The Gulf: High Culture/Hard Labor

Today, in a region overwhelmed by war and seemingly intractable political and social problems, the systemic abuse and exploitation of millions of migrant workers may not seem the worst problem besetting the Middle East. But it has the advantage of being one of the easiest to fix, by applying readily available legal remedies and appropriately allocating costs. It is in fact one of the few areas where we have seen real progress and reform over the past decade. The collaboration of human rights organizations, artists, and academics to end this abuse and exploitation has become a model for globalized human rights activism, helping to improve the lives of migrant workers thousands of miles away from home and also upgrade some of the ethics and labor impacts of institutions, companies, and governments. It has allowed us to find our own strength in globalization, where the interconnectedness of economies, businesses, and institutions has created opportunities for activists to press for accountability.