Displaced Person and Host Country Essay Example for Free

Displaced Person and Host Country Essay Canada is amongst many countries known as a refugee-friendly country. From the early 20th century, during the World Wars to other world crises, these countries have opened their doors to people fleeing their home countries for reasons of poverty, persecution and violence. However, the host countries that receive refugees claim to be taxed or stressed because of misperception that refugees are a drain on the social system. Consequently, the refugees lose their own home of origin while at the same time; do not entirely fit in to the host country. The purpose of this paper will be to highlight some of the difficult coping issues that refugees have upon being forced to leave their country of origin. First, the term ‘refugee’ will be described and explained. Second, the major issues of adjustment for refugees will be discussed. Third, some of the overall support services will be described. Finally, the paper will offer an alternate perspective on improving services for refugees around the world. Review of Literature Background of Topic Definition. Refugees are people who arrive to a host country because they are facing persecution based on a membership in a particular racial, ethnic, political or religious group. People in need of protection are those who are facing a threat, torture or other form of violence in their homeland. People who seek for refuge are entitled to stay in the host country, look for employment, and receive social benefits until the government determines their claim for refugee status. For example, Canada, as a host country has an international reputation with a benevolent immigration laws, and it offers a great protection to refugees. Canada has, to some extent, been created by immigration. Therefore, it has a solid practice of allowing protection to those who meet the definition of refugee. This tradition is linked to humanitarianism, which is a value that Canadians as individuals, are willing to honor by upholding the country’s commitment to provide asylum to those fleeing persecution. ( Perrin Dunn, 2007) Statistics. It is estimated that more that 25 million people are forced to flee their home country due to persecution and threats (Partida, 1996). An estimated of 7. 6 million people were newly displaced on 2012 due to conflict or persecution, including 1. 1 million new refugees, the highest number of new arrivals in one year since 1999. Another 6. 5 million people were newly displaced within the borders of their countries. Twenty three- thousand persons per day leave their homes and seek protection in other places around the world (Newbold, 2012). Why people seek refugee status. Many people around the world are seeking for refuge due to the destruction of their homeland; the global warming and the rising of the sea levels are leaving people with no food and potable water. The weather conditions are menacing the current habitability of the country. Many of these countries depend on the farming and fishing in order for people to survive. Therefore, they need to flee their homeland and ask for refuge in other countries (Moberg, 2009). Also, many of the displaced people are forced to leave because of human right violations and threats. Many others have endured traumatic experiences, such as the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda. Another example is Sudan, where the conflict between North and South Sudan is caused by racial, religion, cultural and political differences that have exploited the civilians. Moreover, refuges have experienced torture including physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, depravations, burns and even witnessing the death of their loved ones (Amnesty International, 1990). Specific Impact Issues Coping. Resettlement is a chance for refugees to reconstruct their lives due to the past experiences of violence, persecution and the loss of family and home in their former home country. There are, however, major objections in the process of coping in a new country and a new culture. Refugees struggle to adapt into a new life style, language, and new education because it is different from their own culture (Pittaway Shteir, 2009). Also, refugees experience prejudice and discrimination by the host community and this may discourage them from seeking and receiving services from the host country. In fact, many of them feel the rejection and the lack of acceptance, leaving the refugees with the feeling of not belonging (Korcija-Hercigonja Rijavec, 1998). Stress. Many refugees have been exposed to major stressors due to the trauma in their former homeland leaving them with a lot of stress and prone to more severe mental health problems (Teodorescu, Heir, Hauff, Wentzel-Larsen, Lien). Moreover, refugees experience economic difficulties after they have been granted refugee status. For example, 55% of refugees were still dependent on social assistance to some extent eight years after their arrival. There is also evidence of an interaction between posttraumatic and acculturative stress, that is, refugees with a history of trauma can be expected to have more difficulties in the course of acculturation than those without a history of trauma (Hammarstedt, 2009). Homelessness. The experience of homelessness in refugees does not start in the host country. Most of the refugees have being homeless in their country of origin, and that is the major reason they flee their homeland (Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors Inc. , 2008). Less than 10% of refugee people successfully access public housing in the first 18 months of resettlement, and housing options are frequently inappropriate for the culture of a refugee person. Also, the market rent is not affordable for the refugees and the waiting list for subsidies housing are very long and the only options are shelters. Shelter usage is not only at the arrival to the host country but may be an indicator of housing problem among the refugees (Sherrell, D’Addario Hiebert). Poverty. Refugees face poverty in ways that are similar to other marginalized groups in a host society. These include: low income, problems with access to services, lack of access to well-paid employment and challenging attitudes to those living on a low income (Mulvey, 2009). However, refugees have additional problems such as: lower levels of benefits than the general population, do not pay rent, and are dependent on the provision of housing and energy costs through social assistance. This period is a particularly vulnerable time for new refugees because they have to make the transition from complete dependency to the responsibility of negotiating the complex housing, health benefits system, and paying for energy costs. Restrictions on employment for refugee claimants are seen as contributing to the risk of poverty (Mulvey, 2009). Major Services Approaches Psychotherapy. Many refugees are victims of war-related and past experiences leaving them with a post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychotherapy is the interactive process between a person or group and a qualified mental health professional, and its purpose is the exploration of thoughts, feelings and behavior for the purpose of problem solving or achieving higher levels of functioning (Cinfuegos Monelli, 1983). Loving- Kindness Treatment. Is a Buddhism practice, and it is defined as being aware of the present and performing Loving- Kindness everywhere you go. This is a treatment that is used to reduce stress due to post-traumatic experiences. The treatment emphasizes in emotion techniques such as mindfulness. This practice is use to regulate emotions, and decrease anger. The practice of Loving- Kindness is a key skill that better equips refugees to adjust to a new social, and cultural environment (Hoffman Sawyer, 2012). Community Services. Focuses on providing care for the basic needs for refugees as newcomers in the host country. For example, community services might include ESL programs (English as a Second Language), which help to reduce the language barrier in their host society. Another is government social assistance, which will help to empower refugees to become independent and prepares them for the skills needed for the workforce (Bakewell, 2003). Implication of Services Critique of Services Benefits of Psychotherapy. Refugees who seek psychotherapy will obtain better results because it helps them to identify the key issues and emotional triggers that prevent or blocks their mental state in order for them to cope in their new environment. It will also facilitate the process in order for them to become more mentally stable to continue their adjustment into the host country. Therefore, they can succeed in their learning development and workforce skills that will help them establish themselves, emotionally and mentally, as human beings in their community. As a consequence, they will achieve higher levels of living and functioning in their homes, as a family unit, as well as with individuals among their surroundings. Drawbacks of Psychotherapy. The issue with psychotherapy treatment is that refugees might not be open nor disclose enough from their past experiences, due to their traumatic mental damage in their former homeland. On the other end, the therapists may lack knowledge about what the refugees have gone through in their past, which could slow down or worsen the healing process, that might result in a wrong diagnosis. Moreover, it can lead the refugees to be dependable on the treatment and unable to handle his or her challenges. The refuges may see the therapists as a hero and therefore fall into a dual relationship and as an outcome, a failed treatment. Improvement of Psychotherapy. Refugees have a significantly major mental health problem. Therefore, the host country should be able to provide an effective mental health intervention, which includes the use of bilingual and culture-educated staff and training in disorders associated with the immigrant experience, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD). If the therapist is well trained and speaks the language of the refugee, this will help the client to communicate better, therefore the treatment will be more accurate and effective. Benefits of Loving-Kindness Treatment. There are many benefits of the Loving-Kindness treatment. One of them is it reduces stress due to past experiences. It helps the refugees to focus on the present and be able to forget traumatic memories. It facilitates them to cope into their new environment and be able to socialize in their surroundings. It also brings peace of mind in order for them to function as normal civilians. Drawbacks of Loving-Kindness Treatment. One of the main drawbacks of this treatment is that it may seem as a religion and not all refugees would be open to receive it, therefore the treatment would not be effective for all cultures, only for those who believe in the treatment. Another problem is that in the moment of the treatment, it can bring bad memories, anxiety, and anger episodes because the refugees have to address their past experiences in order for them to focus on the present. In addition, the treatment is a short-term relief but a long-term process because the refugees must continue until it has become a pattern behavior. Improvements of Loving-Kindness Treatment. It is very important for the improvement of the Loving-Kindness treatment to incorporate other culturally accepted techniques and methods into the healing process that will be more accepted among refugees around the world. By including other methods of treatment, the process will be faster and effective. Benefits of Community Service. The community service that the host country offers to the refugees helps them to adjust effortlessly into their environment by empowering them to adapt rapidly into the new culture. In addition, it will facilitate the refugees to establish themselves and socialize into the community. For example, language-learning programs will help them to learn the language of the host country in order to be able to have better paying jobs, better education, and an easier adaption. At the same time, community service programs help refugees to learn how to finally have stability, because many of them have never experienced peace of mind in their homes and in their lives. Another benefit is that these services will help the refugee to cope and to some extent erase the traumatic memories by creating new ones and changing their pattern mental behaviors. Drawbacks of Community Service. The negative aspect of these services is that many times there are unattainable requirements that may not be applicable or appropriate for the new refugees. For example, some agencies require proper identification in order for them to receive assistance, however, at the arrival into the host country, the border retains the refugee documentation that will be given at the end of the refugee claimant process. Therefore, this will delay the time to obtain proper identification from the host country. As a result, it will stop the agency to provide the correct assistance to the refugee in their time of need. Another drawback is that instead of the refugee to be empowered to develop the skills needed to adapt, they may become dependable on the assistance of community service of the host country. For example, a refugee might depend on monetary assistance and not search for employment or education that eventually would lead to self-sufficiency. Improvements of Community Service. One of the improvements of the community services is to not blame the refugees for not integrating into the host country culture, such as not speaking the language fast enough, having low levels of education, or not being self-sufficient. The community should be more understanding about the refugee’s traumatic stress that may make the learning process longer and foremost, the refugees need to be mentally stable before integrating and learning can begin. The community should implement more educational programs into the host community about the culture and experiences of refugees so that they may help the refugee to integrate and adapt into the new culture. Also, the community services should be able to create more programs that speak the language of the refugee because this will help them to understand the programs in order for them to advance in the growing process. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper has provided a better knowledge of who a refugee is, why they seek protection, the challenges that refugees face upon the arrival into the host country, the approaches and services to address these challenges and finally the critiques of these services and what is needed to improve them. The purpose of this paper is for the host community to be more aware of the issues that a refugee goes through, in order for them to better understand and assist the refugees to become part of the culture and help them grow as human beings, in the midst of the process of healing from their past trauma. The question is whether the host country and its citizens will be willing to make the changes and efforts required to improve the process of refugee claimants around the world.

Essay --

Corporations are contributing to the â€Å"going green† epidemic. Going green means to pursue knowledge and practices that lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles (Middletown Thrall Library, 2008). There are several pros and cons that organizations experience when deciding to develop â€Å"green† strategies, therefore the choice must be made carefully to decide whether or not it would be advantageous to their basis. One of the most obvious of reasons to become a â€Å"green† company is the cost benefit. The operating and material costs that are required for businesses are constantly increasing, therefore in order to become more cost efficient, and businesses are recycling more thus reducing productivity costs. With business being able to reduce waste and recycle more of their used goods, they can eliminate the costs it takes to eliminate those resources or to even store them. Eco-friendly policies also help to attract new talent. According to Lindsey Pollak, author of "Getting From College to Career, "students are looking to work for companies that care about the environment (Roff, 2007). Organizations can benefit from going green by reducing their energy bills as well. Energy bill reduction can come from utilizing high-efficiency bulbs in lighting. By installing lighting sensors, dimmers and a reflective roof, semiconductor maker Texas Instruments Inc. cut lighting energy at its of fice building in Richardson, Texas, by 80% (Roff, 2007). On the other hand, there are other disadvantages related to costs when a business decides to go green. For example, sometimes the costs to install and maintain â€Å"green† materials may not offset the savings in the long or short run. In the event that th... ...same point: when environmentally friendly practices complement the goal of achieving fiscal soundness and greater profits, companies are more than willing to go green (Gorbett, Salvaterra & Skiba, p.2 2005).† In my opinion, the factor that would have the greatest bearing on the company’s decision to go green is the cost savings because all other rationales would follow based on if the company felt that the savings would be costs effective in the long run. The organization would not attract any investors or many investors if they feel as thought their investments would be wasted on trying to incorporate a â€Å"green† working environment, then the company would experience a low consumer market as a result. They would be spending more of the investors money on trying to remain â€Å"green† and losing out on the innovative ideas that competitors would have the advantage over.

Branded Luggage Analysis

DSS 21106 AdverMsing Management Campaign Delsey – Client Team TA1 Cham Ka Yan Polly Chui Tsz Shan Didian Koon Tsz Ling Cuby Lai Paak Ling Paakling Leung Hoi Man Niki Leung Wing Nam Erica Tsai Chi Ho Harold Tse Lai Shuen Sherry Wong Yi Tsang Anna 52214988 52213200 52214349 52235277 52214546 52213574 52215844 52215764 52213629 1 Delsey - ­? Background: †¢? Founded: France in 1946 †¢? Founder: Delahaye Seynhaeve brothers †¢? Name: The company named by the Founder who are Mr. DELAHAYE and he †¢? Slogan: Travel Smart SEYNHAEVE brothers, they combine their name – DELSEY †¢? Head o? ce: France †¢? Business: Delsey Design, an integrated research and creaMon laboratory of 7 designers has implemented a consistent creaMve approach. Delsey designers draw their inspiraMon from a range of rich and unique spheres (as fashion, car and sport industry) focusing their creaMvity to invent ever more innovaMve luggage 2 Delsey - ­? History: 1946 The Seynhaev e brothers joined with Mr.Delahaye and together created the DELSEY brand 1972 The revolution: the first rigid suitcase on wheels 1975 Creation of a rigid luggage in injection-moulded polypropylene 1984 First semi-rigid ‘Helium’ suitcase built on an injected monobloc frame 1993 Creation of the ‘Dual Drive’ concept, a rolled suitcase on 2 or 4 wheels 1999 Wheels pack system (patented) stopping wheels scraping against the back 2001 Creation of the largest and lightest polypropylene suitcase in the world 2006 Easy removable wheel system (patent pending) 2008 First fiberglass structure with shape memory (patent pending) 2009 Introduction of the lightest soft suitcase in the world 2010 Launch of Zip Securi Tech, an exclusive security innovation (patented) 3 Delsey- ­? Trademark Information 4 †¢? The Trademark: Delsey ® Delsey- ­? Trademark Registration 5 Delsey - ­? Spirit: †¢? DELSEY creates LIGHT and DESIGN luggage with HIGH QUALITY standards †¢? No compromises on FUNCTIONALITIES †¢? Discovers the equaMon between lightness and resistance †¢? DELSEY LUGGAGE ARE SUBJECTED TO RIGOROUS TESTS OF QUALITY FOR HOMOLOGATION †¢? Enjoy the perfect balance between useful and essenMal funcMons 6 Delsey - ­? Spirit: Design & [email  protected] are †¦ †¢? FOCUSED on your needs DETERMINED on [email  protected] SHINING AHEAD so you can feel the di? erence 7 Delsey – Innovations †¢? Totally 10 InnovaMons from 1972 – 2010 †¢? 1972: The 1st rolley hardside suitcase with wheels †¢? 2001: World’s largest hardside polypropylene suitcase †¢? 2009: The lightest DELSEY soa suitcase †¢? 2010: ZIP SECURI TECH 8 Delsey – Innovations 2010 - ­? ZIP SECURI TECH 2009 - ­? The lightest DELSEY 9 soa suitcase Delsey – Awards †¢? Totally 9 Design Awards †¢? Best product of the year in Cannes Tax free Word- ­? wide ExhibiMon †¢? Special award at the Paris leather goods fair †¢? ILM O? enbach award for innovaMve design 1975 : French Export Oscar Award 1987 : French Export Oscar Award for excepMonal performance 1992: Product of the Year Award from the BriMsh luggage associaMon 1998 : Cannes Tax free Word- ­? ide ExhibiMon, best product of the Year 2004 : Special award at the Paris leather good fair 2006 : NominaMon for InnovaMon during the Milano Impel exhibiMon 2009 : ILM O? enbach award for innovaMve design 2010 : Nominated by Observeur du design 2011 : Nominated by Observeur du design 10 11 Delsey – Kapferer’s Branding System Delsey Travel Business Endorser Brand Travel NecessiMes Delsey school Umbrella Brand 12 Endorsing brand Line Brand Umbrella Brand 13 Product Brand Endorsing brand Umbrella Brand Line Brand 14 Endorsing brand Umbrella Brand Line Brand Product Brand 15 Delsey †¢? Endorser brand Umbrella brand ? TELESCOPIC   TROLLEY CART FOLDABLE TROLLEY CART LUGGAGE SCALE AU TOMATIC POCKET UMBRELLA DRY BOX SAFETY CABLE POCKET UMBRELLA TRAVEL PILLOW ERGONOMIC TRAVEL PILLOW DE LUXE HANGTAG TRAVEL CUSHION FOR THE BACK SET OF 2 PROTECTION COVERS FOR SHOES AND LAUNDRY SET OF 3 PROTECTION COVERS FOR SHIRTS, UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS TRANSPARENT POUCH FOR LIQUIDS AEROSOLS AND GELS TSA LUGGAGE STRAP WITH 3? VDIGIT COMBINATION LOCK DELUXE UNIVERSAL ELECTRICAL PLUG ADAPTOR 16 WITH USB CONNECTION Travel [email  protected] †¢? FOLDABLE TRAVEL BAG †¢? FOLDABLE BACKPACK †¢? FOLDABLE SHOPPING BAG †¢? TOILETRY ORGANISER SIZE L †¢? WET PACK †¢? REPORTER BAG †¢? ORGANISED BELTBAG †¢? SMALL VERTICAL REPORTER BAG †¢? MULTIFUNCTION BELT BAG †¢? TOILETRY ORGANISER SIZE S †¢? DOCUMENT HOLDER WITH ZIPPED CLOSURE †¢? NECK BAG †¢? WAIST BAG †¢? EXPANDABLE SUITCASE COVER L/XL †¢? EXPANDABLE SUITCASE COVER M/L †¢? DOCUMENT HOLDER WITH ELASTIC CLOSURE †¢? TRAVEL COMPANION †¢? VERTICAL MULTIFUNCTIO N POUCH SIZE M/L †¢? HORIZONTAL MULTIFUNCTION POUCH †¢? VERTICAL MULTIFUNCTION POUCH SIZE S/M †¢? 3 ZIP POUCH †¢? CLOTHES COVER †¢? MULTIPOCKET HOLSTER BAG †¢? 2 FUNNY HANGTAGS †¢? DIGITAL LUGGAGE SCALE Product †¢? 3? VDIGIT COMBINATION PADLOCK brand DELSEY Endorser brand DELSEY SCHOOL Umbrella brand 1–CPT ROUND BACKPA CK 31 CM 1– GUSSET SCHOOL BAG LARGEPENCIL CASE DUO BOX LUNCH BAG 2–CPT PENCIL CASE PENCIL CASE DUO BOX VERTIC AL WPS TROLLE Y BACKPA CK HORIZO NTAL WPS TROLLE Y BACKPA CK 44 CM 2– GUSSET SCHOOL BAG 40 CM 2– GUSSET SCHOOL BAG 2–CPT ROUND BACKPA CK 17 Line brand Product Aoributes 18 Delsey Commitment to Quality †¢? DELSEY Luggage are subjected to rigorous tests of quality 1. Wheels 2. Shells 3. Shoulder and carry straps 4. Sliding closures 5. Buckle and metal parts ?nishes 19 Delsey Commitment to Quality (1) 1. Wheels - ­? Wheels are made to carry fully loaded luggage over 30 kilome ters of abrasive surfaces and obstacles e? Able to surmount such abrasive surfaces and obstacles and urable Being pulled down to the stairs Being pulled on the ?at ?oor 20 Delsey Commitment to Quality (2) 2. Shells - ­? the loaded suitcase is placed one meter above the ground. It is then dropped in 26 di? erent Places - ­? producing a total of 26 impacts. e? Ensure the luggage is not easy to be broken nor accidentally opened even fall down in a height 21 Delsey Commitment to Quality (3) 3. Shoulder and carry straps - ­? are tested by being raised/lowered several thousand Mmes. e? Ensure the luggage is durable for carrying 22 Delsey Commitment to Quality (4) 4. Sliding closures - ­? can be opened and closed 5,000 Mmes, the equivalent of 5 years’ ormal everyday use. Repeatedly being opened and closed for 5,000 Mmes e? To guarantee the zippers are durable and capable to cope with normal everyday use 23 Delsey Commitment to Quality (5) 5. Buckle and metal parts ?nishes -à ‚ ­? are subjected to extreme corrosive and weather condiMons to test resistance to rust. Fabrics have to pass tear resistance tests. e? Guarantee the luggage are durable in materials and surmount most environmental changes 24 Delsey – CODE SECURI TECH  § Every luggage that has a unique code or CODE SECURI TECH. †¢? registraMon on our partner’s site RegProtect, via DELSEY. com a? opMmizes your chances of ?nding lost luggage y using the Internet to put you in contact with the ?nder. a? Able to ?nd the luggage back even there is a mistake of being taken by others 25 Delsey – ZIP SECURI TECH †¢? Exclusive Delsey anM- ­? thea innovaMon †¢? Unique major technological revoluMon and innovaMve secure closure system †¢? Strength e? ciently combats risk of luggage 26 Delsey – Luggage Security Locks †¢? TSA LOCK †¢? Used by American TransportaMon Security AdministraMon (TSA) †¢? Allows the US authoriMes to check your luggage wi thout damaging it 27 Delsey – Luggage Security Locks COMBINATION LOCKS O Ensuring e? ecMve protecMon for personal belongings COMBINATION PADLOCKS O Can nsert on certain luggage in the middle zipper and pocket for extra security 28 Delsey’s Exclusive Design  § Delsey commitment to design and technology †¢? Delsey has its own design laboratory to develop exclusive [email  protected] and patents †¢? Every product created and designed in France, at the very curng edge of technology O Quality and magneMsm is guaranteed 29 Delsey – Individualism Luggage †¢? Customer can put on their favorite painMng or picture on the hardside luggage for free O Every Saturday and Sunday they will demonstrate in the 3 retail store at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm 30 Delsey – Guaranteed Warrants  § INTERNATIONAL WARRANT †¢? All DELSEY roducts are guaranteed 5 years †¢? Using high speci? [email  protected] materials and subjected to stringent quality controls †¢? Guarantees world- ­? wide †¢? Against any manufacturing defects under the terms of the condiMons described on the guarantee coupon inside the luggage. 31 Delsey – Ultra Light Weight †¢? Lightweight, the concern essenMal issue for all Delsey product †¢? Lightened up the average weight of a luggage by 1. 1kg to 2. 1kg for soa ranges and up to 1. 2 kg for its hard ranges O Fiber Lite (O? ering extreme lightness) O Lite Gloss (Lightness for hardside) O X’Pert Lite (ExperMse serving light weight) O Secur- ­? lite (Combining security, esilience and light weight) 32 Partnership - ­? Delsey Camera Bags †¢? In 2001, AGENA and DELSEY started the development of a camera bag collecMon - ­? called Delsey Camera Bags. 33 Partnership - ­? Delsey Camera Bags †¢? Inspired by the French Delsey styling, we developed a superb collecMon of bags ideally suited for photographic equipment. Each and every model of the Delsey camera bag collecMon has been carefully studied to saMsfy the photographers' speci? c requirements, such as extra padding, easy accessibility and opMmum carrying comfort, while maintaining that typical â€Å"French† touch of class. 34 Partnership - ­? Delsey Camera Bags †¢? Products nclude : BACKPACKS, BELT BAGS / POUCHES, NOTEBOOK CASES, SHOULDER BAGS, SWING BAGS, TROLLEY BAGS, ZOOMSTERS †¢? This cooperaMon help Delsey to expand their business to di? erent ?elds 35 Partnership - ­? Biztrails †¢? Delsey work with Biztrails. com which is operated by BCD Travel Germany. †¢? Biztrail. com provide travel informaMon to the consumer †¢? Biztrail. com will insert some informaMon of Delsey in the arMcles that introduce the places around the world. †¢? This cooperaMon help Delsey to reach the target consumer 36 Price of Delsey †¢? Price range of Delsey HKD$900- ­? $5,000 37 Delsey - ­? Distribution (Place) †¢? BouMque Store v Hysan Avenue

Inventing the Caribbean Columbus’s Creation of the Other...

Inventing the Caribbean: Columbus’s Creation of the Other Columbus’s invasion of the Caribbean in 1492 brought Native American and European cultures together for the first time in a startling encounter that reshaped the worldviews of both groups. In The Conquest of America: The Question of the Other, Tzvetan Todorov seeks to understand the ways in which the Spanish worldview shaped Columbus’s perception of the natives of Hispaniola, as he fashioned an other from his own sense of self. In Todorov’s model, the other is defined in terms of its correspondence, or lack thereof, to different facets of the self, including culture, language, physiognomy, religion, and knowledge; furthermore, the other is valued, distanced, and†¦show more content†¦Todorov contends that real interactions between the self and the other only occurred in the realms of the natural and human spheres, wherein Columbus related to the material world and to living beings; while no direct communication occurred in the divine sphere, the beliefs and values associated with it ultimately affected Columbus’s interactions with nature and man by creating a predisposition for certain interpretations and judgments. The divine sphere of Columbus’s worldview exercised a preeminent influence on the other spheres as his faith, belief, and premonition served to create an environment in which â€Å"the concrete experience [of nature and man] was there to illustrate a truth already possessed† by way of faith (Todorov 17). Todorov finds that the material realms of man and nature were forcibly interpreted to correspond to Columbus’s preconceived ideas and expectations. Although the invasion of the Caribbean brought the European self and the Arawak other into contact for the first time, Todorov argues that Columbus’s â€Å"discovery† and creation of the other was ultimately a validation of what he already â€Å"knew† he would find. Columbus’s writings reveal that religious devotion and faith were central facets of his identity and, indeed, may have been the impetus for his adventure to the Indies. Todorov finds that Columbus undertook his mission in the