Over 200 Resources to Learn With Us

Since the beginning of Novel Hand as a community exploring the best solutions to global humanitarian issues, our team of contributors and interns has come across hundreds of resources helpful while researching. In tandem with our General Resources and Anti-Racism & Racial Justice resources, we are excited to share about eight new topical archives detailing who we are learning from!

Refugees & Immigration

From books and podcasts about the anecdotal experiences of refugees to organizations that aim to protect the rights of immigrants and refugees, you will be able to learn about the ramifications of deportation, the status of climate refugees, and the ways you can become involved in refugee resettlement programs. Some featured resources include Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini, the Refugees’ Stories podcast, and the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition.

Environment & Sustainability

We’re also learning from documentaries, publications, and even public figures on Instagram! One featured documentary, The True Cost, covers the intersection of human capital and environmentalism as it addresses “the true cost” of the clothing industry. We feature The Guardian’s “Environmental investigations” series, which looks into current issues regarding environmental exploitation in the name of corporate and governmental interests. Additionally, we spotlight Marie Beecham, who provides inspiration and information on climate justice and racial justice through her Instagram account @wastefreemarie. 

Poverty & Development

In our Poverty & Development archive, we include resources related to food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty research and policy. This includes local organizations like Homeless Nashville and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and podcasts from the Stanford Center on Poverty & Inequality – which also publishes research and develops programs related to poverty policy.

Social Enterprise

This archive features start-up companies and multimedia sources on social ventures and the journey to developing one. We include not just any podcast, but our own as well! Our podcast episode on ethical fashion with Connie Tsai of the Nashville-based shoe company Nisolo, as well as one on transitional housing and employment with Alexis Cook, co-founder of the Nashville-based jewelry brand Unlocked.

Disaster Relief

Although disaster strikes unexpectedly, there are ways to stay vigilant and be proactive in rebuilding efforts. The Preparedness Podcast covers ideologies and methods regarding survival in our unpredictable world, and the Stanford Social Innovation Review’s Disaster Response podcasts discuss innovative ways to incorporate social business and social media in times of crisis. Meanwhile, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy educates about ways to increase the efficacy and impact of philanthropic efforts to address disaster.

Education

The Education archive includes resources that address the intersection of education and social inequities and civil rights. One is Educated by Tara Westover, Grace writes about in her reflection on the psychological and socioeconomic implications of access to education. Another is the American Civil Liberties Union’s archive for the school-to-prison pipeline, a topic that Kelly discussed last week. We also feature an Instagram post by @z.arabee on the relationship between academic institutions and the Aramark Corporation – a company that feeds the prison-industrial complex.

Justice

In addition to the resources from the Anti-Racism & Racial Justice list, we have compiled sources that cover topics like racial justice, human trafficking, and equality for transgender people. This archive includes Ava DuVernay’s critically acclaimed documentary 13th, which discusses the criminalization of the Black identity. It also features the Human Trafficking Institute, which aims to reduce trafficking rates around the world through research and policy changes. Another featured resource is the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, which aims to preserve transgender rights through education, policy, and service.

Health

Our final archive is Health, which has resources concerning menstrual equity and sexual violence. A featured resource addressing menstrual equity is the documentary Period. End of Sentence., which spotlights a group of women countering the stigma surrounding menstruation in India. One that addresses the topic of sexual assault is the National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault, which is an advocacy organization that focuses on women of color in tackling sexual assault.

These archives are your resource to dive deeper into the different humanitarian issues that we cover at Novel Hand. We encourage you to use these resources as a supplement to your journey in becoming more aware about current affairs, and we also encourage you to be proactive in your search outside of these resources. Let us know if you have a favorite resource that we should add in the comments below. Happy exploring!