Word: backdrop
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Corruption, impunity, the backdrop of violence since the country's brutal civil war that stretched from the 1960s into the '90s and a well-entrenched organized crime network make Guatemala fertile ground for the narcotics business. A series of weak, infiltrated governments have been unable or unwilling to reverse the tide. "People perceive a breakdown of authority and really the authorities are the traffickers," says ambassador McFarland. In areas of high drug activity, the population has little choice but to align itself with the traffickers, says Godoy, the former Guatemalan Interior Ministry official. Plus, in a country where some...
...stop occasionally to examine one of the many Persian carpets arrayed on a wall the length of a tennis court. Against the black cloth of the exhibition hall's walls, the brightly colored handmade silk carpets - in vibrant blues and greens, luscious reds and purples - almost leap off the backdrop...
...worst human atrocities in history, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), which was eventually ratified by 140 nations, including the U.S. in 1986. The Convention marks its 60th anniversary on Dec. 9 against the backdrop of a monumental human rights crisis in Darfur and an enduring debate over the effectiveness of the CPPCG and other measures aimed at stopping genocide. (See pictures of the U.N. General Assembly members...
...costumes were some of its greatest strengths. The set, designed by Stephany Y. Lin ’11, successfully captured the feeling of a dream-like, enchanting forest with its painted border and two trees made with incredible texture. Change in setting was signified gracefully by a switch in backdrop, particularly when the silhouettes of a forest became one of a city to indicate a move from the forest to London. Costume designer Antonia M. Pugilese ’12 emsured that the fairy costumes were appropriately sparkling and whimsical. The costumes of the Peers were equally suitable, consisting...
Let’s say hypothetically that because of a few bad decisions and utter negligence on my part, I destroyed the Washington Monument. People would be upset. School children would lose a quality backdrop for photographs. Jerry Bruckheimer would no longer have the archetypical Washington aerial shot needed before the president decides to send in an elite team, always manned by Nicholas Cage, to kill someone. And let’s not forget the mountainous heap of rubble. The consequences of my actions, I would estimate to cost the taxpayers around $500 million, and I of course would...