The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced partnerships on Thursday between their foundation and several groups focused on technology and research, including the Center for Humane Technology, the UCLA Center for Critical Research on the Internet and Dr. James Doty of the University of Stanford, whose work focuses on the science of compassion.
Why it matters: The couple made the well-being and mental health of the community, including issues such as technology addiction, online bullying and hate speech on social media, the main focus of their philanthropic efforts.
- During the summer, sources told Axios that Prince Harry and Megan Markle began to defend in particular the #stophateforprofit boycott campaign on social networks, which mainly targeted companies like Facebook and Twitter.
- The couple said in January that they would like to abandon their daily duties as royalty to gain “a new progressive role” within the British monarchy.
Details: The updates were posted on the website of the Archewell Foundation, an impact non-profit organization that the couple debuted in April after their final royal engagement in March.
- The update revealed that the foundation had an active partnership throughout this year with former Google design ethics expert Tristan Harris, who co-founded the Center for Humane Technology, to support research on ways to create the conditions for communities safer and more compassionate online
The central objective of the foundation is to uplift and unite communities – online and offline – mainly through storytelling, as well as through other partnerships that elevate research on issues the couple is passionate about.
- The duke and duchess announced this year two exclusive streaming deals with Netflix and Spotify through their production arms Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, respectively.
- The new ventures feature stories about how communities can come together and be inspired.
The Duke and Duchess are also visiting people from around the world to share their own acts of compassion as part of the website update. In November, Markle shared publicly for the first time that she had experienced a miscarriage in a New York Times opinion piece.
- “The website has been updated to reflect the work that Archewell has done throughout 2020 and to create a place for people and communities around the world to share their stories,” an Archewell spokesman told Axios.
- The website also includes a new logo for nonprofit organizations, shown above.
The big picture: The couple has long talked openly about issues like hate speech and online bullying, including sharing their own experiences.
- In October, the Duchess described her experience with online bullying as “almost impossible to survive”. Prince Harry teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to make a mental health documentary for Apple TV +.
- Much of the couple’s work also focuses on empowering diverse voices and shedding light on issues such as systemic racism.
- For example, the duo is partnering with the Loveland Foundation, an organization that focuses on providing accessible and accessible mental health resources to black women and girls, according to the website update.
Be smart: The duke’s and duchess’s efforts to address issues around the online community and hatred have brought them closer to the global debate over how massive internet platforms, particularly social media companies, should be regulated.
- “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are deeply committed to using their light to illuminate the problems of inequality and structural racism,” said Safiya U. Noble, co-director of UCLA’s Critical Internet Research Center, in a statement.
- “We have a shared commitment and sense of urgency to create a more compassionate world, much of which is undermined by Internet platforms.”
Go deeper: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle support boycott on Facebook