Two faces of the Thunder Dragon
The mountainous kingdom of Bhutan was largely isolated from the outside world until the end of the 20th century when the ban on television and the internet were lifted. Today, the government remains committed to promoting the Gross National Happiness (GNH). Yet Bhutan’s record as the guardian of its citizens' well being is by no means universally applied. Bhutan's giant neighbour India is the main source of cheap labour, with migrant workers mainly being employed in the construction industry. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Bhutanese workers are less keen on low skill, low pay jobs and are happy for migrant workers to take up the slack. This, however, has led to exploitative practices in the construction industry, including child labour.
Vlad Sokhin
Vlad Sokhin (Russia/Portugal) is a documentary photographer, videographer and multimedia producer. He covers social, cultural, environmental, health and human rights issues around the world, including post-conflict and natural disaster zones. Vlad has worked on photo, video and radio projects, collaborating with various international media and with the United Nations and international NGOs. Vlad’s work has been exhibited and published internationally, including at Visa Pour L’Image and Head On photo festivals and in the National Geographic, International Herald Tribune, Newsweek Japan, BBC World Service, the Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, GEO, ABC, NPR, The Atlantic, Stern, Le Monde, Paris Match, Esquire, Das Magazin, WIRE Amnesty International, Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, The Global Mail, Russian Reporter and others. Vlad has produced short multimedia films as well as fundraising and campaign videos for UNICEF, UNAIDS, UN Women, OHCHR, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Amnesty International and ChildFund.
