Bio
Tsamara Alatas is a second-year Master’s student at NYU Gallatin. Her concentration at Gallatin is urban affairs. Tsamara’s academic interests revolve around the concept of urban modernity, the possibility of resistance to urban modernization, and workable solutions and alternatives to crises caused by urban modernization. In 2019, Tsamara ran for parliament as the youngest legislative candidate in Indonesia. She received second most votes in the Jakarta electoral district. Tsamara is passionate about urban issues, particularly those affecting young people and women. She is now working on developing a platform for women to express their ideas and concerns, as well as a campaign that celebrates every path that women choose. Tsamara aspires to obtain a deeper understanding of urban modernity, resistance, and the prospect of a more inclusive world for precarious young people and women through this Fellowship.
During the summer of 2022, I assist Right to the City with the preparation of a research paper that will serve as a useful input for learning how to execute successful policy campaign strategies in the United States. In addition, I also assist Right to the City in producing a paper that discusses land struggle worldwide, from Jakarta to Buenos Aires. This paper is used for the Transformative Organizing 101 event, an annual event where Right to the City organizers from across the country share their most effective organizing techniques.
Over the course of two and a half months, I have submitted two research papers that focus on transforming policy for vulnerable communities and defending the land for communities targeted by the government or corporations. These two papers will serve as a resource for Right to the City’s ongoing search for the most effective organizing strategy for organizers as well as innovative policy-winning strategies.
Mission Statement
During the summer I was working with Right to the City Alliance. As an organization that seeks to combat displacement and provide affordable housing for all, Right to the City collaborates with local organizations to build a Homes for All campaign centered on policy recommendations for equitable housing. This collaboration with local organizations also drives Right to the City to continuously experiment in search of the best organizing approach(es).
Through working with Right to the City, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of local issues at state and city level and workable alternatives to the current housing crisis, as well as forms of engagement and narrative that may unite diverse organizations and mobilize activists to fight for a common cause. Academically, by working with Right to the City, I hope to comprehend the continual resistance to urban modernity that constantly displaces residents, which will be a crucial component of my Master’s thesis. Professionally and personally, I believe that as an international student from Indonesia, a country considered to be part of the Global South, I may offer some different insights based on my grassroots organizing experience in Jakarta, the most populated city in Indonesia. I want to support Right to the City in analyzing alternative organizational strategies and discovering a flexible “template” for their local partners so that I can leave my mark on this partnership. I also intend to learn valuable insights related to organizational and policy solutions for housing issues that can may be useful in my native country.
