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Princess Diana was a global humanitarian who devoted her life to shattering social injustices and left a lasting mark for many generations. Throughout her life she used the platform she had to speak up for marginalized communities.

Diana campaigned against ignorant and fearful attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in an era when such misinformation was plentiful (John 2017). She also fought those living in poverty by helping homeless individuals and protecting their rights. Another act of change was to protect the vulnerable people by banning landmines. Diana’s passion and hands on approach continues to inspire social justice efforts globally.

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Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1st, 1961. Diana was a member of the British Royals and after marrying Prince Charles on July 29th, 1981 she also became the Princess of Wales. She was famous for being a member of the royal family, and later famous all over the world for her great compassion and commitment to the cause of humanitarianism.

After her divorce in 1996, she redefined her impact by focusing entirely on charitable work and was an advocate for marginalized communities (The Royal Household, 2016). She became a champion for the people affected by AIDS and unhoused and landmines. Even thought she was under alot of media scrutiny, she continued to pursue her mission of drawing focus to social injustices.

Diana was killed in a car accident in 1997, but her belief and passion for kindness, activism, and humanitarian causes live on all over the world to change things for the better.

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Forms of Oppression Diana Fought Against

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Forms of Oppression Diana Fought Against

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AIDS Era

Princess Diana was a great advocate for combating the stigma around HIV/AIDS during the 1980s. She debunked societal misconceptions of those who were affected with AIDS by shaking hands with someone who had AIDS in 1987 without gloves (Green, 2021). This simple yet bold act helped to dismantle the myth that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted through casual contact and created greater compassion and awareness.

Poverty & Homelessness

Diana was dedicated to fighting poverty and homelessness. She worked with charities as Centrepoint helping homeless youth in her work to highlight how tough their lives were, and advocating for more resources (Murphy, 2025).

She also took action to address child poverty, working for organizations that supported families in need.

Landmine Victims & War-Affected Areas

Diana took a stand against the devastation caused by landmines. She campaigned for a global ban for war affected communities. In 1997 she went to Angola and Bosnia and walked through active minefields to highlight how dangerous they were (John, 2017). Through her tireless advocacy, she helped ensure the adoption of the Ottawa Treaty, dedicating her effort to eliminating the mine worldwide.

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Identifying Needed Changes For Social Justice

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Identifying Needed Changes For Social Justice

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Princess Diana had a strong belief that compassion by providing direct support is better than fear and fear-based policie when it came to addressing social injustices. She stressed that people with HIV/AIDS should be treated with dignity, and not to be shunned by society due to the many others who adopt the same discrimination. She publicly interacted with AIDS patients and showed that fear is not method of change of human connection is (BBC News, 2017).

Diana's fight against landmines pushed for governments to ban there use and to help war survivors receive better medical care and ensure they were properly treated. Diana was also dedicated to breaking downsocial borders, which she had a strong belief that unhoused and poverty could be understood by a systemic approach. These efforts for equality helped shape how policies and initiatives would continue to help contribute to humanitarian efforts.

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At a micro level Diana made personal interactions with those who were diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS which helped humanize the crisis. Diana also made direct involvement with houseless individuals to understand their struggles.

At a mezzo level, Diana worked with many charities to fund shelters and medical aid. Diana was a strong advocate, and used her influence to connect organizations with strong donors.

At a macro level, Diana's landmine advocacy was influenced globally which the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning landmines. Diana pressured governments to invest more in social services for the vulnerable.

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Key lessons for anti-oppressive advocacy can be well seen from Princess Diana’s work. Through personal connections, she proved the power of leaving stigma behind and how compassion and direct engagement can address misinformation and fear (John, 2017). Her work also reflected the ability of being put on a platform to call out the voices that were ignored and to draw attention to pressing issues around the world.

She further realized that systemic injustices must be addressed through policy reforms as well as grassroots efforts for change. Diana continued to draw on her experiences to demonstrate that it usually comes with pushback and the need to be resilient and persistent in advocacy work.

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What will you take from this information to ensure you are working from an anti-oppressive stance?

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What will you take from this information to ensure you are working from an anti-oppressive stance?

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As an advocate myself, working with marginalized groups here in Alberta, I see how Princess Diana’s legacy proves that even small acts of kindness can drive significant social change. I have shadowed her platform since being a disability worker since 2007. I have passionately advocated for the houseless, hosting annual winter coat drives, supporting fair-wage's for the frontline disability workers, and improving working conditions by ensuring great support for those who need it the most.

I have amplified the voices of those in the disability sector by raising awareness, sharing their stories, and addressing critical issues throughout Alberta. As a collective, we worked to shine a light on the ongoing challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. One of the most impactful strategies I used during our grassroots movement was the use of the Spectrum of Allies framework, which highlighted inclusivity even among those initially opposed to change.

The continuous calls to action from disability workers in Alberta highlighted the urgent need for systemic support and transformative change. (Junker, 2022) Princess Diana's dedication to humanitarian work remains a powerful model for those committed to anti-oppressive social justice efforts today.

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BBC News. (2017, April 5). How Princess Diana changed attitudes to Aids. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-39490507

‌Burke, M. (2024, January 15). Princess Diana’s 1997 landmine walk: “I come with my heart.” Www.bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240112-princess-dianas-1997-landmine-walk-i-come-with-my-heart

‌Green, I. (2021, June 30). How Princess Diana Challenged HIV Stigma with Every Hug. Terrence Higgins Trust. https://www.tht.org.uk/news/how-princess-diana-challenged-hiv-stigma-every-hug

John, T. (2017, August 25). How Princess Diana’s Humanitarian Causes Have Fared, 20 Years on. Time. https://time.com/4914377/princess-diana-humanitarian-work/

Murphy, V. (2025, January 22). Prince William Marks Two Decades of Continuing Princess Diana’s Work With Homeless Charity. Town & Country. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a63496906/prince-william-princess-diana-centrepoint-charity-20-years/

‌The Royal Household. (2016, March 14). Diana, princess of wales. The Royal Family; The Royal Household. https://www.royal.uk/diana-princess-wales

Junker, A. (2022) Edmonton Journal. Disability workers group calling for action from the Alberta government to help sector. Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/disability-workers-group-calling-for-action-from-the-alberta-government-to-help-sector

Image references:

Testino, M. (2011). Princess Diana [Photograph]. The Cherry is on My Cake. http://www.thecherryisonmycake.com/2011/09/princess-diana-by-mario-testino.html

Kent celebrates the Royal Wedding in 1981 [Photograph]. (2021, May 20). Kent Online. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/how-kent-celebrated-the-royal-wedding-in-1981-251432/

Princess Diana with AIDS patients [Photograph]. (2023, March 8). Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/princess-diana-did-for-hiv-aids-awareness-stigma

Sweney, M. (2017, August 29). Princess Diana's death and the media treatment of her: How the tabloid press shaped her life. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/princess-diana-death-tabloid-press-treatment-media-prince-charles-divorce-affairs-children-royal-monarchy-a7918581.html

Art n Wordz Gallery Artwork [Photograph]. (n.d.). Art n Wordz. https://artnwordz.com/pages/gallery-art

Princess Diana during her BBC interview [Photograph]. (2023). Toronto Sun. https://torontosun.com/news/world/report-over-princess-dianas-infamous-1995-bbc-interview-expected

Meghan Markle cooking for charity [Photograph]. (2018, September 20). Express. https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1019230/meghan-markle-news-princess-diana-charity-cookbook-grenfell-royal-news