these guides can help you navigate conversations about 2024 global affairs

How to use these guides

• As part of the Girl Friday consultancy, we provide our clients with Policy, Impact, and Engagement sprints - better known to us as PIEs.

• In the public guides below, we’ve focused on the “E” in PIE by taking a conversational approach to provide answers to commonly asked questions about each topic.

• We started sharing guides over the 2023 holiday season to help readers navigate conversations about issues at the top of the news cycle and highlight lesser-known issues that need attention.

• These bite-sized guides are not meant to be exhaustive, and many of the situations below are fluid, so please check the date in the table of contents below.

• Want to learn more? We also have a weekly newsletter that breaks down the news while detailing ways for readers to get involved and help solve our world’s most complicated challenges; please visit the main page to subscribe to The Friday Brief.

HRH - Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid

Human Rights Amid the War in Israel and Gaza (Updated: Apil 4, 2024)

Humanitarian Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Updated: December 31, 2023)

Ethnic Killings and Mass Displacement in Sudan (Coming Soon!)

After Six - Environmental Protection & Conservation

Saving Sacred Oak Flat in Arizona (Updated: January 25, 2024)

7053 - Justice, Law, & Governance

Armed Resistance Against the Junta in Myanmar (Coming Soon!)

High Society - Art, Culture, & Sport

Giving Tuesday & Beyond Guide (Updated: November 28, 2023)

Book Bans Sweeping the United States (Coming Soon!)

What were the immediate impacts of Hamas’ attack on Israel? On October 7, 2023, Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government and the European Union (EU), launched a surprise attack on Israel and committed war crimes. While figures shift slightly as information is gathered, NBC’s latest report says that Hamas fighters killed approximately 1,200 civilians and captured an estimated 240 hostages. To better understand the history of this conflict and what took place before the October 7th terrorist attack, please read this timeline written by the BBC.

What do we know about the people who were killed or taken as hostages? Around the world, governments and communities quickly rallied in support of immediately releasing the hostages, which Reuters reported included people from 25 different countries. It is important to remember that the figures presented on the news are not just numbers. The Washington Post says that forensic pathologists diligently tried to identify people who were killed to notify their families and rule them out as potential hostages. Every victim has a family in mourning, and every hostage has a family waiting for their safe return home. You can read more about the hostages, ranging from doting grandparents to tiny children, via the BBC.

What do we know about the sexual violence Hamas perpetrated on October 7? Sexual violence at any time is abhorrent and despicable. When sexual assaults are committed as a tool of conflict and war, they are, by international laws and norms, considered extremely serious war crimes. Israelis have been publicly sharing the horrors they witnessed during Hamas’ initial attacks, including horrific sexual violence. Additionally, people who have been processing footage from the crime scenes, talking to victims, and examining the deceased have noted undeniable signs of sexual assaults and mutilations. Photo and video evidence confirm testimonies about the day of the terrorist attack. The evidence presented shows that Hamas’ sexual assaults were widespread.

How has Israel responded to Hamas’ attacks and kidnappings? The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have led the military response in Gaza, which has resulted in numerous civilian fatalities in Gaza. NBC notes that critics of the IDF’s tactics in Gaza cite the volume of air strikes in densely populated areas. For example, during the initial week of the conflict, NBC says that “the IDF dropped 6,000 bombs in Gaza.” By comparison, NBC added that “in 2019, the U.S. dropped 7,400 bombs in Afghanistan over the course of an entire year.” The United Nations, Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and other humanitarian-focused organizations have been calling for humanitarian pauses, and even a full ceasefire, to aid injured civilians, gather more medical supplies, and assess larger damages.

What is Netanyahu’s end goal for this war? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is “deeply unpopular” in Israel according to a recent New York Magazine article, has been unyielding in his decision to engage in combat, saying, “We are at war, and we will continue the war.” Netanyahu also said that the military offense is “straightforward: to bring home hostages and defeat Hamas.” Senior officials in the U.S. government have publicly expressed support for Israel, and they have been negotiating with Netanyahu. While the U.S. government continues to assert that Israel has the right to defend itself, according to Reuters, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been urging Netanyahu to consider humanitarian pauses since (at least) November 3, 2023. In January 2024, Netanyahu made it clear that he does not share the U.S.’s vision for two sovereign states and his stance has not changed.

How many people in Gaza have been killed because of this war? The BBC reported on December 23, 2023, that the “Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 20,000 people have been killed there since the war began - more than a third of them children.” By January 25, 2024, an estimated 25,000 people had been killed. The UN Children's Agency (Unicef) has repeatedly described Gaza as the “most dangerous place in the world to be a child.” As the weeks have passed, the number of children injured or killed continues to grow, sparking global outrage. As of April 4, 2024, the number of deceased people in Gaza totals at least 30,000. This number is hard to conceive, especially in such a short timeframe, so The Washington Post created a unique visual to highlight the impact of this loss. As noted above, with regard to the people killed by Hamas or taken hostage, it is incredibly important to remember that these are not just statistics on the news. Behind every single reported death, there is a grieving family and a sorrowful community. You can read some of their stories via the BBC.

Are children at greater risk in Gaza? The thousands of children who have been killed in Gaza died in horrific and brutal ways, sometimes with limited medical aid. In light of Israel’s decision to limit water, humanitarian aid, and electricity in Gaza, many organizations, including Save the Children, have pointed out that children are also at risk of dying from waterborne illnesses, dehydration, and malnourishment. The United Nations has called Gaza “a children’s graveyard.” You can learn more about the loss of these innocent children via Al Jazeera. These factors, along with the attacks on medical facilities, have led organizations like Human Rights Watch to issue blistering statements about the Israeli military and call for investigations into possible war crimes.

Have humanitarian organizations in Gaza suffered losses? The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has suffered losses and consistently called for a ceasefire. On November 21, 2023, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini stated the following in his remarks to the advisory commission on UNRWR: “108 UNRWA staff members are confirmed killed. We cannot even protect people under the United Nations flag. Nearly 67 UNRWA installations have been hit, 17 of those directly. Most of them were in the middle areas and in the south, where people were promised safety. 176 displaced people sheltering in these installations were reported killed, and at least 778 injured. This includes the most recent attacks on two UNRWA schools, which resulted in scores of additional deaths and injuries. The people of Gaza are not safe anywhere: not at home, not under the UN flag, not in a hospital, not in the North, and not in the South.” On April 1, 2024, despite close coordination with the Israeli government, the IDF killed seven humanitarian aid workers with World Central Kitchen (WCK) who were delivering aid in Gaza. President Biden expressed outrage, and WCK called for an independent investigation into the strikes that killed their team members.

Have medical personnel and facilities in Gaza been impacted? On November 22, 2023, Doctors Without Borders announced that two of their doctors had been killed in an Israeli strike on Al Awda Hospital in northern Gaza. The organization released a statement, saying in part, “We condemn this strike in the strongest terms and yet again call for the respect and protection of medical facilities, staff, and patients.” Emily Callahan, an American nurse activity manager with Doctors Without Borders, was interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN. She had been trapped in Gaza for 26 days. In the interview, she described the dire conditions for her Palestinian colleagues. There have been numerous stories since Callahan’s interview, and, among other organizations, the United Nations has consistently shared concerns about the grave impacts of this war on medical personnel and hospitals.

How many hostages were released during the 2023 temporary ceasefires? On November 22, talks progressed about a temporary ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The deal focuses on releasing hostages from Gaza and prisoners from Israel. The U.S. government and leaders in Qatar and Egypt played key roles in brokering the outline of this agreement, and the Red Cross is playing a central role as well. On November 24, the Red Cross, Thai, and Israeli governments reported that Hamas released 24 hostages. In exchange, as outlined in the agreement, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. The plan continued throughout the weekend (including the release of a four-year-old American girl), and on Monday, November 27, Reuters reported that “a truce between Israeli and Hamas forces in Gaza had been extended by two days, continuing a pause in seven weeks of warfare that has killed thousands and laid waste to the Palestinian enclave.” On Thursday, November 30, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken once again urged the Israeli government to protect civilians in Gaza. As of December 24, hostages still remain in Gaza, and their families are pleading for their safe return.

Were there any conditions surrounding the release of Palestinian prisoners? As the world enthusiastically celebrated the release of the hostages, Palestinians cheered for the return of their family members (including young teenagers) from Israeli prisons. However, as CNN's Nima Elbagir reported, we may not see all of those celebrations in public as Israel has a policy about the prisoner swap that dictates “any Palestinian who celebrates will themselves be charged as terrorists.”

It has been months since the hostages were kidnapped, and their families are still advocating for their immediate release. What have been their latest actions? On January 22, 2024, PBS reported that “dozens of family members of hostages held by Hamas stormed a committee meeting in Israel’s parliament.” They were demanding that the government consider deals to ensure that their family members are released quickly and safely. Families have been, according to the same article, “increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […].” The prime minister has not indicated that he will change course; he still believes that the military offensive is the best course of action. Families continued to protest and demand the release of their loved ones. At the end of March 2024, several families protested the negotiation tactics.

Back to Table of Contents

We know that many incredible organizations deserve our collective support this holiday season, but we have narrowed down a Giving Tuesday recommendations list (across Girl Friday’s key thematic areas) for your consideration. Please feel free to pass this list along to your friends and family.

Sesame Workshop: You know the fabulous show Sesame Street, but did you know that Sesame Workshop works around the world to help children and families impacted by conflicts? One in six children is living in a conflict zone, and Sesame Workshop works with local organizations to deploy educational resources to help those children thrive even in the midst of grave circumstances.

DC Justice Lab: If you want a safer Nation’s Capital, this is the organization to support. They are advocating for inclusive and transformative policy changes in Washington, D.C., to make the city safer for the entire community. Through their policy training and online library, they also educate and empower voters to make informed decisions.

Save the Children: Wherever children are at risk, you will find Save the Children’s team offering unparalleled humanitarian aid. You have probably seen Save the Children in the news recently, calling for humanitarian pauses to the conflict between Israel and Gaza. Their goal is simple and one we can always support: protecting children.

Doctors Without Borders: Their teams work in more than 72 countries and territories around the world. They tackle everything from operating medical facilities to advocacy. You may have seen them in the news recently as well because their doctors have been operating in Gaza, and sadly, two of their doctors have died as a result of the ongoing violence.

Natural Resources Defense Council: If you love the intersection of science, law, and policy, you will appreciate their work to protect public health and defend nature. At Girl Friday, we also believe that environmental protection is intimately linked to justice and human health, so we are longstanding supporters of their work.

Art for Justice Fund: When Girl Friday was founded in 2020, the Art for Justice Fund was a massive source of inspiration. Can art help us create a more equitable and just future? Agnes Gund believes it can, and we could not agree more.

Back to Table of Contents

Are there two nations in Africa called Congo? The Democratic Republic of Congo, also commonly called the DRC or Congo, is a massive African nation about the size of Western Europe. Sometimes, people confuse the Republic of Congo with the DRC because both are often simply called Congo. Just remember, when both of these African countries are referenced together in an article, the writer will almost always include the capitals of each nation in parentheses after the word Congo. The capital of the DRC is Kinshasha. In this guide, we are talking about the humanitarian crisis in the DRC, also known as Congo (Kinshasha).

Can you tell me more about the DRC? The country is home to beautiful lands, incredible biodiversity, and, most importantly, millions of innocent people who have been living through decades of turmoil. They deserve the world’s attention. The World Bank says that the DRC is “endowed with exceptional natural resources, including minerals such as cobalt and copper, hydropower potential, significant arable land, immense biodiversity, and the world’s second-largest rainforest.” However, the nation is one of the five poorest countries in the world. Congolese people live in abject poverty on roughly $2.15 per day.

How long has the conflict been raging in DRC? To properly examine the 2023 conflict, you have to go back to 1996 and analyze the impacts of the genocide in Rwanda. The world cheered when Hutu extremists, who were the main perpetrators of the Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi ethnic minority, were pushed over the border into Congo in 1994. But that was not truly the end of the conflict. Global governments have watched for decades as neighboring extremists and internal warring groups fight for Congo’s valuable natural resources and kill innocent parties. According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), “since 1996, conflict in eastern DRC has led to approximately six million deaths.”

What was the catalyst for the 2023 crisis in Congo? The Norweigan Refugee Council (NRC) notes that this year brought “a dramatic deterioration” where “countless civilians are attacked with impunity.” Those factors were exasperated by hunger, displacement, and overall neglect (in the form of funding and media attention) from other nations.

How is the Rwandan genocide related to the conflict in Congo? The First Congo War lasted from 1996-1997 and was directly related to the 1994 conclusion of the Rwandan genocide. During the Rwandan Genocide, Hutu extremists killed almost one million minority Tutsis and Hutus who resisted and stood with the Tutsis. Approximately two million refugees fled to the DRC after the genocide.

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Girl Friday has been writing about Oak Flat, which is considered sacred land in Arizona, since 2021. What is the backstory? The San Carlos Apache Tribe has been advocating to protect the sacred Oak Flat area from copper mining, but the land may soon be owned and by a foreign mining company. The AP has an excellent timeline outlining critical moments in the advocacy to save Oak Flat over the past decade. Copper mining has been a key industry in Arizona since the 19th century, but it can negatively impact the environment. On January 15, 2021, with the publication of the final environmental impact statement, the U.S. government started the 60-day period in which the land can be transferred to Resolution Copper. In 2021, we wrote that there was “limited time left to protect Oak Flat,” but the saga has continued, giving all of us more time to collectively uplift the San Carlos Apache’s tireless work to protect this beautiful land.

How did the U.S. government legally take Oak Flat? For years, there had been vocal bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress to protect Oak Flat, but, surprising many environmentalists, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange was tucked into the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act as an additional provision known as a "rider." That rider made it possible for 2,500 acres of land, including Oak Flat, to be transferred to Resolution Copper, a joint venture of Rio Tinto and BHP. In return for the land, Resolution Copper must hand over 5,000 acres of land they own elsewhere in Arizona to the U.S. government.

Do the mining companies have a past history of harming Indigenous communities or cultures? Rio Tinto is an Anglo-Australian company that mines everything from aluminum to diamonds, making them well-known figures across agriculture, technology, and luxury industries. In September 2020, the CEO and two top executives announced plans to resign following international outrage over the destruction of an Aboriginal heritage site and artifacts in Australia. In 2020, Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona believed that Rio Tinto's promises to protect Oak Flat were empty and would yield similar results.

What would Oak Flat look like after the mining companies take over the land? The land would be unrecognizable. According to the Phoenix New Times, “[… after the mineral deposits are extracted, the area would be left with a crater deep enough to fit the Eiffel Tower. Critics also have noted that the mine will use 250 billion gallons of water over 40 years, a huge amount for an area already suffering from drought. And any water left in the ground and in the Gila River could be contaminated by toxic mine trailings.”

If this is a sacred land, is there a First Amendment protection? That point has been argued for years to protect Oak Flat from permanent destruction. Founded by Wendsler Nosie Sr., a former Chairman and Councilman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Apache Stronghold connects Apaches, other Native American tribes, and non-Native allies to protect Oak Flat. For the Apache people, Oak Flat is a sacred site known as Chich'il Bildagoteel that serves as a place to pray and honor ancestors. Nosie said, “Giving away our sacred land by the U.S. Government for destruction by a foreign mining company destroys our ability to practice our religion. It violates our First Amendment right to the free exercise of our religion protected by the Constitution.”

Is there still time to provide feedback to members of Congress and the Biden administration? Yes! From what our team has read, the case is still in federal court (as of November 2023). You can find your House representatives here and your Senators here.

Coming Soon!