A Nobel push for peace in Colombia - The Hindu Editorial with vocab – October 8, 2016
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.
strife / noun - violent or angry disagreement/ conflict
silver lining phrase - consoling & hopeful aspect of a
difficult/unpleasant situation
be spoilt for choice phrase
- to find it difficult to choose
from so many options/choices.
purported adjective [
before noun]
that has been stated to be true or to have
happened, although this may not be the case:
syn- claimed, professed, pretended; alleged.
pave the way for phrase - prepare for, open the way for, get ready for
stranded / adjective - unable to leave somewhere because of a problem
such as not having any transport or money
Syn - becalmed,
marooned.
painstakingly / / adverb - in a way
that shows you have taken a lot of care or made a lot of effort
accord - noun - official agreement, pact, treaty, settlement.
wind down phrasal verb - bring to a
close/end, close down
disband / dɪsˈbænd / verb [ I ]
to stop being a group:
referendum noun - a vote in which all the people in a country or an area are asked
to give their opinion about or decide an important political or social question
turn out phrasal verb - come/go/arrive, be present
persuasive / adjective - making you want to
do or believe a particular thing