One More

Photo credit: Sebastiao Salgado

This picture was taken under a bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. "With Jakarta's population growing by one million people per year, newly arrived migrants either move in with relatives or, in some cases, find temporary shelter under bridges or on city streets" (Salgado 31). As a result of the rapid increase in population, housing seems to be among the most serious issues in Jakarta. Other issues include a poor system for distributing drinkable water, lack of public transportation, and an ineffective sewage system. Starting in the 1970s, the government has been implementing programs to try and reduce the number of migrants that move into the city in order to better focus on these issues.

Seeking refuge in a new country can already be a very difficult and traumatic process. To make matters worse, sometimes refugees get turned away and must seek a starting point elsewhere. It may or may not be intentional but the question remains nonetheless- where do you go when there's no more room for one more?

Works cited:

"Jakarta, Indonesia" United Nations Cyberschool Bus. United Nations, 2010. Web. 18 March 2010.

Salgado, Sebastiao. Pamphlet. "The Asian Mega-Cities." Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 31. Print

Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 200. 423.

Water

Photo credit: Sebastiao Salgado

This picture was taken in a shanty-town called Mahim in India, where "a pipeline carrying drinking water to [the] more prosperous districts of Bombay" tears through the town (Salgado 29). In recent years, the quality of water in the Bombay area has deteriorated with the influx of population and pollution. Subsequently, the living conditions, in such areas as Mahim, have gone from bad to worse. Water is probably considered one of the most important resources on the earth. without it, life cannot be sustained; for it, wars have been fought.

Looking at this picture reminds me of all the different cities throughout the world that have been built because of their close proximity to a river or other body of water. However, I can only stare in wonder at this cold scene. Because of fear or selfishness, history tells us of the many walls which have been built to discriminate and keep away. while the reasons for building this pipeline aren't necessarily sinister in nature, the metaphor remains nonetheless- the walls built by society often exclude the less fortunate members of humanity from some of its most basic needs: liberty, civil rights, property, peace of mind, etc.

Works cited:

Salgado, Sebastiao. Pamphlet. "The Asian Mega-Cities." Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 29. Print

Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 200. 399

Varshney, P.K. and Govindan K. "Macrobenthos Off Mahim (Bombay), West Coast of India in Relation to Coastal Pollution and aquaculture." National Institute of Oceanography. Indian Fisheries Association, 1995. Web. 11 March 2010.

Cleaning Up

Photo credit: Sebastiao Salgado

Jakarta is the largest city and capital of Indonesia; and home to over 10 million people. In many of the working-class districts, like the district of Gatinegara shown here, "running water and drainage services are almost non-existent" (Salgado, 27). Areas like Gatinegara are prime locations for waterborne diseases like typhoid fever to grow rampant. This particular fever occurs often in young children and teenagers. In a medical research study, scientists observed that "the median age of the typhoid cases was 16 (range, 3-57) years" (Van Dissel).

Humanity in Transition- the apt name of Salgado's book states the situation eloquently. As time passes, circumstances change and people are forced to adapt to new surroundings. This isn't the final destination for refugees. Rather, it is a period of transitioning as they seek to figuratively 'wash up' and start again.

Works Cited:

Salgado, Sebastiao. Pamphlet. "The Asian Mega-Cities." Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 27. Print.

Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 362.

Van Dissel, Jaap. "Risk Factors for Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever in Jakarta, Indonesia." The Journal of the American Medical Association. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2 June 2004. Web. 3 March 2010.