Ian Wilson



Wilson_Ian

Indonesia’s Urban Poor in the Time of Pandemic

Ian Wilson is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and Security Studies and a Research Fellow at the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University. His research focuses upon contemporary Indonesia with a interest in urban social movements, political economies of violence and the intersections between state power and criminality. He has published widely in outlets such as Critical Asian Studies and New Mandala and is the author of Politics of Protection Rackets in Post-New Order Indonesia (Routledge, 2015). His latest book, Politik Tenaga Dalam will be published by Yayasan Pustaka Obor later this year.

Indonesia’s Urban Poor in the Time of Pandemic

Indonesia’s urban poor are among those most vulnerable to the health risks posed by Covid-19 but have also suffered considerably under mitigation measures introduced to curtail its spread, with social and economic lockdown significantly disrupting already precarious lives and livelihoods. The urban poor are however, by necessity, both pragmatic and resilient and have responded creatively to these new and uncertain times with forms of self-help and organisation. Focusing on Jakarta, this talk will outline some of the key challenges urban poor communities have faced during the pandemic and outline some responses.