Ukubuka Okwezwe

Ukusetshenziswa Kukagwayi

Nakuba ukusetshenziswa kukagwayi kuye kwehla ngokuphawulekayo kwamanye amazwe, kuye kwanda emazweni amaningi kuleminyaka engamashumi amabili edlule. Ngokwesibonelo, eChina usasetshenziswa kakhulu kunakuwo wonke amazwe emhlabeni futhi kuye kwanda ngamaphesenti angu-297. I-United States neNdiya zalondoloza indawo yesibili neyesithathu futhi zaba nokwanda kwamaphesenti angu-27 nangu-50 izwe ngalinye. Amanye amazwe anokwanda okukhulu iRwanda ngamaphesenti angu-388; iGreece, ngamaphesenti angu-331; iNyakatho Korea, ngamaphesenti angu-325; iTanzania, ngamaphesenti angu-227; iHong Kong, ngamaphesenti angu-214; i-Indonesia, ngamaphesenti angu-193; iSingapore, ngamaphesenti angu-186; neTurkey, ngamaphesenti angu-185. Lezi zibalo, ezanyatheliswa kuyi-Asiaweek, zibonisa izinga loshintsho phakathi kuka-1970 no-1993. Phakathi kwamazwe angu-138 abaliwe, angu-26 kuphela aba nokwehla ekusetshenzisweni kukagwayi.

Intsha Nezibhamu

Ukubulawa ngezibhamu kwanda ngokushesha phakathi kwentsha yaseMelika eneminyaka eyishumi kuya kwengu-19 kunakunoma iliphi elinye iqembu, kusho umbiko we-Children’s Defense Fund. Izibhamu seziyimbangela yokufa yesibili eyinhloko. Izingozi, ikakhulukazi zezimoto, ziyimbangela eyinhloko. Phakathi kwentsha yaseMelika eneminyaka engaphansi kwengu-20, kwabulawa oyedwa ngesibhamu njalo emizuzwini engu-92 ngo-1993—ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-7 kunangonyaka owawandulele. Uma kuqhathaniswa, kuwo wonke amaqembu obudala, ukwanda kwakungamaphesenti angu-4,8 kuphela. Lesi sikhwama sezokuvikela samangalela uhulumeni ngokungenzi lutho ukuze agcine izibhamu zingatholakali ezinganeni nasezikoleni. Izibalo zoMnyango Wezokuvikela wase-United States kuthiwa ziyavumelana nalokhu. Inani lababulali abayintsha liye landa ngokuphindwe kathathu kuleminyaka eyishumi edlule, laba ngaphezu kuka-26 000 ngo-1994. Inani lalabo abasebenzisa izibhamu njengezikhali zabo zokubulala liye laphindeka kane phakathi nenkathi efanayo, nakuba inani lalabo abasebenzisa ezinye izikhali cishe lingazange lishintshe. Lezi zibalo zigcizelela umonakalo obangelwa ukutholakala kwezibhamu.

Ukuthambekela Kokuzibulala

“AmaMelika angaba ngu-30 000 [ayazibulala] minyaka yonke,” kuphawula i-Scientific American, futhi “kunamathuba aphindwe kane okuba abesilisa bazibulale kunabesifazane.” Futhi izinga lokuzibulala liyanda lapho umuntu ekhula, okubonisa ukucindezeleka ngenxa yempilo ebuthaka nokuphelelwa ithemba. Izinga lokuzibulala lalabo abaneminyaka engu-75 ubudala noma ngaphezulu likhulu ngokuphindwe kane kunelentsha. Yiziphi izici ezinquma ukuthi umuntu uyozibulala ngempela? Okubalwa njengokuvelele ukuntuleka kokusekela komkhaya nomphakathi nokungahlanganyeli ngentshiseko enkolweni. Uma kuqhathaniswa namanye amazwe, amazinga okuzibulala e-United States asesilinganisweni, njengoba kunesilinganiso sabantu abangaba ngu-11 abazibulalayo kulabo nalabo bantu abangu-100-000.

Ukuqeqesha Ngobudlova

◼ “Ukuhlolwa kwezinhlelo zethelevishini okwathatha unyaka wonke, okwenziwa abacwaningi emayunivesithi amane, kuphetha ngokuthi ubudlova ‘obulimaza ingqondo’ bandile ezinhlelweni ze-TV ezisakazwayo nezikhokhelwayo,” kusho i-Washington Post. Lokhu kuhlola akutholanga nje kuphela ukuthi izinhlelo eziningi zinobudlova kodwa nokuthi indlela obuvezwa ngayo ingaba nemiphumela elimazayo ezibukelini. Lemiphumela “ihlanganisa ukufunda ukuba nobudlova, ukungayishayi mkhuba imiphumela elimazayo yobudlova nokwesaba ukuhlaselwa.” Esinye isizathu siwukuthi abashoshozeli bobudlova ezinhlelweni ze-TV ezinobudlova ezingamaphesenti angu-73 abajeziswa, okudlulisela isigijimi sokuthi “ubudlova buyaphumelela.” Futhi, izigcawu eziningi aziyivezi imiphumela ezisulwini, njengokuzwa ubuhlungu, ukulimala ngokomzwelo noma ukulahlekelwa ngokwezimali. Futhi lokhu kuhlola kuthi ukusetshenziswa njalo kwezibhamu ezehlakalweni zobudlova ku-TV kungase “kubangele imicabango nezenzo ezinonya.”

◼ Lapho befinyelela eminyakeni engu-30 ubudala, abantu ababebuka kakhulu ubudlova be-TV lapho besakhula “bayomangalelwa kakhulu ngobudlova, baboshelwe ukushayela bedakiwe, babe nonya kakhulu lapho bephuzile futhi baxhaphaze abangane babo bomshado [futhi] babe nezingane ezinonya kakhulu,” kusho uLen Eron, uprofesa wokusebenza kwengqondo futhi ongusosayensi ongumcwaningi e-Institute for Social Research e-University of Michigan. Imidlalo ye-video idala izinkinga ezifanayo. Njengoba kwabikwa ephephandabeni i-Toronto Star, u-Eron wathi ingozi ehlobene nomdlalo we-video iwukuthi uhilela umdlali. Abadlali “banyakazisa igiya noma bacindezele inkinobho bese bona ngokwabo benza lesi senzo esibi, sobudlova—ukubulala othile.” UProfesa Eron unomuzwa wokuthi kudingeka isiqondiso sabazali esengeziwe. Nokho, ukhala ngokuthi “iningi labazali alinandaba neze.”

Ukuntuleka Kwabefundisi EFrance Kuyanda

Kunokuntuleka okwandayo kwabefundisi bamaKatolika eFrance. Iphephandaba laseParis i-Monde libika ukuthi ngo-1995, kwakunabapristi abangu-96 kuphela abagcotshwa kulo lonke elaseFrance kanti babengu-121 kuphela ngo-1994. AmaJesuit aqeqesha abefundisi abangu-7 kuphela kanti isigaba sikaDominic saqeqesha abangu-25 ngo-1995. Kuyisimo esifanayo nasekubuthweni kwezindelakazi zamaKatolika. I-Monde ithi “kusukela ngawo-1970, inani lezindelakazi liye laqhubeka lincipha, kusukela kwezingu-92 326 ngo-1977 kuya kwezingu-51 164 kuphela ngonyaka odlule.” Ngenxa yokuguga kweningi labefundisi nokwehluleka kwesonto ukuthola abefundisi abasha, kubikezelwa ukuthi ngonyaka ka-2005, kuyobe kunabapristi abangu-9000 kuphela abaphethe izifunda eFrance. I-Monde ithi izizathu zalokhu kuncipha “ukwehla kwesithunzi sabefundisi emphakathini, ukwesaba kwabantu izibopho zesikhathi eside, umbono wabefundisi ongathandeki, nokungabethembi abaholi besonto.”

Iwashi Elinembe Kunawo Wonke Emhlabeni

Ososayensi ePerth, eNtshonalanga Australia, baklamé iwashi elinembe ngokuphindwe kayinkulungwane kunama-atomic clock asetshenziswa eNgilandi ukuze kutholwe isikhathi esamukelwa emhlabeni wonke. Njengoba laziwa ngokuthi i-sapphire clock, libiza cishe amaRandi angu-870 000, futhi kakade sekwakhiwe ambalwa. Lingalinganisa i-femtosecond edlula ngokushesha, eyingxenye eyodwa yesigidi sezigidi eziyinkulungwane zomzuzwana! Lisiza ngani? Ngokwenkolelo-mbono ka-Einstein evamile yokuncikana kwezinto, isikhathi sihamba ngokushesha lapho umuntu engaphezulu komhlaba. “Umgomo wethu ukulinganisa umehluko wejubane ekuphakameni okungaba imitha—ngamanye amazwi phakathi kwezinyawo zakho nekhanda lakho,” kusho isazi se-physics uDavid Blair, owayesebenza ekuklameni leli washi. Nokho, ukunemba kwalo kuthatha izikhawu zemizuzu emihlanu.

USandwich Ovamile?

Ngo-1762, uLord Sandwich waseBrithani, umgembuli wansondo, wagembula amahora angu-24. Ukuze aqede iphango, wacela izingcezu ezimbili zesinkwa ezinocezwana lwenyama phakathi kwazo. Lokhu kudlana okusha okulula—isemishi—kwethiwa ngaye ngaleso sikhathi. Manje abaseBrithani bachitha amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-34,4 usuku ngalunye ngamasemishi, ukwanda ngamaphesenti angu-75 phakathi naleminyaka emihlanu edlule. “Amasemishi akha ngaphezu kwengxenye yesithathu yemakethe yokudla okulungiswa ngokushesha,” kubika i-Times yaseLondon, futhi athengiswa ezitolo ezingu-8000. Kudliwa amasemishi angaba izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,3 unyaka ngamunye eBrithani. Nokho, lamasemishi ahluke kakhulu ekudleni okwenziwa imikhaya lapho iya epikinikini emaphandleni noma ogwini lolwandle. Ezinye izikhungo zenza izinhlobo ezingavamile, kuhlanganise namasemishi enziwe ngenyama ye-kangaroo noma ye-alligator noma okokugcoba isinkwa okwenziwe ngoshokoledi okunamajikijolo nokhilimu.

Uhwebo Lobulili Bezingane E-Asia

Ohulumeni nezisebenzi zezenhlalakahle balinganisela ukuthi amantombazane nabafana abangaphezu kwesigidi, abaneminyaka engu-17 nangaphansi, bahileleke ebufebeni e-Asia, kusho i-New York Times. Nakuba izibalo ezinembile zingaziwa, izingane ezingakathombi nokuthomba zingatholakala ezikhungweni zezifebe emazweni anjengeCambodia, eChina, eNdiya, ePhilippines, eTaiwan, naseThailand. Kungani kufunwa izingane ezincane kangaka? Esinye isizathu ukwesaba ingculaza. “Amadoda kulo lonke elase-Asia aphendukela ezinganeni ezincane kakhulu, ngokwengxenye ngoba kucatshangwa ukuthi azinayo i-H.I.V., igciwane elibangela ingculaza,” kusho i-Times. Noma kunjalo, igciwane lengculaza lisakazeka ngokushesha phakathi kwezifebe kulamazwe, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuhweba ngezifebe kwamanye amazwe futhi ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuthi amakhasimende, amanye avakashela amazwe ngenxa yobulili, ahambela izindawo ezihlukene. Nakuba ezinye izingane zithunjwa, ezinye zithengiswa abazali bazo ukuze bathole izinto ezibonakalayo.

Umbango Noma Ubunye?

“Ukugujwa komkhosi ka-2000 wokuzalwa kukaKristu sekuyimpikiswano eshubile emasontweni,” kubika i-ENI (Ecumenical News International) Bulletin. UKonrad Raiser, unobhala-jikelele woMkhandlu Wezwe Wamasonto, unxusé amasonto ukuba abheke lesi senzakalo “njengethuba lokubambisana nobunye—kunokuba kube umqhudelwano wokuvelela.” Nokho, wathi amasonto abonakala ezimisele kakhulu ukusebenzisa lowo nyaka “njengethuba lokushumayela ivangeli . . . ukuze anqobe ukwehliswa kwesithunzi sawo emphakathini.” Nakuba etusa upapa ngokunxusa kwakhe ukuba unyaka ka-2000 “ube ithuba lokuqinisekisa ubunye bobuKristu,” uRaiser wanezela: “Ukuthi mangaki kulamathemba ayogcwaliseka ngonyaka ka-2000 kusazobonakala—izenzakalo zesikhathi esidlule zibangela ukungabaza.”