Taking Stock: ADR Responses in Post-Disaster Situations

As the use of innovative dispute resolution processes becomes more widespread and diverse, it is understandable and perhaps even inevitable that dispute resolvers will continue to explore ways to apply their knowledge, skills, and expertise in new and challenging settings. One of the contexts that dispute resolvers have paid increasing attention to since September 11th has been post-disaster situations. Despite this observation, however, dispute resolution experts continue to struggle with how to respond. While many professions, particularly those which provide emergency or essential rescue, evacuation, recovery, relocation, repair, rebuilding, and survival-related services have readily identified roles in post disaster situations, such is not the case for dispute resolvers.

September 11th and Hurricane Katrina have raised provocative questions and served as a wake-up call about the role and relevance of dispute resolvers in responding to disasters.