1. Resilience and Social Justice Learning from Post-Katrina New Orleans Barbara Allen Professor and Co-Director Science and Technology in Society Graduate Program Virginia Tech-NCR (Falls Church) This is a research project funded by NSF grant SES-0821353

2. Post Katrina New Orleans rebuilding research Q: What were most successful strategies+practices of NGOs, non-profits, help groups? Q: What were most successful strategies+practices of NGOs, non-profits, help groups? Spent 8 years observing/interviewing in a number of neighborhoods Spent 8 years observing/interviewing in a number of neighborhoods All majority minority neighborhoods, heavily damaged, low income (average) All majority minority neighborhoods, heavily damaged, low income (average) Amount of money/resources help groups spent was not an indicator of success Amount of money/resources help groups spent was not an indicator of success Q: 7 years later some neighborhoods were doing very well and others still struggling. WHY? Q: 7 years later some neighborhoods were doing very well and others still struggling. WHY?

3. Environmental Justice How is social justice defined? How is social justice defined? What social justice idea is at the core of NGO, non-profit and help-group assistance strategies? What social justice idea is at the core of NGO, non-profit and help-group assistance strategies? Observation: concept of social justice implicit or explicit in assistance organizations’ strategies has important consequences on efficacy and success. Observation: concept of social justice implicit or explicit in assistance organizations’ strategies has important consequences on efficacy and success.

4. Type of justiceDefinition Distributive (traditional) (Rawls) Fair distribution of rebuilding goods and resources Procedural (traditional) (Rawls) Just mechanisms and institutions of rebuilding resource distribution Cultural (recognition-based) (Young) Addressing social context of unequal distribution; also recognizing differences Representative (Fraser) Participatory parity in rebuilding decision- making and other schemes: equal partners in social interaction with a focus on inclusion Capacities (Sen and Nussbaum) Degree to which resources of rebuilding are transformed into fully lived lives of residents as residents envision them

5. 2 case study neighborhoods Neighborhood A Neighborhood A Elite planning and concept Elite planning and concept Green groups converge Green groups converge Distribute “green” resources via community assoc. Distribute “green” resources via community assoc. Type of justice Type of justice State of neighborhood State of neighborhood Neighborhood B Elite non-profit(s) 2 rules of assistance Dynamics of interaction Type of justice State of neighborhood

6. Conclusion Considering what is meant by “just” assistance matters Considering what is meant by “just” assistance matters What about resilience and sustainability in non- disaster communities? Can these concepts apply? What about resilience and sustainability in non- disaster communities? Can these concepts apply?

7. The End