THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- October 8, 2016- Topic 2
In a long year of war and
strife, it is a silver lining that the Nobel Committee in Oslo was spoilt for
choice in deciding upon the recipient of the 2016 Peace Prize. A landmark nuclear
deal brought a peaceful closure to
Iran’s purported nuclear weapon ambitions and paved the way for better
relations between Tehran and the West, making the key negotiators leading contenders
for the Prize. The yeoman efforts of the White Helmets of Syria, a group of local volunteers in Aleppo and other
parts of war-ravaged Syria who help rescue people injured or stranded in bomb
attacks in war zones, merited recognition. But the ending of one of the longest-running civil wars was the achievement that got the highest recognition
by the Committee. The Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 has been awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos after his government painstakingly concluded negotiations
by signing an accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC), winding down hostilities in a 52-year-old
civil war. The accord, signed on September 26, 2016, provided for the
disbanding of FARC militants and for the rebels to join the political process
as a routine political party, besides conceding demands by FARC to address
inequities in Colombia’s rural areas through development programmes and land
distribution. FARC also agreed to dismantle drug production facilities in areas
in its control which had helped finance the war against the Colombian
government. This was a landmark accord that provided an opportunity not just
for peace but also for better prospects in the war against drug production and
trade in Colombia.
Merely a week after the
accord, the government received a setback as its attempt to get the accord
ratified through a referendum failed.
About 50.23 per cent of the voters who turned out (the turnout was less than 40
per cent)voted against the peace agreement. Both the government and FARC have
ruled out a return to war despite this setback, and even the advocates of the
“no” vote, including former President Álvaro Uribe, have sought fresh
negotiations for what they deem to be a better accord. The Nobel committee
recognises that despite the setback there is the need for a broad-based
dialogue to further the peace process. In doing so, it has provided Mr. Santos
the persuasive pulpit he had lost following the referendum. The award should
enable his government to seek a renewed accord that does not militate against
the previous one and seals a durable peace. The Peace Prize is a testimonial to
the patience required to bring about closure to complex, long-running
conflicts. In this case at least, it is well-deserved.
Vocabulary
Strife: angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
Example: Strife within the community
Synonyms: conflict, friction, discord, disagreement, dissension, dispute
Spoilt: of poor quality; inferior or defective.
Example: A bad diet
Synonyms: substandard, poor, inferior, second-rate, second-class
Pave: cover (a piece of ground) with concrete, asphalt, stones, or bricks; lay
paving over.
Example: The yard at the front was paved with flagstones
Stranded: drive or leave a boat, sailor, or sea creature aground on a shore.
Example: The ships were stranded in shallow water
Painstakingly: very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
Example: He chooses his words with fastidious care
Synonyms: scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, meticulous
Disbanding: of an organized group break up or cause to break up and stop functioning.
Example: The IRA's war has ended and the organisation shall not
disband .
Synonyms: break up, disperse, demobilize, dissolve, scatter, separate
Merely: just; only.
Example: She seemed to him not merely an intelligent woman, but a
kind of soul mate
Synonyms: only, purely, solely, simply, just, but
Persuasive: good at persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or
the use of temptation.
Example: An informative and persuasive speech
Synonyms: convincing, cogent, compelling, potent, forceful, powerful, impactful
Pulpit: a raised platform or lectern in a church or chapel from which the preacher
delivers a sermon.
Example: The gay rights movement is uncomfortable with that tack,
a skepticism bred from years of anti-gay sermons being delivered from pulpits
across the country.
Synonyms: stand, lectern, platform, podium, stage, dais, rostrum