with the book author: Purnawan Basundoro (author, professor of history Univ. Airlangga)
moderator: Ronny Agustinus (Marjin Kiri publishing house)

Writing in Indonesian history has been more focused on the rural peasant uprising. The urban poor tends to be neglected, but since the beginning of the 20th century, the cities in Indonesia has moved into its own force in moving Indonesian history.

Merebut Ruang Kota comprehensively reviews the dynamics of urban poor's actions in Surabaya—one of the most important cities during the Dutch East Indies and post-Independence Indonesia—in rights over their living space in the city. Shadow of a struggle always happen from time to time between the arrivals with the locals, immigrants and migrants, poor people and state institutions, as well as among the poor with the other groups.

Studies on the urban poor largely concluded that they were disappointed by the dominant power. However, the experience of poor people in the city of Surabaya for about sixty years also prove that they were able to become the significant force that has impacted on the development of the city.

This book is an important read especially because the problem of space is increasingly becoming a critical issue in big cities in Indonesia today.

The book is published by Marjin Kiri, a critical independent publisher of books focusing in the social, economic, politics, literature, history, and philosophy.

The event is free and open to the public.