Meghan Markle and Prince Harry called some recipients of the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund to share their congratulations.Photo:RT Youth Power Fund
RT Youth Power Fund
Meghan MarkleandPrince Harryare always thinking ofPrince ArchieandPrincess Lilibet.
On Wednesday, theResponsible Technology Youth Power Fundannounced itsinaugural cohortand released avideoof the Duke and Duchess of Sussex calling some recipients to say congratulations. The couple’sArchewell Foundationis a founding member of the new philanthropic initiative which has awarded $2 million in grants to youth-led groups working to make the technology ecosystem a more inclusive, equitable and accountable place.
The snippet showed Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, connecting with Tazin Khan Norelius ofCyber Collective, Trisha Prabhu ofReThink Citizens, Emma Lembke ofDesign It For UsandLog Off, Sam Hiner of theYoung People’s Alliance Education Fundand Sneha Revanur ofEncode Justice. They thanked the young leaders for driving change that will benefit the next generation — including their son Archie, 4, and daughter Lilibet, 2.
“Thank you for doing everything that you do. Our kids especially are incredibly grateful,” Prince Harry said after Sneha spoke.
A photo of Prince Harry, Princess Lilibet, Meghan Markle and Prince Archie from the December 2022 docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’ on Netflix.Netflix/Youtube
“They don’t know it yet, but they will!” Meghan added with a laugh.
Digital responsibility is a key pillar of the public work of the Archewell Foundation, which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched in 2020 shortly afterstepping backfrom their roles as senior working royals. The organization is named for the Greek word meaning “source of action,” which was also aninspirationfor Prince Archie’s name.
Harry and Meghan were all smiles when they made the congratulatory calls to the Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund grantees from a bright garden, and two of the recipients exclusively tell PEOPLE it was a pleasure to connect.
“It was exciting, to say the least, to have a chat with them. It was also just impactful knowing that they were a part of this fund and they took the time to personally congratulate and thank some of the members of the cohort,” Tazin tells PEOPLE of her conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, adding that “it was really cool to be able to share our story.”
Echoing similar sentiments about his call with Harry and Meghan, Sam tells PEOPLE, “What I appreciated is that sometimes it feels like we’re not as recognized for the advocacy we do as young people. I really appreciated that they saw the importance of the work that we were doing and were speaking to the importance of young people getting engaged in the democratic process.”
In February, Archewellannouncedits participation in the Youth Power Fund “as part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to the future of technology and its impact on society.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit the United Nations headquarters in New York City in July 2022.Michael M. Santiago/Getty
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According to thefund, 14 organizations partnered to raise $2 million for distribution via grants to 501(c)3 eligible public charities shaping the future of the responsible technology movement with a youth and intergenerational focus.
Hopefuls applied for the game-changing grants, and the inaugural cohort is focused on a slew of technology issues ranging from the responsible use of AI to protecting human rights, improving access to education and addressing social challenges.
source: people.com
