Social media can be a terrifying hellscape, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are committed to using it to effect meaningful social change. Case in point: their "Forces for Change" campaign, which started with Meghan Markle's guest-edited issue of British Vogue and has continued on the couple's Instagram, @sussexroyal. Last week, Meghan and Harry unfollowed everyone on their account, and asked for suggestions of "people or organisations doing amazing things for their communities and the world at large" to follow in August. This week, the couple announced the 15 accounts that made the cut.
Meghan and Harry asked their followers to nominate "someone you look up to, the organisation doing amazing work that we should all be following, an account that inspires you to be and do better (or that simply makes you feel good), or the handle that brims with optimism for a brighter tomorrow."
On Monday, they explained their approach to selecting 15 accounts: "Many of you have suggested that we use this month as an opportunity to highlight lesser known organisations and shine a light on those working hard behind the scenes that may not get the level of attention that they so rightly deserve," they wrote. "These accounts showcase those persevering at the grassroots level, connecting our global community through a shared lens of giving back and helping one another. We were so happy to learn about them and are now able to share them with you!"
Meghan and Harry selected the following organizations: Rafiki Mwema, an Australian charity operating safe houses in Kenya for children who've survived sexual abuse; Lion Guardians, a Kenyan conservation organization that promotes the coexistence of people and lions; Beyond Blue, a mental health charity in Australia; Love The Oceans, a marine conservation charity in Mozambique; and Art of Hope, a U.S. charity offering art therapy and vocational training to Syrian refugees dealing with trauma and PTSD.
Also among the Duke and Duchess' "Forces for Change": Global Wellness Day, a not-for-profit holiday established in Turkey that promotes "living well"; the global environmental movement Earth Day Network; Children International, a U.S. based charity dedicated to supporting children living in poverty; Plan International U.K., which campaigns for the rights of children and girls; and the Pawsitive Change Program, which matches up shelter dogs with inmates in California.
The final five organizations Meghan and Harry chose to highlight? Free Wheelchair Mission, a U.S. charity which provides wheelchairs to those who can't afford them; Tiny Tickers, a British charity working to improve early detection of heart conditions in babies; Beescause, a Canadian movement helping to revive threatened bee populations; Waves for Change, which offers "surf therapy" to vulnerable young people in South Africa, the U.K., and Liberia, and the BlinkNow Foundation, which established the Kopila Valley Children's Home and School in Surkhet, Nepal.
Want your daily scrolling to have a little more purpose? Meghan and Harry might just have shown you the way.
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