An agreement to better respect and protect civilians and a tentative contract for better working conditions for nurses promise improvements in the lives of those affected.

Happening in the World: In Geneva, representatives of two armed groups in Congo, Africa’s second-largest country, have signed solemn pledges to respect and protect civilians better. The representatives made commitments that their forces would end sexual violence, food insecurity, conditions of famine, and increase access to healthcare. Geneva Call, a humanitarian group that works to protect civilians in war conflict zones, was quick to note that these are not formal agreements and that they do not legitimize the armed groups. (AP)

Happening in the US: In downtown Indianapolis late Saturday night, at least 7 juveniles between the ages of 12 and 17 were wounded in a shooting near the Circle Centre Mall. All of the wounded are in stable condition, but the conditions that led to the shooting and the number of people who opened fire are unclear. The seven were wounded in a large gathering of juveniles—a part of a trend of a large crowd of juveniles gathering in the evenings that Indianapolis police have noticed. (CNN) 

Happening in NYC: A strike of over 1,000 nurses on Staten Island has been averted after an all-night bargaining session. The New York State Nurses Association says it reached a tentative contract, which includes improvements to safe staffing standards and total wage increases of more than 22%, with Staten Island University Hospital Northwell Health. The current contract of the nurses expires on Sunday, and they will vote on the ratification of this contract on Wednesday. (CBS)

Happening in Our Community: On Monday, April 1, from 12:30 to 2 pm, the Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism at Columbia’s Journalism School will host an in-person panel conversation that will discuss, in nuance, current issues surrounding children and adolescents associated with armed conflict. Panelists will contextualize current narratives through a combination of journalistic, humanitarian, programming, legal, and geopolitical perspectives. More information about the event can be found here, and the link to RSVP is here.

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