Amathemba Nexhala Ngokuhwebelana Kwembulunga Yonke

“Ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kuyisenzakalo sezomnotho esikhulu enkathini yethu. . . . Manje kulethela izinkulungwane zezigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke amathuba angakaze abe khona.”—UMARTIN WOLF, UMLOBELI WEPHEPHANDABA WENGOSI YEZOMNOTHO.

“Thina, bantu boMhlaba, siwumkhaya owodwa omkhulu. Le nkathi entsha iletha izinselele ezintsha nezinkinga ezintsha zembulunga yonke, njengokulinyazwa kwemvelo, ukuqedwa kwemikhiqizo yayo, izimpi ezicekayo kanye nobumpofu.”—U-EDUARD SHEVARDNADZE, UMONGAMELI WASEGEORGIA.

NGO-DECEMBER 1999, umhlangano we-World Trade Organization eSeattle, e-U.S.A., waphazanyiswa umbhikisho. Amaphoyisa asebenzisa isisi esikhalisa unyembezi, izinhlamvu zenjoloba nesifutho sikapelepele ukuze abuyise ukuthula. Agcina ebophe amakhulu ababhikishi.

Yini eyabangela lo mbhikisho eSeattle? Yizinto eziningi ezibangela ixhala lokuphelelwa umsebenzi, ukukhathazeka ngemvelo nokungabi nabulungisa kwezenhlalo. Ngamafuphi nje, ababhikishi babenexhala ngokuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke—imiphumela yako kubantu nasembulungeni yonke.

Ixhala labo alikapheli. Kusukela ngo-1999, iye yanda futhi yashuba imibhikisho emelene nokuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke. Ezimweni ezithile, abaholi bomhlaba sebelwela ukuba nezingqungquthela ezindaweni lapho ababhikishi bekuthola kunzima khona ukuba baphazamise.

Kodwa-ke akubona bonke abantu abakubona kuwusongo ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke. Yize abanye bethi kuwumthombo wezinkinga zomhlaba, abanye bayakuncoma bathi kuyikhambi lezinkinga eziningi zomhlaba. Yiqiniso, le mpikiswano engapheli ingase ibonakale ingasho lutho ngempela kwabaningi, iningi labo elingazi nakwazi ukuthi kuyini kona ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke. Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyini umbono wakho, ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kuyakuthinta kakade, futhi cishe kusazokuthinta ngisho nakakhulu esikhathini esizayo.

Kuyini Ngempela Ukuhwebelana Kwembulunga Yonke?

“Ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke” yinkulumo abanye abayisebenzisayo ukuchaza ubudlelwane obukhulayo phakathi kwabantu namazwe omhlaba wonke. Le nqubo iye yashesha kakhulu kulesi sikhathi esingaba yiminyaka eyishumi edlule, ikakhulu ngenxa yentuthuko enkulu kwezobuchwepheshe. (Bheka ibhokisi elisekhasini 21.) Phakathi nalesi sikhathi iMpi Yomshoshaphansi eyayihlukanise amazwe iye yaphela, kwaphela nemingcele yokuhwebelana, izimakethe ezinkulu zezimali emhlabeni zasebenzelana kanti izindleko zokuhamba amazwe zehla futhi nakho kwaba lula.

Lokhu kusebenzelana okukhulayo komhlaba wonke kuye kwaba nemiphumela eminingi—emnothweni, kwezombangazwe, endleleni yokuphila nasemvelweni. Ngeshwa, eminye yale miphumela ingaba mibi. Incwadi yeZizwe Ezihlangene i-Human Development Report 1999 yachaza: “Ukuphila kwabantu emhlabeni wonke kuxhumene ngokujulile, ngokuseduze nangokuqondile kunanini ngaphambili. Lokhu kuvula amathuba amaningi ezinto ezinhle nezimbi.” Njengezinto eziningi ezifinyelelwe umuntu, ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kunobuhle nobubi.

Amathemba Omhlaba Ochumayo

Ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke “kuye kwathuthukisa umhlaba kwezesayensi nasendleleni yokuphila futhi kwazuzisa abantu abaningi kwezomnotho,” kusho owathola uMklomelo KaNobel kwezomnotho, u-Amartya Sen. I-Human Development Report 1999 nayo iphawula ukuthi ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke “kuvula amathuba amahle okuqeda ubumpofu ekhulwini lama-21.” Okwenza kube naleli themba eliqhakazile ukuchuma okwandayo okuye kwalethwa ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke. Emhlabeni namuhla ngokwesilinganiso umkhaya uthola imali ephindwe kathathu kunaleyo owawuyithola eminyakeni engu-50 edlule.a

Abanye abahlaziyi bathi ukuhlangana kwezomnotho kunesinye isici esihle: Banomuzwa wokuthi kuzokwenza amazwe anqikaze ukulwa. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Lexus and the Olive Tree, uThomas L. Friedman ugomela ngokuthi ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke “kwandisa izizathu zokungayi empini futhi kwenze ukulwa kube yizindleko ezinkulu ngezindlela eziningi kunanoma iyiphi inkathi edlule emlandweni wanamuhla.”

Ukusebenzelana kakhulu kwabantu kungathuthukisa ubumbano lwembulunga yonke. Ezinye izinhlangano ezilwela amalungelo abantu ziye zakwazi ukusebenzisa i-Internet ukuze ziphumelele ekuthuthukiseni izinjongo zazo. Ngokwesibonelo, isivumelwano sango-1997 samazwe onke esenqabela ukusetshenziswa kwamabhomu agqitshwayo, ngokwengxenye safinyelelwa ngokusebenzisa ukuxhumana ngama-computer ukuze kugqugquzelwe amaqembu anjongo-nye emhlabeni wonke. Le ndlela yokusebenzisa abantu abavamile yamukelwa “njengecebo elisha lokubamba izingxoxo zamazwe onke, ezenza uhulumeni nezakhamuzi babambisane ekuxazululeni izingqinamba zezenhlalakahle zembulunga yonke.”

Naphezu kwale miphumela emihle, abantu abaningi basenovalo lokuthi ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kunemiphumela emibi edlula izinzuzo.

Ixhala Lokuthi Umhlaba Uzohlukana Nakakhulu

Mhlawumbe ukukhathazeka okukhulu ngokuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kubangelwa indlela okuye kwavula ngayo igebe phakathi kwabantu abadla kusale nabadla imbuya ngothi. Nakuba kungangabazeki ukuthi umcebo wembulunga yonke uye wanda, uye wanqwabelana kubantu abambalwa nasemazweni ambalwa. Ingqikithi yomcebo wezinjinga ezingu-200 emhlabeni manje idlula imali etholwa abantu abangamaphesenti angu-40 abahlala kule planethi behlangene—abantu abayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-2,4. Yize imiholo ilokhu yenyuka emazweni acebile, emazweni angu-80 ampofu siye sancipha isilinganiso semali engenayo kule minyaka eyishumi edlule.

Okunye okukhathazayo yindlela imvelo ethinteka ngayo. Ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kwezomnotho kushoshozelwa yizimakethe ezithakazelela kakhulu inzuzo kunokuvikela iplanethi. U-Agus Purnomo, umphathi we-World Wide Fund for Nature e-Indonesia, uchaza le ngqinamba: “Sihlale sijahana nentuthuko. . . . Ngikhathazekile ngokuthi eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo sonke siyobe sesikuqaphela ukubaluleka kokunakekela imvelo, kodwa iyobe ingasekho.”

Abantu bayakhathazeka nangemisebenzi yokuziphilisa. Kokubili imisebenzi neholo kuhlala kusengcupheni, njengoba ukuhlanganiswa kwezinkampani nokuncintisana kwazo kuzicindezela ukuba zisebenze ngendlela ephumelelayo nelula. Ukuqasha kwenkampani iphinde idilize izisebenzi ngokwezidingo zayo zangaleso sikhathi kunengqondo enkampanini ekhathalela ukuthola inzuzo, kodwa kuyakuhlukumeza ukuphila kwabantu.

Ukusebenzelana kwezimakethe zezimali kuye kwaletha esinye isici esidala ukungazinzi. Abatshali bezimali bamazwe ngamazwe bangase batshale izizumbulu zemali emazweni asathuthuka kodwa kamuva bazikhiphe kungazelelwe lapho isimo somnotho siba sibi. Ukuzihoxisa lezo zimali kungabangela inhlekelele yezomnotho emazweni amaningi. Inhlekelele yezimali eMpumalanga Asia ngo-1998 yenza kwadilizwa abantu abayizigidi ezingu-13. E-Indonesia ngisho nalezo zisebenzi ezingadilizwanga amandla omholo wazo ehla ngesigamu.

Yingakho ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kubangela ixhala kulethe nethemba. Ingabe sikhona isizathu sokuba ukwesabe ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke? Noma ingabe ungalindela ukuba kuchumise ukuphila kwakho? Ingabe ukuhwebelana kwembulunga yonke kuye kwasenza saba nesizathu sethemba eliqhakazile ngekusasa? Isihloko sethu esilandelayo sizophendula le mibuzo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 19]

Ingqikithi yomcebo wezinjinga ezingu-200 emhlabeni idlula imali etholwa abantu abangamaphesenti angu-40 abahlala kulo mhlaba behlangene

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 21]

UBUCHWEPHESHE OBUKHUTHAZA UKUHWEBELANA KWEMBULUNGA YONKE

Ubuchwepheshe buye bashintsha ezokuxhumana kule minyaka eyishumi edlule. Sekulula ukuxhumana nabantu nokuthola ukwaziswa ngendlela esheshayo, engabizi—noma kuphi emhlabeni.

ITHELEVISHINI Abantu abaningi emhlabeni manje sebeyakwazi ukubuka ithelevishini, noma bengenayo. Ngo-1995, kwakunama-TV angu-235 abukwa yilelo nalelo qembu labantu abangu-1 000 emhlabeni wonke, okuyinani eliphindwe cishe kabili kunelango-1980. Isithungatha-maza esincane nje singenza abantu abahlala ezindaweni eziqhelile ukuba bathole izindaba zomhlaba wonke. “Namuhla, alikho izwe elingake lizehlukanise nezindaba zembulunga yonke,” kuphawula uFrancis Fukuyama, uprofesa wezomnotho kwezombangazwe.

I-INTERNET Kunabantu abangaba ngu-300 000 abaqala ukusebenzisa i-Internet masonto onke. Ngo-1999 babebalelwa ezigidini ezingu-700 abantu okwakulindeleke ukuba babe sebene-Internet ngonyaka ka-2001. Umlobi uThomas L. Friedman uyachaza: “Umphumela uwukuthi akukaze kwenzeke emlandweni wezwe ukuba abantu abaningi kangaka bakwazi ukufunda ngokuphila kwabanye abantu, imikhiqizo nemibono eminingi kangaka.”

UCINGO Izintambo ze-fiber optics nezimiso zeziphuphutheki kuye kwazinciphisa kakhulu izindleko zocingo. Ukukhuluma ocingweni imizuzu emithathu useNew York ushayela eLondon kwehla kusuka ku-R2 860 ngawo-1930 kwaba ngu-R4,00 ngo-1999. Izimiso zokuxhumana ezingenazintambo sezenze umakhalekhukhwini wanda njenge-computer. Ekupheleni kuka-2002, bayobe sebebalelwa ezigidini eziyinkulungwane abantu abayobe sebesebenzisa umakhalekhukhwini, futhi abaningi babo bayokwazi ukuwusebenzisa ukuze bavule i-Internet.

I-MICROCHIP Zonke lezi zinto ezingenhla, ezithuthukiswa njalo, zisebenza ngama-microchip. Kule minyaka engu-30 edlule, amandla ama-microchip okugcina ukwaziswa abelokhu ephindeka kabili njalo ngezinyanga ezingu-18. Akukaze kugcinwe ukwaziswa okuningi kangaka endaweni encane kangaka.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

Globes on pages 21, 23-26, and 29: NASA photo