Meghan And Harry's Statement About Afghanistan Is A Call To Action
"We have faith in the power of shared purpose, action, and commitment."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are speaking out about what they’re calling a “fragile” moment in history. Following the Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan’s government amid the U.S. forces’ withdrawal on Aug. 15, and the destruction caused by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti one day earlier, the couple wanted their followers to know there is much they can do to help. Meghan and Harry's statement about Afghanistan sends a message of hope through action.
Harry and Meghan shared their statement on the couple’s nonprofit charitable foundation, Archewell’s, official website. The Duke and Duchess’ mission for Archewell is to unleash “the power of compassion to drive systemic cultural change.” That’s exactly what the couple did on Aug. 17 when they unveiled a call to action to help the communities of Afghanistan and Haiti.
"The world is exceptionally fragile right now," Harry and Meghan began. "As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless. As we all watch the growing humanitarian disaster in Haiti, and the threat of it worsening after last weekend's earthquake, we are left heartbroken.”
The couple said they believe when one community suffers, everyone does, and it’s up to us to choose to take action. “Though we are not meant to live in a state of suffering, we, as a people, are being conditioned to accept it. It's easy to find ourselves feeling powerless, but we can put our values into action — together,” they said.
"As an international community, it is the decisions we make now — to alleviate suffering among those we know and those we may never meet — that will prove our humanity," they said.
Harry and Meghan then shared a list of resources readers at home can use to help, explaining, “We recognize that many of you may feel helpless right now as you watch the state of the world spin rapidly. It can feel disorienting and defeating, but we have faith in the power of shared purpose, action, and commitment to our collective well-being.”
They are supporting the emergency response in Haiti with their partner World Central Kitchen, which “is working with local organizations that are helping with recovery efforts to save lives and preserve the health of those on the ground.”
The pair also shared the link to Women For Afghan Women, where people can donate money to help women and children who have been displaced from their homes in Afghanistan. Other important resources the couple linked out to included Afghanaid, Mercy Corps, and Invictus.
Prince Harry also issued a joint statement with Dominic Reid, the CEO of Harry's Invictus Games.
In addition to their support for Afghanistan and Haiti, the couple pledged to keep supporting vaccine equity as the coronavirus continues to spread in many countries.
