.

Streisand, Betsy. “Video Games Can Provide Health Benefits.” Video Games. Ed. Haugen, David M. Michigan: Greenhaven, 2008. 25-30. Print.

O’Hanlon, Charlen. “Some Video Game Playing Can Have a Positive Effect on Children’s Health.” Video Games. Ed. Haugen, David M. Michigan: Greenhaven, 2008. 17-24. Print.

Bogost, Ian. Persuasive Games, The Expressive Power Of Videogames. Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2007.