Goal Oriented:

From the professional’s point of view, the Forum proposes

- generation of thought triggers which stimulate reflection concerning the redefinition of the Conflict Operator’s role in the digital era.

- identify stimuli to use new information and communication technologies – understood to be value generators to apply in our daily professional activity.

- overcome the following dichotomies:

1.  
   1. Native digital  vs. Immigrant Digital
   2. Technologist vs. Technophobes

- make the knowledge and access to RED/ODR methods as another tool available to the community of RAD methods experts, adding and complementing to those already in use.

We hope that Buenos Aires ODR 2010 will serve as the initial impulse for technological immigration for those experts in resolution of disputes who have not yet ventured into the use and administration of new technologies.

We propose to offer the ABC for the incorporation of ICTs(Information and Communication Technologies) in the daily professional practice for regional conflict operators, WITH OR WITH PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE. 

3. Main Objectives:

The events principal objective is the initiation of those who wish to do so and the in depth study of the subject for experts including the study and interchange of experiences as well perspectives related to future trends in the subject.

Likewise, from the professional’s point of view in the subject area, the Forum proposes:

-the generation of thought triggers which stimulate reflexion regarding the redefinition of the Conflict Operators role in the digital era,

-the identification of stimuli to be used in the use of new information and communication technologies – conceived as value creators – to be applied in our daily professional activity.

- overcoming the following dichotomies:

1. Native digital vs. Immigrant Digital
2. Technologists vs. Technophobics

-          the availability for the entire community of experts in the RAD knowledge and access to TED/PDR as yet another tool complementing those already used

These methods have been defined similar to those, which “originated from the synergy between technology and alternative conflict resolution methods to resolve disputes which started in Internet, later to be expanded to all types of conflicts.” (E. Katsh and J. Rifkin, Online Dispute Resolution: Resolving Conflicts in Cyberspace, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2001, p. 93)

The several International Forums organized over the past eight years have been very successful, providing an important impulse for RED/ODR methods.  Likewise they have provided a setting for reflection and debate over different aspects related to the practice and the diffusion of this new discipline.

The study and practice of RED/ODR methods have grown considerably since then. As a result, the development and use of those methods has expanded and been diffused all over the world exponentially in the last years and is guaranteed a promising future.

At present, thanks to the efforts of different actors, we can count on the availability of technological tools, some of them simpler, others more sophisticated, which can now be used in different settings and/or conflicts.

Some of these tools are especially designed to be used in conflicts, which originate from the growing use of Internet, namely disputes, which arise from electronic commerce or controversies related to the use of dominion names.  Others are applicable to family matters, commercial and /or labour, etc. and became especially useful where people live in different geographical zones.

In addition, over the past few years, tools have been especially designed for the construction of social peace, conceived for the generation of consensus between groups of individuals, like those thought up in order to contribute to the efforts of international peace.

All these tools will be explored in the 9th International Forum which will discuss the application of new Technologies in the resolution of Conflicts.