Ukuthungatha Ikhambi
KUSUKELA ekusungulweni kwayo, inhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene ibinesithakazelo ezinganeni nasezinkingeni ezibhekene nazo. Ekupheleni kuka-1946, yasungula i-United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) ukuze inakekele izingane okwesikhashana ezindaweni ezicekelwe phansi yimpi.
Ngo-1953 le nhlangano eyayabelwe ukunakekela izimo eziphuthumayo yamiswa njengenhlangano ezimele ngokuphelele. Nakuba manje isibizwa ngokuthi i-United Nations Children’s Fund, isasebenzisa isifushaniso sasekuqaleni esithi UNICEF. Ngakho, sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 i-UNICEF inakekela izingane emhlabeni wonke ngokudla, okokwembatha nemithi futhi izama ukunakekela zonke izidingo zezingane.
Izidingo zezingane zanakwa ngokukhethekile ngo-1959 lapho iZizwe Ezihlangene zamukela iSimemezelo Samalungelo Engane. (Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 5.) Kwakwethenjwa ukuthi lesi simemezelo sizoqokomisa izinkinga zezingane futhi sizixazulule ngokukhuthaza ukusekela komphakathi ngokwezimali nangezinye izindlela.
Kodwa i-1980 Year Book kaCollier ithi “eminyakeni engu-20 kamuva, la ‘malungelo’—ikakhulukazi lawo aphathelene nokondleka, impilo nenhlala-kahle ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo—ayengakafezeki ezinganeni eziningi kweziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,5 emhlabeni.” Ngakho lapho iZizwe Ezihlangene ziqaphela isidingo esiqhubekayo sokuxazulula izinkinga zezingane, nangokuvumelana nemigomo yazo eyayimenyezelwe, zamisa u-1979 njengoNyaka Wezingane Emhlabeni Wonke. Uhulumeni, amaqembu omphakathi, enkolo nawezosizo emhlabeni wonke asukumela phezulu efuna ikhambi.
Ingabe Kwakumane Nje “Kuyihlaya Elibi”?
Kuyadabukisa ukuthi ngokombiko we-UNICEF, izingane zasemazweni asathuthuka azizange ziphatheke kahle phakathi noNyaka Wezingane Emhlabeni Wonke. Lapho kuphela lowo nyaka, kwakusenezingane ezibalelwa ezigidini ezingu-200 ezazingondlekile, futhi isigamu sezingane eziyizigidi ezingu-15 ezafa zineminyaka engaphansi kwemihlanu, zabulawa ukungondleki. Ezinganeni eziyikhulu ezazizalwa umzuzu ngamunye ngalowo nyaka kulawo mazwe, ezingu-15 zazifa zingakaqedi nonyaka. Zingaphansi kwamaphesenti angu-40 ezaziqeda esikoleni sabaqalayo. Iphawula ngombiko we-UNICEF, ingosi yomhleli wephephandaba i-Indian Express yakhononda ngokuthi uNyaka Wezingane waphenduka “ihlaya elibi.”
Abanye abantu babebonile ukuthi ngeke kulunge. Ngokwesibonelo, ekuqaleni kwawo lowo nyaka, uFabrizio Dentice wabhala kumagazini i-Espresso: “Kudingeka okungaphezu koNyaka Wezingane ukuze kwelashwe lesi simo.” Lo magazini waphawula: “Indlela yokuphila yanamuhla isenza sibe yilokho esiyikho, futhi yilokho kanye okudingeka kushintshwe.”
Ngenxa yokuqhubeka kufunwa amakhambi okuxazulula izinkinga zezingane, kwaba nengqungquthela yomhlaba wonke endlunkulu ye-UN ngo-September 1990. Yayingomunye wemihlangano emikhulu kunayo yonke yabaholi bomhlaba emlandweni. Kwakukhona abaholi bohulumeni abangaphezu kuka-70. Injongo yalo mbuthano kwakuwukulandelela iSivumelwano Samalungelo Ezingane, esenziwa ngo-November 20, 1989 futhi saqala ukusebenza ngo-September 2, 1990. Ekupheleni kwaleyo nyanga, lesi sivumelwano sase samukelwe ngamazwe angu-39.
Muva nje i-UNICEF ithe: “Lesi Sivumelwano siye saba isivumelwano samalungelo abantu esamukelwa kabanzi kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona, sakhuthaza ukukhathalelwa kwezingane embulungeni yonke.” Eqinisweni, ngo-November 1999, lesi Sivumelwano sase samukelwe ngamazwe angu-191. Ngokuqhosha, i-UNICEF yathi: “Kuye kwenziwa intuthuko enkulu ekuqapheleni nasekuvikeleni amalungelo ezingane phakathi neshumi leminyaka ngemva kokwenziwa kweSivumelwano Samalungelo Ezingane kunanoma iyiphi enye inkathi emlandweni wesintu.”
Naphezu kwale ntuthuko, uMongameli waseJalimane uJohannes Rau washukumiseleka ukuba athi: “Kuyadabukisa ukuthi esikhathini sethu kusadingeka sikhunjuzwe ukuthi izingane zinamalungelo.” Noma sikhunjuzwe ukuthi zisenezinkinga ezingathi sína! Ngo-November 1999 i-UNICEF yavuma ukuthi “kusekukhulu okusadingeka kwenziwe,” futhi yachaza: “Embulungeni yonke, unyaka ngamunye zibalelwa ezigidini ezingu-12 izingane ezifa zingakahlanganisi neminyaka emihlanu, eziningi zibulawa yizinto ebezingavinjelwa kalula. Izingane ezingaba yizigidi ezingu-130 emazweni asathuthuka azifundi . . . Ezibalelwa ezigidini ezingu-160 azondlekile ngokwezinga elithile. . . . Izingane eziningi ezingafunwa muntu ziphila kanzima emakhaya ezintandane noma kwezinye izindawo, azifundi futhi azitholi kunakekelwa kwempilo okwanele. Lezi zingane ngokuvamile ziyaxhashazwa ngokomzimba. Zibalelwa ezigidini ezingu-250 izingane ezigqilazwayo ngandlela-thile.” Kwakhulunywa nangezingane eziyizigidi ezingu-600 eziphila ngobubha neziyizigidi ezingu-13 eziyobe sezishonelwe umzali okungenani oyedwa ngenxa yengculaza ekupheleni kuka-2000.
Abaholi bezombangazwe babonakala behluleka ukuletha amakhambi anelisayo alezi zinkinga. Nokho, izinkinga zezingane azigcini nje emazweni asathuthuka kuphela. Emazweni aseNtshonalanga izingane eziningi ziyantula ngandlela-thile.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 4]
“Kuyadabukisa ukuthi esikhathini sethu kusadingeka sikhunjuzwe ukuthi izingane zinamalungelo”
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 5]
ISimemezelo Samalungelo Engane Se-UN:
● Ilungelo lokuba negama nohlanga.
● Ilungelo lokuthandwa nokuqondwa nokuba nezinto ezibonakalayo.
● Ilungelo lokondleka ngokufanele, ukuba nendawo yokuhlala nezinkonzo zempilo.
● Ilungelo lokuba inakekelwe ngokukhethekile uma ikhubazekile, ngokomzimba, ngokwengqondo noma yesaba abantu.
● Ilungelo lokuba phakathi kwabokuqala abathola ukuvikelwa noma ukuhlengwa kuzo zonke izimo.
● Ilungelo lokuvikelwa kuzo zonke izinhlobo zokuphathwa budedengu, unya nokuxhashazwa.
● Ilungelo lokuthola ithuba eliphelele lokudlala nokuzilibazisa nethuba elilinganayo lemfundo yamahhala neyimfuneko, eyenza ingane ikwazi ukuthuthukisa amakhono ayo futhi ibe ilungu eliwusizo emphakathini.
● Ilungelo lokuthuthukisa ikhono layo lenkululeko nesithunzi.
● Ilungelo lokukhuliswa ngomoya wokuqonda, ukungabandlululwa, ubungane phakathi kwabantu, ukuthula nokuzwana emhlabeni wonke.
● Ilungelo lokujabulela la malungelo kungakhathaliseki uhlanga, ibala, ubulili, inkolo, umbono wezombangazwe noma omunye umbono, isizinda sobuzwe noma senhlalo, impahla enayo, uzalo noma esinye isikhundla.
[Umthombo]
Kucashunwe kwethi Everyman’s United Nations
[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 3]
UN PHOTO 148038/Jean Pierre Laffont
UN photo
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 4]
Photos on pages 4 and 5 Giacomo Pirozzi/Panos Pictures