An Academic Journal on Hispanic America Online Dispute Resolution

INTRODUCTION

When I decided on creating ODR Latin America, I was inspired by the idea I had about where the world was going. For this reason, in 2008 I founded this Social Network, designed so that professionals specializing in conflict resolution could exchange knowledge and experiences and learn about the application of ICT in the field of ADR. The network has reached more than 5,500 members today. This social network has promoted Latin American participation in international ODR forums, such as Cyberweek and e Marc .

It is a private non-profit social network and an academic and research space in the articulation of new technologies and conflict resolution.

ODR Latin America seeks, through its portals and activities, to interconnect Conflict mediators and Conflict Operators, organizations, negotiation experts, teachers, specialists and professionals from all areas who are interested in cultivating the culture of peace and agreement. Also, ODR LATINAMERICA organizes trainings and virtual distance meetings related to different aspects of conflict resolution, using new communication and information technologies.

. We host mediator organizations into the cyberspace, offering virtual rooms to experts so they can reach an international audience, managing approved trainings for registered mediators, and disseminating news from the world of ODR.

And this year 2020, we have managed to fulfill a dream, on which we have been working for a long time, such as the launch of the first publication with a selection of content developed by specialists in Online Dispute Resolution

IMPORTANCE OF AN ACADEMIC JOURNAL ON ODR

Academic publications have became the way to socialize knowledge, a process that constitutes one of the contributions most appreciated by the scientific community, in any of its areas.

Those who develop and contribute new knowledge must be at the service of the society of which they are part. As Alvin Toffler ventured, quoting Herbert Gerjuoy, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but rather those who do not know how to learn, unlearn and relearn." For this reason, nowadays no one argues that knowledge has become a determining factor for the development of different social groups; it is an indisputable ingredient of social construction and of its corresponding structuring with the entire social fabric. At first, knowledge was a good that was transmitted from generation to generation orally, as the heritage of different groups (families, clans, tribes). Then, knowledge began to develop in areas built for this purpose, such as schools or universities, being enclosed within its walls, making the exchange of information very difficult. From the appearance in history of Johannes Gutenberg with his invention of the printing press with mobile types  in the middle of the XV century, the diffusion and access to knowledge to all mankind was possible.

And, one of the new and effective access systems to new knowledge are academic or scientific journals, which socialize efficiently the knowledge that is being developed in all disciplinary areas.-

Therefore, this first publication of the Journal of ODR Latin America, means for us a great achievement, since it will socialize the knowledge that is being generated throughout Latin America on Online Dispute Resolution, bringing distances closer and expanding knowledge, being pioneers in generating literature in Spanish about ODR. In its first  edition, important authors have contributed topics related to the use of ICT applied to Conflict Resolution, ODR and its importance into the global situation of the Covid 19 Pandemic and Artificial Intelligence and Conflict Resolution.-

We feel that we are opening an important path in the distribution of knowledge and that we have a long way to go. What we will never lose is the passion to generate and disseminate new knowledge in the field of Online Dispute Resolution. Because this year 2020 confirmed the conviction that ODRs are an indispensable tool for the different situations that today's society demands, and one of them has been the pandemic that we are currently suffering throughout the world.

The link to download this inaugural issue is here.

                       

Alberto Elisavetsky

Dr. Elisavetsky is the Founder & Director of Online Dispute Resolution Latinoamerica (odrla), Director of the Conflict Observatory of the National University Tres de Febrero - Argentina, Member of the Center for New Technologies Applied to Dispute Resolution in the United States. (NCTDR), Executive President of e-MARC World Remote Congress… MORE >