Perception of Money Laundering in Mauritian Population

Perception of Money Laundering in Mauritian Population Abstract Money laundering is the worlds third largest industry (Jeffrey Robinson (1995)) and may occur almost anywhere in the world. Given the nature of this phenomenon, money laundering has gained in significant proportion. Be they drug traffickers, terrorists, arm traffickers, blackmailers or credit card swindlers, all criminals demand for money laundering. This criminal activity erodes profits of all financial institutions, increases corruption and fuel social injustice. Money laundering has thus serious social and economic consequences that need to be fought against. Many international authorities have made considerable efforts to set up appropriate AML counter measures. Likewise, Mauritius in preserving its reputation has enacted the FIAMLA (2002) and has enforced the FIU to avoid the country being a vehicle of illegal fund. However, money launderers are always a step forward than any law enforcement agencies and organisations. This has been compounded with globalisation and sophisticated technologies. The aim of this dissertation is to assess the perception of money laundering among the Mauritian population. The result from the question-based data collection method used supported that the population do believe in a money laundering economy in the country. However, few of them do know all matters concerning this crime and therefore, more awareness must be drawn. There is still a long way to go for its elimination but things are being done to improve the effectiveness of its combat. Chapter 1: Introduction Background Money laundering exists for centuries but since the 11th September 2001 events, combating money laundering and terrorist financing has became more important. Countries realised it is urgent to combat this sophisticated criminal activity. Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal profits derived from illicit activities without compromising the criminals for them to enjoy from their proceeds without the authorities being able to detect the activities that produced them. Increasing awareness is being drawn for people realise that money laundering fuels crime. Money laundering erodes the economy of ones country and as mentioned by Quirk (1997) its impacts are more measurable than its figure. Money laundering affects individuals, businesses and countries, thus of global concern. 25 years ago, the international community has done much effort to combat this evil. In many countries, efforts made starts bearing its fruits and are now taking importance in many jurisdictions. In fact, if one country does not take action to combat money laundering, it may find itself lagging behind since it will be difficult for it to trade with the rest of the complying world. The latter may fear to trade with a non-complying country due to this element of non-combating money laundering. In effect, the non-complying countrys economic growth may be far behind as compared to complying countries. Low corruption affects growth positively (Mauros (1995)). However, despite the setting up of international instruments and laws to restrain this crime, its evil activities still exits and are even increasing in most cases. With new advanced technologies compounded with globalisation, it is easier for sophisticated launderers to continuously look for opportunities available worldwide in laundering their proceeds. Although, Briscoe (1999) said that Mauritius is not considered as having a significant money laundering problem, since the island has a developing local drug consumption problem and a vibrant growing offshore financial services sector, it is clear that opportunities exist. Thus, following other countries initiations, Mauritius has set up the necessary infrastructures to combat money laundering and prevent terrorist financing. Actually, to protect itself and to maintain a good reputation, it has promulgated, among others, the FIAMLA (2002) which criminalises money laundering and its offenders. Drug trafficking, terrorist activities and financial crime are examples of illicit activities. The main aim of this study is to assess the perception of money laundering among the Mauritian population. While reviewing the literature, it was noticed that for Mauritius the only local survey done was by the FIU in 2006. This was published in its annual report 2006 and was helpful for this study. Additionally, references from other studies, journals and literatures done on this topic were used. Benefits of the study provide a general idea on the perception of money laundering among the Mauritian population, provide an overview about any research done on this topic, provide an insight whether the population is aware about the laws and institutions combating money laundering in Mauritius. Chapters Outlines Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter provides a brief introduction of the study including a short definition and its benefits. Chapter 2 -Literature review The definition, the process and techniques used to launder ill-gotten money, the importance of combating money laundering, the international actions took and reports done internationally and locally are provided in this chapter. Chapter 3 Methodology This chapter explains the methodology used to collect the data necessary for this study. Chapter 4 Analysis It provides an analysis of the data collected, the interpretation of the results and the hypothesis testing done. Chapter 5 Conclusion This entails the concluding notes of this dissertation and suggests some recommendations. Chapter 2: Literature Review Money laundering has been with us for centuries (Graham (2003)). As Lloyd (1997) said, its origins can be traced since the 1930s, when notable gangsters like Meyer Lansky and Al Capone were prevailing. Their exploits founded money laundering methods still in practice today. Since then, it has gained in proportion and is almost impossible to measure its exact global amount. KPMG (2004) reported that internationally about US$500 billion to $1 trillion is being laundered and it is estimated that annually, in the U.S and in London, about US$100 billion and  £1.8- £2 billion is been laundered respectively. Moreover, IMF estimates that money laundering is about US$500 billion. Nevertheless, Quirk (1997) said that its impacts are more measurable than its figure. Thus, such illegal activities are increasing and have dangerous effects on a countrys financial services sector, thus, being an issue of both national and international security. Quirk (1997), Barrett (1997), Paradise (1998), Masciandaro, and Portolano (2003) mentioned that money laundering threatens the economic and financial systems of countries. 2.1 Definition Money laundering is the process by which criminals try to mask the true origin of ill-gotten money into the stream of lawful commerce and finance. If undertaken successfully, beneficiaries will enjoy and maintain control over their proceeds and ultimately be provided with legitimate cover for the source of their income authorities being unable to detect the activities that produced them. Illegal profits have to be laundered because the money trail is proof of crimes, thus, vulnerable to seizure. AllDridge (2003) said that clean money is worth more than dirty money. Hinterseer (2002) stated that money laundering is criminal finance as it corrupts markets, shifts an unfair economic burden in the legal economy, weakens the universal stability of the international financial markets and raises numerous civil liberty related issues. In Mauritius, the Government enacted the FIAMLA (2002) which gives explicit powers to gather, analyse and disseminate information to the FIU. Section 3: Money Laundering (1) Any person who (a) engages in a transaction that involves property which is, or in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents, the proceeds of any crime; or (b)receives, is in possession of, conceals, disguises, transfers, converts, disposes of, removes from or brings into Mauritius any property which is, or in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents, the proceeds of any crime, where he suspects or has reasonable grounds for suspecting that the property is derived or realized, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly from any crime, shall commit an offence. 2.2 Process of Money Laundering Peltman (1997) has shown that money laundering has three stages. They may occur as separate and distinct stages or as an overlapping phase. Their usage will depend on the criminals accessible laundering mechanisms and requirements. Figure 1: A Typical Money Laundering Scheme Placement Placement is where most efforts are focused to combat money laundering. This involves the breaking up of large deposits into minute deposits for currency transaction reporting avoidance. This involves single or multiple transactions using one or more bank deposits or the purchasing of investments. Michael et al (2002) find that placement is the most risky stage for detection It is where the huge illegal cash profits are presented personally to a financial establishment. This can pose an enormous problem as dealing with cash in bulk and in regularity is difficult. Layering Steel (1998) found that layering stage is the most complex stage and the most international in nature. Graham (2003) said that layering relies on the negotiation of paper, electronic or digital records through a series of transactions which will make it difficult, if not impossible the reconstruction of paper trail detailing previous cash movements. 2.2.3 Integration Integration follows a successful layering process and is the final stage according to Schneider (1994). Moreover, for Graham (2003), transactions can no longer be linked to criminal cash and the secrecy of the source of funding is guaranteed. The criminal cash in the legitimate economy appears as money naturally originated from legal transactions. Araujo and Moreira (2005), Masciandaro (1999) stated that it is expected when cleaning has been done the money is ready to get back into the formal economy, thus, providing funds for investment or consumption. 2.3 Techniques of Money Laundering Briscoe (1999) stated that money laundering is not considered as a significant problem in Mauritius and that the country is not a major narcotics production or trans-shipment centre. Nevertheless, since the island has a developing domestic drug consumption problem and a vibrant growing offshore financial services sector, it is clear that opportunities exist. Results obtained by Mauro, (1995), (1997), Leite and Weidmann, (1999), Alesina and Weder, (2002), Damania, Fredriksson and Muthukumara, (2003) from the World Banks Governance Indicators and Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (CPI) indicate that corruption indexes is now a very profitable source of research. Similar to money laundering has no frontier, money launderers have unlimited originality to launder their money. Hence, launderers will seek where the weakest link in the chain is, targeting the weakest point of defenses and where detection is less likely to arise. Masciandaro (2001) said that financial industries are the major concern of money laundering fighters since money actually needs to pass through them. Money laundering techniques are very long, sophisticated and difficult to determine precisely. Some of them are summarised below. 2.3.1 Banking Services Considering their activities, banks represent a natural and logical vehicle for launderers. Graham, Bell Elliott (2003) stated that cash deposits, basic banking services and wire transfer facilities are the core means of money laundering. The wealthier launderers will look for specialist private bank services and investment houses that offer wealth management services. Following the Basel Committee statement (1988), Johnson and Lim (2002) stated that financial institutions including banks may be willingly or unconsciously be used as intermediaries for money laundering since they remain an important mechanism for its disposal. Mascaindaro (1995) strengthen this theory by stating that money laundering occurs either by passively using bank agents or by actively using criminal banks. In contrast, Quirk (1997) empirically observed a shift in money laundering techniques and concluded that launderers are going away from the banking system. Bauer and Peter (2002) mentioned that banks are actively combating money laundering and these initiatives may well be a model for international cooperation. 2.3.2 Money Services Businesses Graham, Bell Elliott (2003) stated that criminals use ‘bureau de change to convert cash to other currencies or consolidated smaller amounts. Usage of remittance services or giro houses enables criminals to transfer cash between jurisdictions. Duynes empirical findings show that in both Bosphorus case and Mozart case, money launderers involved an extensive network of currency exchange offices. 2.3.3 Lawyers, Accountants and other Intermediaries Graham, Bell Elliott (2003) found that launderers usually use professionals to set up corporate and trustees to act as nominee shareholders or directors. These are of growing international concern. The clients account provides the launderer a hidden vehicle for depositing funds into the banking system. In selling their personal investment products, professionals provide useful means for money laundering. Johnson and Lim (2002) found that money launderers use more non-bank financial institutions and non-financial business like lawyers for money laundering. Their evidence supported that a weakening of the bank/illegal economy relationship, implies a lesser participation of the banking sector for laundering money. 2.3.4 Non-Financial Sector Services Graham, Bell Elliott (2003) also found that casinos, metal dealers and other high valuable goods sellers are money laundering techniques. These are done especially in cash purchase or substantial cash deposits. Distinguishing dirty money from legitimate gambling profits or losses will be quite difficult if the dirty money is changed into casino chips and then back into cash. Lloyd (1997) stated that whatever be the form of the jewelry, its value remains constant. Thus, a single piece of gold can be changed various times to disguise its origins without any significant change in its value. 2.3.5 Alternative Remitting Systems As per Graham, Bell Elliott (2003), popular within some ethnic groups, Hawala or hundi are alternative remittance systems used to transfer funds abroad. These systems function outside the regulated banking sector. Graham, Bell and Elliot (2003) added that it is believed that the Al-Quaeda terrorist organisation have used the hawala for the financing of 11 September 2001 event. 2.3.6 Exploitation of Internet Banking Services Exploitation of banking services and the use of developments in the internet are techniques used for laundering money. Actually, some banks dispense their clients of all contacts, thus no control over transactions exists. Example, the Fortis Bank in Luxembourg, offers complete e-banking services. 2.3.7 Use of Correspondent Banks Several international trustworthy banks have been involved in money laundering due to insufficient controls. Examples: Russian banking (Rawlinson,1996; Burlingame, 1997) Banco Ambrosiano (Cornwell, 1983) BCCI (Adams and Franz, 1992) Banque Crà ©dit Lyonnais: case of Parretti and Fiorini (dAubert, 1993) 2.4 Importance of Combating Money Laundering Over the last 25 years, the international community has made considerable efforts to combat money laundering. Countries realise that if they allow money laundering or fail in adapting correctly the AML procedures and the KYC principles, they run the risk of civil and criminal liability, reputation and regulatory risks. Moreover, Lasco (1997) mention that if governments are reluctant to accept the universal application of money laundering countermeasures, then its ills associated will damage the society. Bauer (2002) and Peter (2002) stated that in some countries like USA, the KYC principle has not been established firmly in legislation as it is under some European rules. Some intermediaries view money laundering regulations and laws as an annoying obstacle for trading. For example, it was feared that recent efforts in the Channel Islands for strict laws would decrease business volumes, but finally, the Channel Islands attracted more businesses. The Commonwealth Model of Best Practice for Combating Money Laundering in the Financial Sector suggests four principle reasons for money laundering (Graham, Bell Elliott (2003)). Failure to prevent money laundering allows criminals enjoying their proceeds, making crimes especially attractive. It also permits criminal organisations to finance other criminal activities, which eventually increase the level of crime. Unchecked use of the financial system has potential powers to weaken individual financial institutions, and finally the reliability of the whole financial sector. Moreover, it has adverse macro-economic effects affecting exchange rates during large capital flows and thus distorts resource allocation. Unchecked laundering may create contempt for the law hence, declining the confidence public has in the legal and financial system, resulting finally in a rise in economic crime. Money laundering eases corruption. Eventually, accumulation of economic and financial powers by immoral politicians or criminal organisations may undermine the country. Below are some summarised reasons why AML laws are required. 2.4.1 Unfair Competition Money launderers often use their proceeds to finance certain companies. This allows them to undercut innocent rivals and force them out of the market. Therefore, if left unchecked, money laundering may unfairly affect the pricing mechanism of the market system and create unnecessary distortion. Quirk (1997) studied that crime highly explains differences among the industrial countries; a 10% raise in crime leads to a 10% reduction in currency demand and a 6% reduction in overall money demand. 2.4.2 One crime generates further crimes Money laundering allows criminals to take full advantage of their crimes if not properly tracked down. This makes such criminal activities more attractive, resulting in its rise. Thus, one crime generates other crimes. Masciandaro (1998) stated that banks in regions of higher criminality have greater association with money laundering than banks in region of low criminality. From his hypothesis, Masciandaro (1998) proved that ‘the positive association observed between the banking sector and the illegal economy allows an assumption of an increase in laundered funds when illegal activities increase. Moreover, Masciandaro (1998) results showed that money laundering is a multiplier of criminal activities by providing criminals with cleaned money for reinvestment in their illicit activities. Masciandaro (1999) results also showed that there is an inverse relationship between the degree of diffusion of money laundering activities and the effectiveness of AML regulation in a given econ omy. 2.4.3 Corruption and Growth With large amount of money involved, money laundering has direct effects on economic crimes. Once corruption infiltrates the system, the whole machinery is affected and functions improperly. Public confidence in some fundamental institutions may be at risk and this can only promote crimes. Obviously, a corrupt society has no great hope for prosperity. Empirical results confirmed Mauros (1995) findings that low corruption affects growth positively. Mauro (1995) himself followed Barro (1991), and Levine and Renelt (1992) specifications which assess investment and growth responses to corruption. Quirk (1996) empirical evidence showed for the period 1983-90, significant reductionsin annual GDP growth rates and increase in money laundering are related. 2.4.4 Social Cost Quirk (1996) found that money laundering has important social costs when it facilitates crimes and corruptions within both the developing and developed countries. The International Narcotics Control Strategy (1998) confirmed that money laundering has devastating social costs and threatens the national security and McDowell and Novis (1998) added that money laundering erodes the confidences in markets. Additionally, Alweendo Tom K (2005) stated that crime and criminal activities work towards eroding these very basic individual rights. 2.5 Criminalising Money Laundering The key to making an impact in money laundering is to get all of the countries of the world to enact and enforce the same laws dealing with money laundering so the criminals have nowhere to go, Interpol expert Brown (1998). With new technologies, it is easier for sophisticated launderers to continuously look for opportunities available worldwide. The loopholes in other jurisdictions can frustrate efforts made by one jurisdiction to combat money laundering. Therefore, it is of global concern since no countrys financial system is protected from it. Quirk (1997) stated that money laundering has a considerable negative impact on the macro-economy, therefore it is urgent to adopt AML measures. 2.5.1 International Actions The international community are more aware of the dangers of money laundering, and many governments and jurisdictions have committed themselves to take international actions to combat money laundering. These began in 1988. 2.5.1.1 Basel Committee This statement they adopted in December 1988 outlined the following initiatives and policies that suggest financial services to implement. need for compliance with legal laws and guidelines, cooperation with national law enforcement authorities, implementation of record-keeping and transaction recording, staff training, KYC approach. 2.5.2 Vienna Convention Ashe and Reid, (1998) stated that the Vienna Convention established in December 1988 was the first treaty of global reach criminalising money laundering which creates an obligation for signatory states to criminalise such evil. It also includes the production, management and financing of trafficking operations as well as facilitating the commission of drug trafficking offences including money laundering. 2.5.3 United Nation (UN) 2.5.3.1 Global Programme against Money Laundering Through the GPML, the UN helps its member states with legal advice and assisting them in drafting appropriate legislation and establishing the necessary administrative structure to combat money laundering. The strategies include: provision of technical assistance to developing countries, organisation of training workshops, provision of training materials, transferring of expertise between jurisdictions, conduction of research, analysis and gathering of data. For its first operating year, the Program aided 20 countries and introduced a global comprehensive database on national money laundering legislation and the International Money Laundering Information Network on the Internet. 2.5.4 Financial Action Task Force FATF with its 34 members is an inter-governmental body which develops and promotes national and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Established in 1989, FATF is a â€Å"policy-making body† that works to generate the necessary political willingness to bring about legislative and regulatory reforms. In 1990, it published 40 + 9 recommendations providing a comprehensive framework to fight money laundering. These were revised in 1996 and 2003 to ensure that they remain up-to-date and relevant to the money laundering growing menace. In 1995, the International Narcotic Control Board advised all governments to implement these 40 recommendations. 2.5.4.1 FATF Responsibilities: examination of money laundering techniques and trends, reviewing of action which had already been taken at a national or international level, setting out of measures that need to be taken to combat money laundering, evaluating countries in respect of their AML measures. Therefore, where weaknesses are found, countries are recommended to remedy the shortcomings the soonest. Failing, they are threatened of being blacklisted as non-cooperative jurisdictions. Naming and shaming them, FATF achieves its objectives of bringing countries to adopt appropriate AML measures. 2.5.4.2 The 40 Recommendations Recommendations 1-2: Scope of the criminal offence of money laundering Recommendation 3: Provisional measures and confiscation These are to be taken by financial and non-financial businesses and Professionals to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing Recommendations 4-12: Customer due diligence and record-keeping Recommendations 13-16: Reporting of suspicious transactions and compliance Recommendations 17-20: Other measure to deter money laundering and terrorist financing Recommendations 21-22: Measures to be taken with respect to countries that do not or insufficiently comply with FATF Recommendations Recommendations 23-25: Regulations and Supervision Institutional and other measures necessary in systems for combating money laundering and terrorist financing Recommendations 26-32: Competent authorities, their powers and resources Recommendations 33-34: Transparency of legal persons and arrangements Recommendation 35: International Co-operation Recommendations 36-39: Mutual legal assistance and extradition Recommendation 40: Other forms of co-operation FATF Annual Report 1996-97 added that earnings of offences like fraud and smuggling are also gaining importance. Moreover, commenting on the FATF Annual Reports from 1994, Johnson and Lim (2002) states that AML measures that some governments took, help in minimising money laundering and that with the imposition and enforcement of AML legislation, it will be harder for money launderers to clean their proceeds. Hence, preliminary evidence puts forwards that governments attitudes are important in either restricting or encouraging money laundering. However, Quirk (1997) mentioned that some governments could not implement the FATF â€Å"40 Recommendations† as this would go against the IMFs advice for liberalising financial markets. 2.5.5 International Monetary Fund The IMF has expertise in conducting financial sector assessments, providing technical assistance in the financial sector, and exercising surveillance over members economic systems, which is particularly helpful in evaluating country compliance with the international AML/CFT standards and in developing programs helping them address identified shortcomings. After the 11th September 2001 events, IMF continued to broaden and deepen its engagement in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. March 2004 viewed an important moment. The IMF Executive Board agreed to make AML/CFT assessments and technical assistance a regular part of its work and to expand this work to cover the full scope of FATF 40 recommendations. Other international actions combating money laundering are the Egmont Group, the OECD, the EAG, the Asia-Pacific Group on Anti-Money Laundering and the E.U Directive. 2.5.6 KPMG report on Global Anti-Money Laundering Survey (2004) Aim: Whether the increasing globalisation of banking groups and of international regulatory cooperation resulted in an increase in consistency in the AML approach Methodology: The field research was done from 1st March 2004 to 26th March 2004 and 209 banks based in 41 countries responded. Consensus Research was charged by KPMG to conduct a telephone survey of banks across the main sectors. These banks were the 1,000 best global banks and local banks from seven regions as shown in figure 2 below. Figure 2: Analysis of Respondents by Region The figures 3 4 below are a detailed analysis of the respondents by region and country and an analysis of the respondents by industry. Figure 3: Analysis of Respondents Region by country Figure 4: Analysis of Respondents by Industry Results: high degree of commitment from the banking sector in the AML cause and provide opportunity for banks worldwide to assess and benchmark their own practices with those of their regional and international peer group. most respondents believed that the current AML burden is acceptable they were keen to work with regulators and law enforcements for the system to work more successfully. 2.6 In Mauritius 2.6.1 Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Act (2002) The FIAMLA (2002) criminalises money laundering and is the legislation of AML. It provides for the establishment and management of a FIU and a Board to supervise its activities and provides for money laundering offences, reporting of suspicious transactions, gateways for exchange of financial intelligence information and exchange of mutual assistance with overseas bodies, all in relation to money laundering. FIAMLA (2002) under section 8 imposes high criminal penalty for money laundering offences. Any person who commits any money laundering offence shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 2 millions rupees and to penal servitude for a term not exceeding 10 years. Moreover, any property belonging to or in the procession or under the control of any person who is convicted of an offence of money laundering shall be deemed, unless the contrary is proved, to be derived from a crime and the Court may, in addition to any penalty imposed, order that the property be forfeited. It is worth noting that FATF experts concluded that although Mauritius has a regulatory regime for the financial service sector both locally and internationally, certain troubling characteristics were found. These concern the identity of the administrators and the real beneficial owners of offshore companies. However, the law on economic crime and anti-money laundering adopted on 13th June 2000 which has been taken on board in the FIAMLA (2002) has reinforced the existing legislation with regards to prevention and fight money laundering. 2.6.2 Prevention of Corruption Act (2002) The corruption component of the Economic Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (2000) was taken on board in the POCA (2002) which provides for the investigation of money laundering offences t

Russias Culture and Demographics

Russias Culture and Demographics Russia Tyler A. McClellan Brother Brittan Russia has not always been what it is today. It began as many small settlements that came together to form an empire, many languages and minority languages are spoken, many religions practiced, and it is number nine in terms of world population. The religious customs of the Russian culture are not the same as American religious customs but very similar. Their meet and greet is very much the same but diverse all at the same time. A meet and greet is where you either meet someone that you have never met before or you meet an old friend. Early Russia was not exactly ‘Russia,’ but a collection of cities that gradually coalesced into an empire (ucsf.edu, 2015). Along with the many small settlements of migrating people were small kingdoms looking for more new uncharted and unclaimed land to expand their empires and territories. A settlement that was slightly larger than the rest probably by a different name was established; this larger settlement, now called Moscow, later became the capital of Russia. These small settlements and empires that came together to form one giant democracy that is called led to a more modern and civilized form of living; this was the start in which came to form the modern country that we now know as Russia today. When the country was first established they were a country with a dictatorship form of government that ruled over its people with brute force. But now the people are allowed to voice their opinion and get a say in everything making modern Russia a well established democra cy. Even though Russian is the official spoken language of Russia there are also many minority languages that are spoken as well as a total of three major languages. â€Å"About 100 others are used across the country† (rt.com, 2015). Russian is obviously the most widely known and spoken language in Russia; as it is the official language of Russia. It is estimated that 81% of the people that live in Russia speak Russian. The second major language spoken in Russia is Ukrainian and it is the secondary language as far as the total percentage of people that speak it at a total of 3%. And last but not least is the language Tartar. It is the third and smallest major language. But it is the most widely spoken minority language in Russia as far as minority languages at a total percent of 3.8% or more. Minority languages include but are not limited to: Chuvash, Bashkir, Belarusian, Moldavian, and other various languages 8.1%. Russias ethnic makeup is very vast and unique. The last census stated that there was more than 100 ethnicities within Russia. The Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians), who account for about 85 percent of Russias population (countrystudies.us, 2015). Some of the ethnic percentages are almost the same when they are compared to the linguistic percentages and statistics. Native Russians make up the largest part of the countrys population at 81.5%, while Ukrainian is at 3%, and Tartar 3%. In addition to the ethnicities listed, the minority ethnicities include: Chuvash1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarusian 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, and other various ethnicities 8.1%. There are many religions that are practiced in Russia the main ones are Russian orthodox at 70%, Ukrainian at a total of 3%, and other various religions ranging anywhere from 16%-25% of the total population of Russia. The Russian religion and the religious customs are very different from the western way of doing things, as is the ir view on the rest of the world and other things such as their country and way of doing business with associates. The first time two Russian men meet for the very first time they start off with a vise grip like hand shake that is very, very firm and look each other in the eye. When two very close Russian male friends meet they pat each other on the back and they may possibly hug one another as well. When two Russian woman meet for the very first time they too shake hands bus it is not as aggressive and intense as when two Russian men meet for the first time; But when two Russian women meet and they are very close friends they kiss each other very lightly on the cheeks starting with the left then the right cheek and then the left again. Russians take a great amount of pride in their country and think it is great and everyone else in the world should view it and feel the same way that they feel about their country as well. One last thing that is interesting about the Russian culture is that all names are patronymic this means that the name is passed down from generation to generation. Russia comes in position number nine as far as world population at an approximate total number of 142,470,272 people that live in Russia. The top three largest cities located in the country in terms of population are as follows in descending order: Moscow is not just the capital city of Russia it is also the largest city with a total of 10,381,222 people, Saint Petersburg 5,028,000 there are inhabitants, and finally the third and smallest city out of the top three is Novosibirsk with a total of 1,419,007 people that live here. The ruble or rouble is the currency of the Russian Federation (themoneyconverter.com, 2015). One American United States dollar currency roughly equals just over Sixty one and one half Russian Rubles. To be exact 1 USD equals 61.54 Russian Rubbles. Russia is a very large country with an extensive history and a massive population. It began as many small settlements of people looking to expand their territories that came together to form present day Russia. These people influenced each other in various ways and that is why there are so many different languages spoken, religions practiced, and ethnic groups within Russia. All of these factors come together and intermingle to make the large country we now call Russia. Bibliography: ucsf.edu (2015) A Brief History of Russia Retrieved on February 25 from: http://missinglink.ucsf.edu/lm/russia_guide/historyofrussia.htm kwintessential.co.uk (2014) Russia Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette Retrieved on February 25 from: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/russia-country-profile.html rt.com (2015) Basic facts about Russia: Language Retrieved on February 25 from: http://russiapedia.rt.com/basic-facts-about-russia/language/ geonames.org (2015) Russia Largest Cities Retrieved on February 25 from: http://www.geonames.org/RU/largest-cities-in-russia.html aneki.com (2014) Top 100 Most Populous Countries Retrieved on February 25 from: http://www.aneki.com/top_100_populous.html countrystudies.us (2015) Ethnic Composition Retrieved on February 25 from: http://countrystudies.us/russia/32.htm themoneyconverter.com (2015) Convert Russian Rouble to United States Dollar | RUB to USD Retrieved on February 25 from: http://themoneyconverter.com/RUB/USD.aspx

Hemingway’s In Our Time (CRH) Essay -- Hemingway In Our Time Essays

Hemingway’s In Our Time (CRH) In Our Time was accepted with great critical acclaim upon its publication in 1924. Widely lauded and recognized as the work of a rising literary star, as Herschel Brickell said, â€Å"Mr. Hemingway’s book carries on its dust-covers the enthusiastic recommendations of nearly everybody,† and, â€Å"The men who praise In Our Time know good work when they see it.† It was both a continuation of certain literary trends that had begun to develop themselves as well as something possessed of itself, original, striking, and new. The work of Sherwood Anderson and others had begun to shift literary perspective toward the more dirty and real, but as Louis Kronenberger wrote of the book in the Saturday Review of Literature, â€Å"It has sound merit of a personal, non-derivative nature; it shows no important affinity with any other writer, and it represents the achievement of unique personal experience.† His style, from the overall presentation of the book to the ways in which he constructed phrases, thoughts, perspectives, were seen as fresh and interesting. The stories themselves were met with a kind of lingering uncertainty. â€Å"Of ‘stories’ in the commonly accepted sense of the word there are few,† Brickell wrote, â€Å"Most are psychological episodes, incidents, sketches.† Or as the New York Times Book Review put it, â€Å"Not so much short stories, as preludes to a mood.† His style was described as â€Å"an attempt to get at minds and souls and what goes on within.† Also as â€Å"oblique, inferential, suggestive rather than overt, explicit, explanatory.† And yet somehow, â€Å"Mr. Hemingway can pack a whole character into a phrase, an entire situation into a sentence or two.† ... .... Ashley later mentions, â€Å"In Our Time is admittedly a slight and fragmentary enterprise. It is, however, a promise, almost an assurance of richer and more important things to come.† And perhaps Time said it best, â€Å"Make no mistake, Ernest Hemingway is somebody; a new, honest, un-‘literary’ transcriber of life—a writer.† Bibliography Herschel Brickell. â€Å"Tales Galore by Writers From Lands Far and Near.† New York Evening Post Literary Review, October 17, 1925, p. 3. New York Times Book Review, October 18, 1925, p. 8. Paul Rosenfeld. â€Å"Tough Earth.† New Republic, 45 (November 25, 1925), 22-23. Schuyler Ashley. Kansas City Star, December 12, 1925, p. 6. Time, 7 (January18, 1926), 38. Louis Kronenberger. â€Å"A New Novelist.† Saturday Review of Literature, 2 (February 13, 1926), 555. www.davidgagne.net/hem/ www.hemingwaysociety.org/virthem.htm

Rudyard Kiplings The Light Yhat Failed :: Essays Papers

Rudyard Kiplings The Light Yhat Failed Rudyard Kipling is remembered today mostly as a children's author. Kipling's poetry and adult fiction are both worth serious examination; â€Å"The Light That Failed† is probably the most important of his adult novels, in which he apparently makes the clearest statements of his beliefs about art and the purpose of life. It's a pretty bleak picture he paints, cloaked in finery and delight but at the core full of stoic acceptance of misery, hardship and death. While there is a good deal of this that Kipling probably believed, even a casual examination of his own life suggests that this book is more of a bare-bones explication of the fundamental issues than a fully fleshed out portrait of how an artist ought to live. It's particularly telling in light of this that â€Å"The Light That Failed† is dedicated to his mother. How is someone with an artist's soul to live in a world where, despite all protestations to the contrary, not even the love of a mother -- much less that of any other woman -- can be relied upon? Dick Heldar is an orphan, a young savage who is not civilized by the beatings he gets from Mrs. Jennet, his foster-mother, nor by the contempt he receives from his school-fellows for his cheap and shoddy clothing. Coming out of his childhood, he goes off to wander the world, learns to paint, and finds he can see things that others can't, and capture them on canvas. His childhood companion, Massie, who is aptly described as "an atom" -- indivisible and impenetrable -- also learns to draw, but with considerably less success than Dick as she fails to give her whole life and soul to the work. Dick's career is given its first great boost by a chance meeting with Torpenhow, a Special Correspondent for a news syndicate sent to the Sudan to cover the ultimately unsuccessful expedition to relieve Gordon. Torpenhow sees Dick's talents and immediately signs him up to supply drawings for his syndicate at a pittance. In this world of manly men, it's assumed that the strong will struggle forward on the thinest of chances, and the weak will be swept away. Dick and Torpenhow become close friends in the course of the campaign, but in the midst of a battle Dick is wounded on the head and has a moment's flashback to the world of his childhood and Massie, whom he fell in love with shortly before they last parted.

Animals In Our Society Essay -- Marketing Animals

â€Å"Much as we might want to understand animals at a level deeper than pop culture, we can only understand them in terms of our own experiences, language and emotions, and interpreted within our social, historical and cultural contexts. The only way we have of understanding animals is to recognize that ‘when we gaze at animals we hold up a mirror to ourselves’ (Corbett, 176). Animal messages are brought to us by the pop culture industry, whose job it is to create, disseminate, and sell meaning. In most cases, they aren’t selling you a moose, but what a moose means to you for example – the characteristics and qualities that you and most people associate with the species. Based on common meanings presented to us from an early age, animals are the perfect shorthand communication symbol. We use animals as devices, metaphors and symbols for a great deal of our expressions and ideas† (Corbett, 179). For years, animals have been at the center of our world; â€Å"the lives of animals and humans have been inextricably intertwined† (Corbett, 178). Thus, based on the close relationship between animals and humans throughout history, in my opinion animals have been used in all cultures to reflect the nature of humanity, symbolizing societal and individual characteristics. The traits of animals are very simple to observe and recognize, whereas human behavior is more intricate and difficult to describe. Animals are familiar creatures to us, which mutely encourage projection of people’s emotions and attitudes onto them. Animals can be used and as we have learned most recently, they are used to convey deep dimensions of human feelings and ideas. When I think of animals, their representation and their symbolism in our society, I immediately think of ani... ...in this piece, would be to dive into researching the answer to this: the fact that there I think there is something very clever to be said about a corporation that uses an animal to talk to its prospects, but are we really sure what that is? Are we sure what to say about a society that listens, and responds to spokescreatures? Perhaps we find them more credible than spokespersons. Do we? Works Cited Corbett, Julia B. Communicating Nature: How We Create and Understand Environmental Messages. Washington, DC: Island, 2006. Print. 2. "Seven Top Animal Symbols Used By Company Name Generators." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .

Introduction To Poetry

Introduction To Poetry October 21, 2013 A relationship between two lovers is a bond that when broken, can be hard to get over. It's hard to undo feelings for someone whom youVe built so much trust and compassion with. It takes a strong person to forgive someone who has stopped loving you when you still love him or her. And even then, it takes a stronger person to see that ex-lover and be able to talk to them in a civil and friendly manner. Women tend to find it harder to do this than men due to the feelings and trust that they put into men, who are already viewed as Jerks that only care about them.Carolyn Kizer, author of â€Å"Bitch,† is Just like those women and shows anger toward her ex-lover. She shows her maturity and strength and doesn't allow him to spark a reaction that shows she wants him back. This is the first time that Kizer is meeting with her old lover in some time. It is clear that it has been a while because she says, ‘after all these years† (1). As the conversation continues, we see more reasons that it has been a number of years since they have seen each other.She starts off the greeting with a simple hello and then asks, â€Å"How are the children? They must be growing up† (9). This shows that they have been broken up long enough for him to have more than one child. Also, she says, â€Å"they must be growing up† (9), so they must be getting big and are more than a few years old. Another sign they haven't seen each other in a while is when she says, â€Å"It's nice to know you are doing so well† (28). This is something someone would only say if they haven't seen or heard from someone in some time, but is happy to have seen them.Kizer also knows he isn't hurting her anymore so there's no reason to be hostile toward him, but the bitch inside her doesn't feel the same way. The bitch inside her wants to call him out and yell at him because of the pain that he put her through, but she tries to quiet that bitc h and says, â€Å"don't start growling† (2). While still fighting the bitch inside her, she says, â€Å"nice to see you† (5), as the bitch begins to â€Å"bark hysterically' (6). The barking is her inner anger building, but she continues to fght it, asking herself â€Å"where are your manners† (8).She doesn't want the inner bitch to ruin a friendly conversation between her and her old companion. He says something nice to her after she asks about the children and she sees a familiar situation. Finally she has broken the anger barrier and her inner bitch â€Å"begins to whimper† (11) and Just wants to snuggle up with the man she used to love so much. â€Å"He isn't an enemy now' (7) realizes the bitch. There's no reason for her to live in the past and make herself feel worse anymore. They have both moved on, but she has to keep the bitch away from him saying â€Å"down, girl!Keep your distance† (13) or she'll have to punish her for trying to bring old feelings back to life. As â€Å"she slobbers and grovels,† (16) she subsides and takes control of her â€Å"basically loyal† (17) self. Obviously her self is supposed to be loyal to her. As her inner self tarts to sit on the sideline during the conversation, she begins to reminisce. She remembers how she would run toward his comfort whenever â€Å"she heard his step† (19). When he was too busy for her loving devotion, he would send â€Å"her to the c en† (22).Kizer didn't get the tull attection that sne wanted, and yet it was the â€Å"small careless kindnesses† (24) that she adored so much. The good days that he had or if he had a few drinks are the days that were more important to her than â€Å"the casual cruelties† (27). She enjoyed the times when they were nice to each other and cared for each other, although they seemed to be short in number. It's nice to know you are doing so well† (28), shows that she still cared for him li ke anyone would care for a friend.Kizer tells the bitch â€Å"he couldn't have taken you with him† (29), because he cared too much and was â€Å"too clumsy' (30) unlike his new wife and kids. She was too attached to him and was clingy, but now in his new life he has a wife and kids that love him but give him his space when he needs it. He has a new life where he is comfortable, happy and shares it with the ones he loves. As those few minutes of catching up comes to an end, she asks him to â€Å"Give [her} regards to [his] wife† (32). They begin to part as they say their goodbyes.Trying not to trip up and release any emotion, Kizer ends their conversation with â€Å"Nice to have seen you again† (34). It is tough for someone to tell an ex-lover to say hello, or give his or her regards to their wife. No one wants to see someone they used to love and share a life together with enjoying life with someone else. But not all relationships are meant to last. A true rela tionship will come in time, so it is better not to dwell on what could have been and look forward to what could be. So, Kizer's poem shows how we should be able to turn an old, close partner to a friend.

Religious Freedom in the Philippines Essay

I. Introduction Based on Dr. Jose Rizal’s symbolisms on the cover page of Noli Me Tangere, religion is a big influence with the perspective of the people. However, in the future, there will still be the influence of religion, but people are then educated. People stop continuing the old practices because they start to question the logic in doing these practices. This is only proof that even though the Filipino mind is deeply influenced by Christianity, being open to improving and revealing of oneself is not that far away. We can never change history or force someone to change their beliefs, but let the youth be the ones to discover it themselves. The Filipino youth must be allowed to choose their religion. If not, they end up being confused, losing the essence of religion during marriage, and continuously discriminated due to offensive stereotyping. Inclining their personality with the appropriate beliefs will result to a better perspective for living and to discovering their self-identity. In fant Baptism states that it wipes away original sin; this is a sacrament being practiced almost fully in the Philippines. Their parents are already binding them to be devoted to a belief that may or may not be suitable for their child. This is the simplest act of violation to the freedom of religion. What will happen to those children who refuse to believe in the practices that their parents taught them? These children end up being outcast to their society, causing depression that sometimes leads to suicide. Majority of the Filipino population are Christian Catholics. At present, the essence of Christianity has been continuously forgotten by these Catholics themselves. For Christians, the Ten Commandments take on a whole new perspective. But it seems that the Ten Commandments are not followed, showing signs of unfaithfulness or betrayal to their owl religion. Then what is the logical explanation for being baptised as Christians if they are not devoted or loyal to Christianity? Based on their actions, they are clearly violating the Ten Commandments. The First Commandment states that â€Å"I am the Lord your God. You shall not have other gods beside me† (Ex 20:2-3; Dt 5:6-7), but to be loyal to their God is to follow His commandments. Unfortunately, there are violating the f irst commandment without them knowing it. At the same time, the Filipino population has a young population, meaning majority of the community are minors. And in lieu with the majority of Christians in the Philippines, majority of these minors are Christians. Since Filipino Christians are mostly unfamiliar to their religion, they do not practice their religion fully despite that they are born Christians. They are growing to be more confused about their religion, and end up losing the essence of it as they grow older. Marriage is a part of adulthood, and marriage is a holy sacrament practiced by Christians to bond their relationship with the opposite sex, declaring them husband and wife, in the name of God. But do the Christians being wedded nowadays even recognise the essence of being married? Most of them get married to have the right to experience sexual intercourse legally, property rights of the mate, and in the name of love. Not knowing they are already forgetting the essence of getting married in the name of God. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. Although Christianity was the predominant religion, there is no state religion, and under the Constitution church and State are separate. Muslims were the largest minority religious group in the country. There was widespread debate over the exact size of the Muslim population, as some officials and observers claimed that security concerns in western Mindanao prevented census takers from conducting accurate counts outside urban areas. Estimates ranged from 3.9 million to 7 million, or 5 to 9 % of the population. Muslims resided principally in Mindanao and nearby islands, but there were Muslim communities throughout the country. Historically, Muslims have been discriminated from the Christian majority. The national culture, with its emphasis on familial, tribal, and regional loyalties, forms informal barriers whereby access to jobs or resources is provided first to those of one’s own family or group network. Muslims reported difficulty renting rooms in boarding houses or being hired for work if they used their real name or wore distinctive Muslim dress. As a result, some Muslims used a Christian pseudonym and did not wear distinctive dress when applying for housing or jobs. The Government’s crackdown on the terrorist ASG has led some human rights NGOs to accuse the police and military of unfairly targeting Muslims for arrest and detention. However, most observers believed that discrimination against Muslims was grounded on cultural differences, not religious beliefs or practices. There also were reports of Muslim discrimination against Christians in areas where Muslims were the majority. In conclusion, freedom of religion must be strictly implemented in the Philippines. And the first step to continue practicing the freedom of religion is to let the youth have the freedom to choose their religion. As a result, Filipinos possibly will be more productive and will have a better point of view in life. This may be a solution to the major crisis of the Philippines with the economy. Workers, namely Filipinos, play a big part in the economy. So having better and devoted workers will help produce a greater economy for Philippines, and resulting to rise of the Filipinos from poverty. II. Significance of the Study Religion is a system of belief that a group of people practice. It involves devotion and ritual observances. And often contains a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. Religion is something that virtually all humans have in common. In all corners of the world and in all eras of history, people have wondered about the meaning of life, how to make the best of it, what happens afterwards, and if there is anyone or anything â€Å"out there.† Nowadays, religious devotion is being practiced by Filipinos. Sudden devotion to the Black Nazarene is being observed. But still, there are devotees to other religious groups who stay loyal. The freedom of religion is going to benefit majority of Filipinos because of the importance of religion to the Filipinos. The freedom of religion is giving Filipinos the right to practice their religion and still belong to the community without being discriminated; this will unite the Filipino community. Freedom of religion can improve quality of education and man power. Children who are free to choose their belief will have a better perspective in life, and this will help increase man power. Man power is a basic element to greater economy which will be beneficial to the community. It is better to have a better set of generations to educate and nurture for the betterment of our country. Those who will be working or earning money can have a better life. Fewer crimes will be committed due to devotion to what you really want to believe. Democracy will be more effective, because even though there is a law including freedom of religion, namely Article III, section 5, stating free exercise of religious worship shall be allowed, we are not fully practicing freedom. III. Body A. Religion a. Religions in the World 1. Major Religions Religion is a belief where in people sometimes uses it as a way of life or a perspective. There are many, long established, major world religions, each with over three million followers. These religions that are considered as major religions include Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Baha’i Faith, Jainism, Judaism, Shinto’s, Sikhism, and Paganism; All from different countries of the world. If we had been born in a specific place, we are most likely to adapt the most common religion in the place. Given that you were born in Saudi Arabia, you would almost certainly hold Muslim beliefs. In much of Europe, there is Christianity. And in the Philippines, you are most likely to be Catholic; except if you were born in ARMM, you are to be a Muslim. 2. Neopagans This religion is a modern-day reconstruction of ancient Pagan religions from various countries and eras. Majority of the followers of the Neopagans refer to themselves as Pagans. But the term Neopagans is used because the followers and the religion itself is less ambiguous compare to the Pagans. Neopagans include Asatru or Norse Paganism, Druidism, Wicca, and Witchcraft. But some followers of Asatru regard themselves as Heathens rather than Neopagans. 3. Atheist An Atheist is seldom referred to as agnostic or infidel. Atheists are people who do not believe in the existence of a supreme being. They deny to be committed to the belief of creation of the universe by a particular deity. They spread free thoughts, sceptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion. One of the most famous groups of Atheists is the Scientology. b. History of Religions in the Philippines 1. Early Period In this period of time, the Philippines were invaded by the Spaniards. The Spaniards were the ones who introduced Catholicism to the Filipinos. Specifically, Ferdinand Magellan was the one who introduced it to Lapu-lapu. The Spaniards were off on a search for Marianas Island, it is said to be rich in different spices. They got off the chart and accidentally went to the Philippines. Their goal was the three G’s; God, gold, and glory; God, to introduce Catholicism, gold, to be able to get a lot of resources, and glory, to invade the islands. They were successful with this because until now, most of the Filipinos practice the religion they introduced to us, Catholicism. 2. Revolutionary Era In 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. By February 1902, the United States defeated the forces of Spain. They established an independent state for the country. The Philippine Organic Act of 1902 was declared stating that no law shall be made to prohibit free will, and that free exercise must forever be allowed. 3. Late American Period The Americans established a religious freedom by declaring the separation of church and state based on the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Filipinos still show signs of anti-friars; therefore, the Americans replaced the Spanish friars for Filipino one’s to take over. The Marcos regime continues to rein the country and imposed Martial Law, which some of the bishops opposed, trying to win back the hearts and loyalty of the country. 4. Post-Independence Corazon Aquino took over Marcos’ presidency and brought back the unity of the government with the Catholic Church. This made way for church officials to make an impression on the 1986 Constitutional Commission. B. Freedom of Religion in the Philippines a. Constitutional Laws 1. Benevolent Neutrality The Supreme Court of the Philippines, established the doctrine of benevolent neutrality-accommodation. The 2006 ruling, imposed by former Chief Justice Puno, explained benevolent-neutrality in the context of U.S. jurisprudence. It states that religious practices is a unanimous right and does not privilege the society to discriminate anyone who accommodates their religion under some circumstances. 2. Article II, Section 3 The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable. With the guarantee of religious freedom in the Philippines, the Roman Catholic Church clergy subsequently remained in the political background as a source of moral influence for many voters during elections until today. Political candidates generally court the clergy for support, although this does not guarantee victory for a candidate. The Philippines was placed under martial law by Dictator Ferdinand Marcos and relations changed dramatically, as some bishops opposed the martial law. 3. Article III, Section 5 No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights The former Philippine Organic Act of 1902. This law is now imposed in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. But the right to act in accordance with one’s belief cannot be absolute. Conduct remains subject to regulation and even prohibition for the protection of society. It may not be used to justify an action or refusal inconsistent with general welfare of society (People vs. Diel, [CA] 44 O.G. 590, August 22, 1947). One of the regulations imposed in its exercise is the compliance of government employees to Section 5 of the Omnibus Rules relative to the number of working hours. While government employees of Muslim faith are excused from work between the hours of 10 o’clock in the morning up to 2 o’clock in the afternoon every Friday, they are obligated to compensate said lost working hours by adopting flexible time schedule to complete forty hours of work in a week. 4. Republic Act No. 3350 This was intended to serve the purpose of advancing the constitutional right to the free exercise of religion, by averting that some people be dismissed from work, or be dispossessed of their right to work and of being impeded to pursue a modest means of livelihood, by reason of union security agreements. b. Religious Conflicts 1. Religious Freedom in the Government Offices Act Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino has withdrawn House Bill 6330 otherwise known as the Religious Freedom in Government Offices Act, which seeks to ban religious images and ceremonies in government offices. The fact that one legislator actually had the guts to file a bill like this in a country where the Roman Catholic Church holds considerable influence in politics is already an achievement in itself. As Palatino said in a statement,†We are encouraged by the fact that despite the misunderstandings, the bill initiated relevant discussions on freedom of religion as one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.† 2. Muslim Discrimination Muslims were the largest minority religious group in the country. Muslims resided principally in Mindanao and nearby islands, but there were Muslim communities throughout the country. Historically, Muslims have been alienated from the predominant Christian majority. The national culture, with its emphasis on familial, tribal, and regional loyalties, creates informal barriers whereby access to jobs or resources is provided first to those of one’s own family or group network. Muslims reported difficulty renting rooms in boarding houses or being hired for retail work if they used their real name or wore distinctive Muslim dress. As a result, some Muslims used a Christian pseudonym and did not wear distinctive dress when applying for housing or jobs 3. Separation of Church and State The First Amendment is about the right to free exercise of religion. It’s interaction with non-discrimination law based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The right of a non-church-related employer to discriminate against gay employees based on religious belief is against a law prohibiting job discrimination. The enactment of employment protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, opponents of such laws have often raised concerns about the infringement of the religious freedom of business owners. C. Current Religious State Is religious freedom being practiced fully in the Philippines? Based on other researches, even though there are many laws regarding the separation of church and state, the Catholic Church still has a lot of influence in the system of the government. And in the minds of the Filipino community, they are not practicing this given democracy and the simple act of baptism to a child is a form of violation. Baptism is a form of surrendering yourself to a Supreme Being and you are already making a sin to that Supreme Being whenever he has doubts or decide to choose their own religion. This is giving pressure to the youth and sometimes lead to social discrimination and suicide. IV. Conclusion The Filipino youth is the foundation of the future of the Philippine community. That’s why we must nurture the youth and continue to educate them and guide them towards a life with more purpose. In our country, religion is one of the major factors that affect the society’s perspective. That is why as early as now; the youth must be guided properly and taught according to their choice of religion. Religion is a way of life, a system of belief wherein they give knowledge of people’s lives importance. And it will be an advantage for everyone in the way they behave. This will lead to a better community, the one that can provide a safe environment for Filipinos and foreigners. And freedom of religion can help produce educated people, and this results to greater man power and greater economy. V. Bibliography Agoncillo, Teodoro; Guerrero, Milagros (1970). History of the Filipino People. Malaya Books. Bacani, Teodoro (1987). The Church and Politics. Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines: Clarentian Publications. Schumacher, John (1976). Church and State in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Loyola School of Theology, Quezon City. de la Costa, Horacio; John Schumacher (1976). Church and State: The Philippine Experience. Quezon City, Philippines: Loyola School of Theology.