Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ingabe Ukuthengiswa Kwezikhali Kuyancipha?

NgokweDisarmament Newsletter yeUN, kunezindaba ezinhle ekuthengisweni kwezikhali emhlabeni. Kubonakala sengathi iStockholm International Peace Research Institute yathola ukuthi “inani lembulunga yonke lokuthengiswa kwezikhali ezinkulu ezivamile lalehle ngo-35% ngo-1990 kunango-1989, lelo ngokwalo elalilincane kunamanani ayebikwe phakathi neminyaka yawo-1980.” Nokho, iBulletin of the Atomic Scientists muva nje yaba nombono ofiphele wenkulumo yezombangazwe ngokuncishiswa kwezikhali, iphawula: “Emuva ezweni elingokoqobo, ukuthengiswa kwezikhali kuyanda.” Ngokwesibonelo, iBulletin icaphuna iFrance, eyaba “nokwanda kwamaphesenti angu-70 ezikhali ezathunyelwa kwamanye amazwe” ngo-1990. Selokhu kwaqala isiphithiphithi sasePersian Gulf, abenzi bezikhali eUnited States baye bahlangana ukuze bakhe izikhali ezingabiza amaRandi ayizigidigidi ezingu-42—zamazwe aseMpumalanga Ephakathi kuphela! Futhi ngoJuly 1991 uwodwa, izikhali zempi iU.S. ezithumela kwamanye amazwe zafinyelela emaRandini ayizigidigidi ezingu-19.

Inkokhelo Yezingane Zecocaine

Elinye inani elibi liyanda—inani labesifazane abakhulelwe eUnited States elisebenzisa kabi isidakamizwa icocaine. Ngokukamagazini iNew Scientist, kulinganiselwa ukuthi inani lezingane ezithola lesidakamizwa ngesikhathi zisesesibelethweni lisuka ku-92 000 kuya ku-240 000 ngonyaka. Uhulumeni waseU.S. ulinganisela ukuthi ezingu-158 400 zezingane ezinjalo zazalwa ngo-1990 kuphela. Icocaine ayinankinga yokunqamula kumzanyana ukuze ihlasele indawo yesiphephelo yombungu, futhi ososayensi kumanxa beqala ukuqonda indlela engase ilimaze ngayo umbungu. Okunye ukuhlola kwathola ukuthi abantwana becocaine babehlala esibhedlela isikhathi eside, kwakunokwenzeka ngokuphindwe kabili ukuba bazalwe bengaphansi kwesisindo esifanele, futhi kwakunokwenzeka ngesilinganiso samaphesenti angu-50 ukuba bahlale egumbini labagula kakhulu ngenxa yezifo ezinhlobonhlobo. Zingakanani izindleko zakho konke lokhu kunakekelwa kwasesibhedlela okwengeziwe? Zilinganiselwa emaRandini ayizigidi ezingu-1 386 ngonyaka!

Ukubuya Okubulalayo

Izinyamazane okuthiwa amamoose zake zaba sengozini yokuphela ezifundeni zaseNyakatho Melika zaseMaine, eNew Hampshire, naseVermont. Nokho, inani lamamoose liye lenyuka ngokushesha phakathi neminyaka eyishumi edlule, futhi lokhu kuye kwaholela ekwenyukeni okukhulu kokushayisana kwalezilwane nezimoto. Imoose endala, enesisindo esisukela kumakhilogremu angu-450 kuya kwangu-700, inobude obungamamitha amabili ukufika ehlombe. Njengoba lokhu kwenza ikhanda lalesilwane libe ngaphezu kokukhanya kwezibani zangaphambili, akukho kukhanya okuvela emehlweni okuxwayisa abashayeli ebusuku. “Uma ushayisana nemoose eza ngakuwe, umane ukhiphe amanqina ayo ngaphansi kwayo futhi awube usayibona kuze kube yilapho ishayisa ifasitela langaphambili,” kusho uchwepheshe wezezilwane zasendle uHoward C. Nowell. IMaine iyodwa yaba nezingozi zokushayisana kwamamoose nezimoto ezingu-500 ngo-1990. Enye inkinga iwukuthi amamoose awaqondakali. Umshayeli wemoto encane wacabanga ukuthi angayithusa imoose isuke emgwaqeni ngokushaya ihutha yemoto yakhe. Esikhundleni sokuba yethuke, imoose yahlasela imoto futhi yayiginqela ehlathini!

Abesifazane Abangaziwa Ukuthi Bashonaphi

Ngokuhlaziya izindlela ezinemininingwane zamanani okuzalwa nokufa, izazi zamanani abantu ziye zathola okuthile okuphazamisayo. Abesifazane abayizigidi eziyikhulu babonakala benyamalala enanini labantu abasemhlabeni. INew York Times ibika ukuthi nakuba kuzalwa abafana abengeziwe abangamaphesenti amahlanu noma ayisithupha kunamantombazane, abesilisa banezinga lokufa eliphakeme kakhulu. Ngakho emazweni athuthukile anjengeNgilandi neUnited States, abesifazane badlula amadoda ngabesifazane abangu-105 emadodeni angu-100. Nokho, emazweni amaningi asathuthuka, ikakhulukazi eAsia, kunabesifazane abambalwa ngokuphawulekayo—ngezinye izikhathi abangu-93 kuphela kuwo wonke amadoda angu-100. Siyini isizathu salokhu? ITimes iyaphawula: “Amashumi ezigidi alabo abangaziwa ukuthi bashonaphi ahlanganisa abesifazane . . . abakhishwa nezisu noma bafe lapho bezalwa noma abafa ngenxa yokuthi banikwa ukudla okuncane kunabesilisa, noma ngenxa yokuthi amalungu omkhaya abheka indodakazi enesifo sohudo njengeyisidina kodwa indodana enesifo esifanayo njengenempilo engeyinhle edinga udokotela.”

Umbono Wentsha YaseJapane

Ukuhlola kwamuva kwathola ukuthi intsha yaseJapane inombono olufifi ngokumangalisayo ngomphakathi nekusasa leJapane. IAsahi Evening News iyabika: “Amaphesenti angaphezu kwangu-50 abafundi abahlolwa athi yebo ekugomeleni kokuthi ‘njengoba umphakathi wamanje unika imali nezinto ukubaluleka okukhulu, ukuchuma okungokomoya akunakwa.’” Cishe amaphesenti angu-70 abafundi azwakalisa ukungeneliseki ngomphakathi. Lapho ecelwa ukuba akhethe umbala owubonakalisa kahle kakhulu umbono wawo ngekusasa lezwe, amaphesenti angu-38,8 akhetha ompunga, amaphesenti angu-15,7 akhetha omnyama, amaphesenti angu-3,1 kuphela akhetha obomvu. Lapho bebuzwa ukuthi yini abafuna ukuba isikole sibafundise yona, abaningi bakhetha isiqondiso sendlela yokuzakha, njengendlela umuntu okumelwe aphile ngayo. “Lokhu ukukhalela usizo okubuhlungu,” kuphetha iphephandaba.

Ukukhulisa I-IQ

Ingabe i-IQ yakho—i-Intelligence Quotient (Izinga Lokuhlakanipha) njengoba ikalwa ngokuhlola okukhethekile—iyisikali sokuhlakanipha kwakho okungashintshi, okuvamile? Noma ingabe i-IQ nayo ithintwa amathonya angaphandle? Imibuzo enjalo kuphikiswana kanzima ngayo phakathi kochwepheshe abasemkhakheni wokuhlola ubuhlakani. Ubufakazi obusha busikisela ngokunamandla ukuthi isikole, njengoba sifundisa abantwana indlela yokucabanga nokuxazulula izinkinga, sifeza indima enkulu ekwakheni i-IQ. Ngokukamagazini iScience News, isazi sokusebenza kwengqondo uStephen J. Ceci waseYunivesithi iCornell eUnited States wabuyekeza ukuhlola okuhlukene okungu-200 okwakuqaphe ukuthuthuka kweIQ. Wathola ukuthi i-IQ yezingane njalo iyehla kancane ngemva kokuvalwa kwezikole isikhathi eside. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izingane eziya esikoleni ngezikhathi ezithile kuphela zivame ukuba nokwehla kweIQ okuncane. Ukuhlola kukaCeci kusikisela ukuthi ngonyaka ngamunye wesikole lowo ingane engayi ngawo esikoleni, i-IQ ingase yehle isuka engxenyeni eyodwa kwezine iye engxenyeni yesithupha kwezine.

Umqedazwe Wobugebengu ENingizimu Afrika

Iminyaka emibili edlule iye yaba “nokwanda okubi ebugebengwini obungathi sína” eNingizimu Afrika, kubika iStar, iphephandaba laseGoli. Ngo-1990 kwabulawa abangu-15 109—ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-28 ngaphezu kwenani lababulawa ngo-1989; ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalombili zokuqala zika-1991, lelinani lenyuka ngamanye amaphesenti amabili. Obunye ubugebengu bobudlova buye benyuka ngokuphawulekayo nabo. IWitness Echo yaseMgungundlovu ibika ukuthi “kuyo yonke imizuzu emithathu kudlwengulwa owesifazane eNingizimu Afrika”—abafinyelela kwabangu-300 000 ngonyaka, ngokokunye ukulinganisela. Leliphephandaba licaphuna izazi zezenhlalo ezivakashile ngokuthi zaphetha ngokuthi iNingizimu Afrika inezigameko zokudlwengula eziningi kakhulu emhlabeni wonke. Enye inhlangano yokuvimbela ubugebengu ilinganisela ukuthi oyedwa kwabane besifazane baseNingizimu Afrika uyadlwengulwa esikhathini sokuphila kwakhe. Eminyakeni eyishumi nje edlule, inani lalingoyedwa kwabangu-10.

Umpristi Olwa Nezinkunzi

Iphephandaba laseSpain iPaís labika indaba ka-Ángel Rodríguez Tejedor, umpristi oneminyaka engu-55 ubudala, waseTitulcia (eMadrid), owalwa nenkunzi esencane phambi kwezihlwele zabangu-1 500 ukuze aqoqele isonto lakhe imali. (Imali ayeyiqoqe empini yangaphambili yakhokhela izinto zokushisisa isigodlo sezindela.) Esendleleni eya enkundleni yokulwa, wama phambi kwesonto ukuze athandaze futhi ngezwi elivevezelayo wamemeza isithixo seNcasakazi yeRosari: “¡Guapa, ayúdame!” (Wena omuhle, ngisize!) Lapho isikhathi sifika sokuba abulale inkunzi, umpristi wathumela umgcini wezitsha ezingcwele ukuba ayibulale. Iphepha libika ukuthi umpristi neqembu lakhe baklonyeliswa ngamadlebe enkunzi efile njengendebe nokuthi umsebenzi wompristi wangaleyo ntambama “waziswa ngaphezu kweMisa ayelenze ngeSonto, okungenani uma kubhekwa inani lababekhona.”

Ukuphila Komkhaya EYurophu

Incwadi yaseFrance iEuroscopie iphawula ukuthi izibalo zesahlukaniso ziye zenyuka ngokuphindwe kathathu eYurophu (zisuka ku-171 000 ziya ku-530 000) phakathi neminyaka engu-20. Lencwadi ibalula iUnited Kingdom, lapho izibalo zesahlukaniso ziye zanda ngokuphindwe kasithupha phakathi kuka-1960 no-1988. EDenmark, okwamanje emishadweni emibili owodwa uphela ngesahlukaniso—cishe ngokufanayo naseUnited States. Ukhulumela lengxenye yalencwadi, umagazini waseFrance iL’Express uthi: “Ngisho nakuba abantu baseYurophu beqhubeka nokubeka [umkhaya] kuqala ohlwini lwabo lwezinto ezibalulekile, lenhlangano endala kakhulu iwohloka ngokuqhubekayo.”

Amaqiniso Anzima?

Isihloko samuva nje kuyiWall Street Journal sangabaza ubuqiniso bokuhlola okuningi “kwesayensi” lokho abakhiqizi abakusebenzisayo ukuze bakhangise noma bavikele umkhiqizo wabo. Ngokuhlola inani elilinganiselwe, labantu abangameleli bonke abanye, noma ngokubuza imibuzo ephicayo, noma ngokusebenzisa ukuqhosha okusebenzela izinzuzo zabo, ukuhlola kungenziwa ukuba kusekele noma yiluphi uhlangothi. Ngokuvamile ekugcineni izinkampane zikhokhelwa ngesizumbulu semali. Ngokwesibonelo, muva nje ibhizinisi elenza amanabukeni endwangu liye lasekela ngokwezimali ukuhlola okubili okwakuphethe ngokuthi lawomanabukeni endwangu ayingozi endaweni ezungezile. Phakathi nalesosikhathi, ibhizinisi elenza amanabukeni endwangu lasekela ngokwezimali ukuhlola okubili “okuqinisekisa” okuphambene! UEric Miller, umhleli wencwadi ebukeza imiphumela yokuhlola okuthi akube ngu-2 000 unyaka ngamunye, watshela abalobi beJournal: “Bekulokhu kunokuwohloka kancane kancane kwezindinganiso.” Wanezela: “Ingxenye eyesabisayo ingukuthi, abantu benza izinqumo ngokusekelwe kulokhu. Kungase kube ubugebengu obungabonakali, kodwa akubona obungenazisulu.”