Name: The refugees of boom-and-bust
Uploaded: 2009-11-09T01:00:00Z
Duration: 2 min 48 s
Description: At TEDGlobal U, Cameron Sinclair shows the unreported cost of real estate megaprojects gone bust: thousands of migrant construction laborers left stranded and penniless. To his fellow architects, he says there is only one ethical response.

At TEDGlobal U, Cameron Sinclair shows the unreported cost of real estate megaprojects gone bust: thousands of migrant construction laborers left stranded and penniless. To his fellow architects, he says there is only one ethical response.

The refugees of boom-and-bust

The glittering skylines of the UAE hide a harsh truth: 1.1 million migrant workers, many from South Asia, endure brutal conditions and exploitation, often losing their passports and any way home. As economic collapse halts over 300 skyscraper projects, thousands of workers are abandoned, left without wages or basic rights. The private sector hires 99 percent of these laborers, making industry professionals directly accountable. Sustainable design means nothing if it relies on unethical labor practices.

Architectural Progress Cannot Excuse Human Rights Violations

Cameron Sinclair opens up architecture

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