“Usuphethiwe Umsebenzi Wesikhathi Eside”

EMINYAKENI engu-50 edlule, owesifazane osekhulile wakhuluma, izwe lalalela. Kwenzeka eParis ngo-December 10, 1948. ISishaya-mthetho seZizwe Ezihlangene sasihlangene ePalais Chaillot eyayisanda kwakhiwa lapho usihlalo we-UN Commission on Human Rights esukuma ukuze anikeze inkulumo. Ngezwi eliqinile, u-Eleanor Roosevelt, umfelokazi ondoda yakhe yayinguMongameli wase-United States uFranklin D. Roosevelt, watshela ababebuthene ukuthi: “Namuhla sisonqenqemeni lwengqopha-mlando yeZizwe Ezihlangene nasekuphileni kwesintu, ukugunyaza kweSishaya-mthetho i-Universal Declaration of Human Rights [ISimemezelo Somhlaba Wonke Samalungelo Abantu].”

Ngemva kokuba efunde amazwi acacile esethulo salesi Simemezelo kanye neziphakamiso zaso ezingu-30, iSishaya-mthetho sayamukela le ncwadi.a Khona-ke, ehlonipha ubuholi obuvelele bukaNkk. Roosevelt, amalungu e-UN asukuma ngenhlonipho ebonga “iNkosikazi Yomhlaba,” njengoba ayebizwa kanjalo uma eteketiswa. Ekupheleni kwalolo suku, wabhala: “Usuphethiwe umsebenzi wesikhathi eside.”

Ukuguqula Imibono Eminingi Ibe Isinqumo Esisodwa

Eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili, ngo-January 1947, ngemva nje kokuqala komsebenzi wekhomishane ye-UN, kwaba sobala ukuthi ukubhala incwadi echaza amalungelo abantu eyayizokwamukeleka kuwo wonke amalungu e-UN kwakuzoba umsebenzi omkhulu. Zisuka nje, ukungavumelani okukhulu kwakwenza ikhomishane enamalungu angu-18 ixabane njalo. Inxusa laseChina lalinomuzwa wokuthi le ncwadi kufanele ihlanganise nefilosofi kaConfucius, ilungu lekhomishane elingumKatolika lalifuna kufakwe nezimfundiso zikaThomas Aquinas, elase-United States lalwela i-American Bill of Rights, kanti abaseSoviet babefuna kuhlanganiswe nemiqondo kaKarl Marx—lena kwakuyimibono yabantu abambalwa nje eyavezwa ngokuqinile!

Ukuxabana njalo kwamalungu ekhomishane kwavivinya ukubekezela kukaNkk. Roosevelt. Ngo-1948, lapho efundisa eParis eSorbonne, wathi wayecabanga ukuthi ukukhulisa umkhaya wakhe omkhulu kwakumenze waphelelwa isineke. Nokho, kubikwa ukuthi izilaleli zakhe zakuthola kuhlekisa lapho ethi “ukwengamela i-Commission on Human Rights kuvivinya ngisho nakakhulu.”

Noma kunjalo, ulwazi lwakhe njengomama lwaba usizo olukhulu. Ngaleso sikhathi, enye intatheli yabhala ukuthi indlela uNkk. Roosevelt ayephatha ngayo amalungu ekhomishane yayimkhumbuza umama “onomkhaya omkhulu wabafana abathanda umsindo, abahluphayo ngezinye izikhathi kodwa abanezinhliziyo ezinhle, abadinga ukukhuzwa ngokuqinile ngezikhathi ezithile.” (Eleanor Roosevelt—A Personal and Public Life) Nokho, ngokubonisa umusa ebe eqinile ngesikhathi esifanayo, wakwazi ukukholisa abantu ngaphandle kokuzibangela izitha zabaphikisi.

Ngenxa yalokho, ngemva kwemihlangano eyathatha iminyaka emibili, eyayidinga izichibiyelo eziningi, izinkulungwane zemisho, nokuhlangana izikhathi ezingu-1400 kuzoboniswana ngegama nesigatshana ngasinye, le khomishane yakwazi ukukhulula incwadi enamalungelo abantu eyayikholelwa ukuthi wonke amadoda nabesifazane, kuwo wonke umhlaba, kufanele babe nawo. Yabizwa ngokuthi i-Universal Declaration of Human Rights (ISimemezelo Somhlaba Wonke Samalungelo Abantu). Waqedwa kanjalo-ke umsebenzi owawubonakala ungenakwenzeka ngezinye izikhathi.

Amathemba Amakhulu

Yiqiniso, kwakungalindelwe ukuba ukucindezela kuphele lapho kuthathwa lesi sinyathelo sokuqala. Nokho, ukwamukelwa kwe-Universal Declaration kwavusa amathemba amakhulu. Umongameli weSishaya-mthetho se-UN ngaleso sikhathi, uDkt. Herbert V. Evatt wase-Australia, wabikezela ukuthi “izigidi zamadoda, abesifazane nabantwana kuwo wonke umhlaba, eziqhele kakhulu eParis naseNew York, ziyophendukela kule ncwadi ukuze zithole usizo, isiqondiso nethemba.”

Sekuphele iminyaka engu-50 kusukela uDkt. Evatt asho lawo mazwi. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ngempela abaningi baye baphendukela kulesi Simemezelo njengesiqondiso futhi basisebenzisa njengendinganiso yokubona izinga amalungelo abantu emhlabeni jikelele ahlonishwa ngalo. Lapho benza kanjalo, batholani? Ingabe amazwe angamalungu e-UN ayayifinyelela le ndinganiso? Sinjani isimo uma kuziwa emalungelweni abantu emhlabeni namuhla?

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]

Ayini Amalungelo Abantu?

IZizwe Ezihlangene zichaza amalungelo abantu ngokuthi “yilawo malungelo esinawo ngokwemvelo esingenakuphila njengabantu ngaphandle kwawo.” Amalungelo aye achazwa nangokuthi “ulimi olukhulunywa yiso sonke isintu”—futhi lokhu kushiwo kufanele. Njengoba nekhono lokukhuluma ulimi luyinto engokwemvelo esenza sibe abantu, kunezinye izidingo nezimfanelo ezingokwemvelo ezisihlukanisa kwezinye izidalwa ezisemhlabeni. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu badinga ulwazi, ubuciko nengokomoya. Umuntu ongenandlela yokwanelisa lezi zidingo eziyisisekelo uphoqeleka ukuba aphile njengesilwane. Ummeli wamalungelo abantu uchaza ukuthi ukuze kuvikelwe abantu ekuphucweni lawo malungelo, “sisebenzisa inkulumo ethi ‘amalungelo abantu’ esikhundleni sethi ‘izidingo zabantu’ ngoba ngokomthetho igama elithi ‘isidingo’ alinaso isisindo njengelithi ‘ilungelo.’ Ngokubiza lesi sidingo ngokuthi ‘ilungelo’ sithuthukisa ukwaneliswa kwezidingo zabantu njengokuthile wonke umuntu anelungelo lako ngokukanembeza nangokomthetho.”

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 5]

I-Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Umlobi futhi ongumzuzi we-Nobel Prize u-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wathi i-Universal Declaration “iyincwadi ephambili” kwezake zabhalwa yi-UN. Ukuhlola kafushane ekuqukethe kubonisa ukuthi kungani abaningi bevumelana naye.

Ifilosofi eyinhloko yalesi Simemezelo ichazwa eSiphakamisweni 1: “Bonke abantu bazalwa bekhululekile futhi benesithunzi namalungelo alinganayo. Banengqondo nonembeza futhi kufanele baphathane ngomoya omuhle.”

Kulesi sisekelo, abaklami beSimemezelo izindikimba ezimbili zamalungelo abantu. Eyokuqala ichazwe eSiphakamisweni 3: “Bonke abantu banelungelo lokuphila, lenkululeko nelokulondeka.” Lesi siphakamiso siyisisekelo samalungelo omuntu ngaphansi kukahulumeni kanye nakwezombangazwe, amalungelo achazwe eZiphakamisweni 4 kuya ku-21. Indikimba yesibili isekelwe eSiphakamisweni 22, ngokwengxenye esithi bonke abantu banelungelo lokuthola amalungelo “abalulekile okulondoloza isithunzi sabo nokuthuthukisa ubuntu babo ngokukhululekile.” Isekela iZiphakamiso 23 kuya ku-27, ezichaza amalungelo omuntu ezomnotho, ezenhlalo kanye nangokwesiko. I-Universal Declaration yayiyincwadi yokuqala yomhlaba wonke eyaqaphela ukuthi le ndikimba yesibili yamalungelo kufanele ihlanganiswe emalungelweni abantu ayisisekelo. Futhi yayiyincwadi yokuqala ngqá yomhlaba wonke eyasebenzisa inkulumo ethi “amalungelo abantu.”

Isazi sezenhlalo saseBrazil uRuth Rocha sichaza ngokungagwegwesi ukuthi i-Universal Declaration isho ukuthini kithi: “Akunandaba ukuthi ungowaluphi uhlanga. Akunandaba ukuthi uyindoda noma ungowesifazane. Akunandaba ukuthi ukhuluma luphi ulimi, ukuthi ungowayiphi inkolo, ukuthi unamiphi imibono ngezombangazwe, ukuthi uvela kuliphi izwe noma ukuthi umkhaya wakini unjani. Akunandaba ukuthi uyisicebi noma umpofu. Akunandaba ukuthi uvela kuyiphi ingxenye yomhlaba; ukuthi izwe lakini liphethwe inkosi noma uhulumeni. La malungelo nenkululeko kufanele ajatshulelwe yibo bonke abantu.”

Kusukela yaqala ukusetshenziswa, i-Universal Declaration iye yahunyushelwa ezilimini ezingaphezu kuka-200 futhi isiyingxenye yomthetho-sisekelo wamazwe amaningi. Nokho, namuhla abanye abaholi banomuzwa wokuthi lesi Simemezelo kufanele sibhalwe kabusha. Kodwa uNobhala-Jikelele we-UN uKofi Annan akavumi. Esinye isikhulu se-UN simcaphuna ethi: “Njengoba nje singekho isidingo sokubhala kabusha iBhayibheli noma iKoran, asikho isidingo sokulungisa lesi Simemezelo. Okufanele kulungiswe akuwona amagama e-Universal Declaration, kodwa ukuziphatha kwabantu ebaqondisayo.”

UNobhala-Jikelele we-UN uKofi Annan

[Umthombo]

UN/DPI photo by Evan Schneider (Feb97)

[Isithombe ekhasini 3]

UNkk. Roosevelt ephethe i-Universal Declaration of Human Rights

[Umthombo]

Mrs. Roosevelt and symbol on pages 3, 5, and 7: UN photo