Dignity in Labour: Beijing 2/2

Here is the second set of photos from the series Dignity in Labour straight from the streets of Beijing. Dignity in Labour was inspired partly by one of my favorite graffiti artists (Stage One WCB) and his piece entitled Dignity in Labour that he did on a wall in North Vancouver in 1999. It was also influenced by all of the laborers I met during my travels around the world. I wanted others to get an understanding of their jobs and the vital role they play in allowing society to function in working order. Beijing seemed to be the ideal setting with a great majority of the population being in the labour sector and many of them leaving their rural homes in search of the dream in the big city.

Dignity in Labour

As the laboriously intensive day draws to an end, these farmers outside of Inle Lake, Burma are all smiles. Jobs are scarce in the country, agriculture is one of the top industries employing nearly 60 percent of the labour force and accounting for 65 percent of the country's GDP. Rice, beans and opiates are among the most heavily farmed with opium being shipped to many different countries to fund the military Junta's rule of the country.

辛苦的一天即将结束，在缅甸茵莱湖边，一群农民微笑着。在这个就业机会稀缺的国家60%， 和国内生产总值的65%。大米，豆类和鸦片是最要的国家种植。 鸦片被运到许多不同的国家来为军政府融资。

Photograph 14/18

Dignity in Labour

A wide and welcoming smile conceals the reality of a very strenuous and long work day on the streets of Brooklyn. This woman is an immigrant of Jamaica works in a metal scrap yard in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The long hours and physical demand of the job makes it one of the most labour intensive jobs on the streets of New York.

这个无虑的大咧咧笑容掩饰着布鲁克林的街上艰巨和工作时间长的现实。这名妇女是一个在布鲁克林Red Hook金属废料场工作的牙买加移民。漫长的工作时间和艰巨的体力劳动使其成为纽约街头劳力最密集的工作之一。

Photograph 3/18

Dignity in Labour

Picking up her daily rations in bread provided from the Cuban government and other necessities for the house, this woman makes her way back home to take care of her 3 children. She lives in a tiny apartment in Old Havana. Although jobs across Cuba are scarce she is happy to be able to raise three children and is confident that they will be able to see a better, more prosperous Cuba by the time they are older.

这个女人正在领取古巴政府每日配给的面包和其他必需品的房子她日常口粮，来照顾家里的 3 的孩子。她住在老哈瓦那的一座小公寓里。虽然在古巴的工作机会很少，但她很高兴能抚养三个孩子，并对他们将来能够看到更好、 更繁荣的古巴很有信心。

Photograph 11/18

I stumbled upon this family in an old Hutong in South Beijing. Their house was one of the last settlements left standing. They wanted a photo on their building, so I gave them the option to choose whichever photo they wanted for their house.

Dignity in Labour

Perched atop a rice terrace on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, Laos, this farmer teaches his son the tricks of the trade while they plant and harvest rice on their large plot of land. The family lives in a hut that overlooks their field and survives off of food produced on their own farm. Farms such as these are scattered across Laos and South East Asia with many people relying on their personal production of agriculture as their main source of food.

在老挝琅勃拉邦市郊的一片广阔的水稻梯田上，一个农民正在把他谋生的伎俩传授给他儿子，教会他如何在这片水田上种植和收获水稻。这家人住在面向梯田的一个小草屋里， 以自家田里产的稻谷为食。 在老挝和东南亚有很多这样的农民家庭， 依靠自家种的农作物为其主要的食物来源。

Photograph 6/18

Dignity in Labour

This man takes a quick break from the action to pose for a photograph. His job is to paint the weathered vessels that land in the Kaohsiung harbour in Taiwan. The port generates massive amounts of money for the local economy and provides thousands of jobs to the citizens of Kaohsiung.

这位老人为这张相稍作小息。老人的工作是为停泊在高雄港，饱经沧桑的船只重新油漆。高雄港为地方经济生成大量的金钱，并给高雄市民提供数以千计的就业机会。

Photograph 2/18

Dignity in Labour

With so many talented artists coming together in a single space, Imam Square in Esfahan, Iran is exploding with vibrant colors and ideas. The government suppresses most of these ideas that would be verbally expressed, so the artist tuare as hard to come by in Iran as expressing yourself.

在伊朗，伊斯法罕的伊玛目广场， 才华洋溢的艺术家聚集，四周都爆发着鲜艳的色彩和灵感。政府极力抑制这些将会被口头表达出来的思想，所以想要表达自己在伊朗是很难的。

Photograph 13/18

Dignity in Labour

Getting set for some relaxation before his boat departs on a 3 month fishing trip of the high seas, this captain seems confident that his crew will come back with an exceptional haul of the ocean's treasures. The industry generates around 3 billion USD per year, with about 1.2 million metric tons caught in 2004, providing a livelihood for 140 000 Taiwanese households.

在这次3个月的深海捕鱼之行出发前，船长显得信心十足，他坚信他的船员们都能带回不斐的收获。该行业每年约产30亿美元，2004年收获了约120万公吨，为140万个台湾家庭解决了生计。

Photograph 15/18

Dignity in Labour

These women carry large sacks of produce on their head to and from various markets around the Burmese capital of Yangon. With over 10 million hectares of arable land, Burma relies heavily on their agricultural sector to produce the countries food and jobs. Having one of the world’s most violent and repressive regimes dictating freedom of speech and labour laws, both food and jobs are scarce in this country.

这些妇女头顶着麻袋，来去缅甸首都仰光周围的各种市场。缅甸有超过 10 万公顷耕地，国家依靠农业来提供食物以及就业机会。 缅甸政府是全世界最暴力和专制的政权，控制着这个国家的言论自由以及劳动法。 所以食物和工作又是这个国家所稀缺的。

Photograph 4/18

Dignity in Labour

On most days you can catch Will down on the boardwalk of Venice Beach. He is there promoting and hustling his artwork to people who come down to the beach. Some days can be quite prosperous while others may yield little profits. But that is the life of a hard working artist, no matter where you are in the world.

在大多数日子里，在威尼斯海滩的海滨长廊上可以找到Will。他通常都在那里向游客们兜售他自己的艺术品。有时他能赚到不少钱，但也有赚不到钱的时候。但是，这是一个奋起的艺术家的生活，无论你在世界的哪头。

Photograph 12/18

照片 12/18

Dignity in Labour

Outdated equipment and long hours are everyday hassles that the construction workers in Iran must face. The workers have long been overdue for updated technology and equipment in their jobs. With a labour force of over 25 million people, the Iranian government was forced to come up with a proposal to ensure the well-being of laborers and has set forth a vision for 2025 to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people.

设备陈旧，工作时间长，是伊朗的建筑工人必须面对的日常麻烦。工人们仍旧使用早该更新的技术和设备。随着劳动力超过25万，伊朗政府被迫提出议和确保劳动者利益和福祉的草案，并以长远的目光制定了2025年社会经济福利的打算。

Photograph 17/18