Our director, Mike Omoniyi, was one of three people invited to take part in a special discussion on justice and equality with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, hosted by the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT).
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are the President and Vice President of the QCT. The Trust exists to champion, fund and connect young leaders around the world, helping to inform its future direction.
The meeting was one of the QCT’s weekly discussions with young people, assessing the impact of various forms of injustice on the experiences of young people today in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement.
In the conversation, Mike emphasised the importance of humility when discussing and tackling racism:
“After pressing send online, people need to roll up their sleeves and do the work… There’s a whole host of things that mean to be an ally but the impetus has to be humility, kindness and a willingness to learn new things.”
This was echoed by the Duchess who stressed how crucial it was to “know when to lead and know when to listen.”
It is greatly encouraging to see people from such high positions and large spheres of influence demonstrate a strong willingness to grapple with the problem. This was strongly communicated the Duchess who encouraged the leaders:
“Keep up the incredible work and know that we are right there with you, standing in solidarity. We’re going to get there…and we have a lot of renewed faith and energy in that having had this conversation.”
This was also well-captured by the Duke:
“The optimism and the hope that we get is from listening and speaking to people like you because there is no turning back now, everything is coming to a head. Solutions exist and change is happening far quicker than it ever has done before.”
Humility is of vital importance in addressing racial inequality and injustice. As Christians, we are to demonstrate the same humble and compassionate spirit displayed by Jesus Christ when interacting with those who are pained by unjust treatment.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12
To watch the full discussion Click here.
To learn more about OGGM’s work and material, click here.
