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Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights announces the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as recipients of the 2022 Ripple of Hope Award

New York, NY, October 11, 2022Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have been named this year’s Ripple of Hope Award laureates in recognition of their work on racial justice, mental health, and other social impact initiatives through their Archewell Foundation. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be honored alongside previously announced laureates Frank Baker, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siris, and Brian Moynihan, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of America, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“When The Duke and Duchess accepted our award laureate invitation back in March, we were thrilled. The couple has always stood out for their willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice and mental health around the world,” said Kerry Kennedy, president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “They embody the type of moral courage that my father once called the ‘one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.’”

The Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award has honored exemplary leaders across government, business, advocacy, and entertainment who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social change and worked to protect and advance equity, justice, and human rights.

Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to building strong and equitable communities, advancing the global dialogue around mental health, and advocating for a better world – both on and offline. They co-founded Archewell Foundation in 2020 with a mission to uplift and unite communities. In a short time, they have done so in remarkable ways: from supporting Afghan refugees seeking resettlement to uplifting families in the United States in need of paid parental leave; investing in organizations working in Ukraine, to partnering with the NAACP to create the first-ever Digital Civil Rights Award; working with the World Health Organization, People’s Vaccine and Global Citizen to champion vaccine access globally, to raising funds to purchase doses for frontline health workers; among many other initiatives.

Previous winners of the Ripple of Hope Award include Stacey Abrams, former Vice President Joe Biden, Bono, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, George Clooney, Tim Cook, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Amanda Gorman, Vice President Kamala Harris, Dolores Huerta, Colin Kaepernick, late Congressman John Lewis, former President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Desmond Tutu.

Learn more about RFK Human Rights and its annual Ripple of Hope Award at RFKHumanRights.org/Awards.

About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights:

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has worked to realize Robert F. Kennedy’s dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues— championing change makers and pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure change that lasts, we foster a social-good approach to business and investment and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter: @RFKHumanRights.

About The Archewell Foundation:

Archewell Foundation is an impact-driven non-profit created by Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Our core purpose is to uplift and unite communities — local and global, online and offline — one act of compassion at a time.

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Media contacts:

Amy Zelvin Reid, reid@rfkhumanrights.org

Emma Gillett, gillett@rfkhumanrights.org