A few years ago, my eyes were opened to the dark side of the construction industry. In 2006, young Qatari students took me to go and see the migrant worker camps. And since then I've followed the unfolding issue of worker rights.
几年前,我初次目睹了 房产建筑工业的阴暗面 2006年,几个年轻的卡塔尔学生 带我去探访了移民工人的住所 自从那时起,我就开始密切关注建筑工人的权益的相关问题
In the last six months, more than 300 skyscrapers in the UAE have been put on hold or canceled. Behind the headlines that lay behind these buildings is the fate of the often-indentured construction worker. 1.1 million of them. Mainly Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Nepalese, these laborers risk everything to make money for their families back home. They pay a middle-man thousands of dollars to be there. And when they arrive, they find themselves in labor camps with no water, no air conditioning, and their passports taken away.
在过去的6个月中,阿联酋多达300座在建的摩天大厦 被迫暂停建造或取消 在关于这些楼宇的头条新闻的背后, 是一个个往往被遗忘的建筑工人的命运 足足有110万之多 主要来自于印度,巴基斯坦,斯里兰卡, 的这些工人们,常常承担着失去一切的风险 在挣钱养活他们远在故乡的家人们 他们得付给约合几千美元的中介费才能到那里工作 然而当他们到达目的地的,却发现自己身处劳工营,没有饮水, 没有空调,然后自己的护照又被扣走
While it's easy to point the finger at local officials and higher authorities, 99 percent of these people are hired by the private sector, and so therefore we're equally, if not more, accountable. Groups like Buildsafe UAE have emerged, but the numbers are simply overwhelming. In August 2008, UAE public officials noted that 40 percent of the country's 1,098 labor camps had violated minimum health and fire safety regulations. And last summer, more than 10,000 workers protested for the non-payment of wages, for the poor quality of food, and inadequate housing.
我们不难就这些情况指责那些当地官员和权力机关 可百分之九十九的劳工都是被私有产业所雇佣的 因此我们自己也同样负有责任。 一些例如阿联酋安建(Buildsafe)的团体开始纷纷出现 但是问题的数量确实惊人 2008年8月的时候 阿联酋的官方表明 全国1098个劳工营中,百分之四十 都违反了最低健康及火灾安全标准 去年夏天,超过一万名劳工 一同抗议工资的拖欠 糟糕的食物和短缺的住房。
And then the financial collapse happened. When the contractors have gone bust, as they've been overleveraged like everyone else, the difference is everything goes missing, documentation, passports, and tickets home for these workers. Currently, right now, thousands of workers are abandoned. There is no way back home. And there is no way, and no proof of arrival. These are the boom-and-bust refugees.
继而随着金融世界的崩盘, 包工头也纷纷的破产了 这些工人像所有人一样,被过度的压榨 但区别在于他们失去了一切 文件,护照 归程的车票 现在呢,这一刻,数以千计的劳工们被无情的抛弃 没有办法回家 此外还没有办法证明他们当初合法入境 这些就是那兴衰背后的难民
The question is, as a building professional, as an architect, an engineer, as a developer, if you know this is going on, as we go to the sights every single week, are you complacent or complicit in the human rights violations? So let's forget your environmental footprint. Let's think about your ethical footprint. What good is it to build a zero-carbon, energy efficient complex, when the labor producing this architectural gem is unethical at best? Now, recently I've been told I've been taking the high road. But, quite frankly, on this issue, there is no other road.
我们所要提出的问题是:作为房建的专业人士, 无论你是建筑师,工程师,或是开发商 如果你知道这些状况的发生 就像我们每周去工地查看时一样, 你会自满自足,并间接地 去违背人权吗? 那么让我们暂时忘却你的环境足迹 转而关注你的道义足迹 建造一个零炭平衡,能耗率高的建筑结构的同时 创造这个奇迹的的劳动力, 却受到极为不符道义的对待, 又有什么实在意义呢 最近有人说我选择了崇高的方式 但是坦白的讲,在这个问题上 实在是没有其他的方式了
So let's not forget who is really paying the price of this financial collapse. And that as we worry about our next job in the office, the next design that we can get, to keep our workers. Let's not forget these men, who are truly dying to work. Thank you. (Applause)
所以让我们不要忘记是那一群体在为这次金融世界的坍塌来埋单 当我们还在担心自己的下一份工作何去何从的时候 我们如何选择挽留自己劳工的最佳途径 也让我们不要忘记这些拼了性命在工作的人们 谢谢大家 掌声