Invisible in the Middle East
Posted by Marc | 22-10-2010 19:52 | Category: Discrimination, Human rights
This piece of art is about migrant workers in the Middle East. They are rarely discussed in the media and receive little protection from the governments of host countries, many of whom have no clear policies for safeguarding their welfare.
The video is made for the Mideast Youth Sites. For the problem about the invisibilty of migrant workers they made migrant-rights.org.
Expatriate workers are a crucial part of the fabric of Gulf society and economy, where they make up to 80% of the population in some states. While many work in white-collar jobs or are successful businessmen and highly skilled professionals, the majority of foreigners working in the Gulf are involved in manual labour or work as domestics and drivers.
We have all benefited from the toil of these workers. Whether we are a Qatari citizen who has grown up with a team of domestic staff at home, a Saudi woman who relies on her Pakistani driver to go to visit her girlfriends, or a western expat who benefits from a Filipino cleaning lady and works in a smart, modern office tower that was build from the back-breaking work of Nepalis, Indian, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, we all owe these individuals a debt of gratitude. Yet instead these individuals are undervalued, ignored, exploited and denied their most basic human rights. This is modern day slavery.
The video, made in April this year, is nominated for the Viral Video Award 2010.
Advertiser:
Mideast Youth Sites
Additional credits:
Video made by: Eric Epstein
Written, Researched & Voiced by: Esra'a Al Shafei
Original Music: http://skeletonsuit.com/
Hand-drawn Animation: Jaron Eugene Newton
CG Elements: Zach Shukan




