Craig Kielburger

Craig Kielburger, CM, MSM, OMC (born December 17, 1982) is a Canadian human rights activist and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder, with his brother Marc Kielburger, of We Charity, as well as We Day and the independent social enterprise Me to We[1]. On April 11, 2008, Kielburger was named a member of the Order of Canada.[2] He currently serves on the advisory board of the Leaders' Debates Commission.[3][4]

Craig Kielburger

CM, MSM, OMC
Kielburger in 2011
Born
Craig Kielburger

(1982-12-17) December 17, 1982
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Alma materTrinity College, University of Toronto (B.A.)
Schulich School of Business, York University
Kellogg School of Management (EMBA)
OccupationSocial entrepreneur
Known forFounder of WE Charity and Me to We
Spouse(s)Leysa Cerswell Kielburger
RelativesMarc Kielburger (brother)
Websitewww.craigkielburger.com

Early life and education

Craig Kielburger was born in Thornhill, Ontario[5][1] to Fred and Theresa Kielburger, two teachers and real estate investors.[6]

He attended Blessed Scalabrini Catholic School, in Thornhill, and Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Toronto. In 2002, he entered the Peace and Conflict Studies program at the University of Toronto. In 2009, he completed the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program at York University.

Activism

We Charity

In 1995, when Craig Kielburger was 12 years old, he saw a headline in the Toronto Star newspaper that read "Battled child labour, boy, 12, murdered." The accompanying story was about a young Pakistani boy named Iqbal Masih, a child labourer turned child-rights activist who was killed for speaking out against the carpet industry.[7]

Craig’s parents, Fred and Theresa Kielburger, supported the early stages of the organization,[8] which was initially headquartered in the Kielburger family home.

One of the group's first actions was to collect 3,000 signatures on a petition to the prime minister of India, calling for the release of imprisoned child labour activist Kailash Satyarthi, who went on to win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.[9] The petition was sent in a shoe box wrapped in brown paper. On his eventual release, Satyarthi said, "It was one of the most powerful actions taken on my behalf, and for me, definitely the most memorable".[8]

In December 1995, Kielburger travelled to Asia with Alam Rahman, a 25-year-old family friend from Bangladesh to see the condition of child labourers for himself. While there, he learnt that then-prime minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien was travelling to India. After initially being denied a meeting, Kielburger was granted 15 minutes with Chretien to advocate for Canadian action on the issue of child labour, making headlines across Canada and internationally.[10] Upon his return, Kielburger attracted international media attention with features on 60 Minutes and the Oprah Winfrey Show.[11][12] His South Asian trip was documented in the Judy Jackson documentary "It Takes a Child".[13]In 1999, Kielburger collaborated with novelist Kevin Major to write Free the Children, a book detailing his trip to South Asia, his meetings with child labourers, and the founding of Free The Children. [14]

Kielburger’s charity initially fundraised for organizations that raided factories and freed children from forced labour situations. When it became clear that the rescued children were being resold by their impoverished families, Free The Children changed its approach. The organization began to fund school building projects in Nicaragua, Kenya, Ecuador and India. [15] Eventually, it developed an international development model focused on education, water, health care, food security and income generation. [16]

In 2016, Free The Children rebranded as WE Charity,[17] The organization implements domestic programs for young people in Canada, the US and the UK, and international development programs in communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.[18]In July 2019, Kielburger opened an educational facility WE College in Narok County, Kenya with former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell, Margaret Trudeau and Kenyan First Lady Margaret Kenyatta attending the event.[19] In August 2019, Bill Morneau, the Canadian finance minister and Craig Kielburger announced that the federal government will be donating $3 million to the WE Social Entrepreneurs initiative.[20]

Me to We
Main article: Me to We

In 2004, Craig and Marc Kielburger published Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. The book included contributions from Oprah Winfrey, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Dr. Jane Goodall, and outlined the tenets of the “ME to WE” philosophy, including the importance of community and the idea of service as a path to happiness.[21]

In 2008, Kielburger co-founded ME to WE,[22] a social enterprise that offers socially conscious products, leadership training and travel experiences. ME to WE donates a minimum half of its profits to its partner organization WE Charity, to support its operating costs and international development work and invests the other half back into growing the enterprise.[23][24]

Controversy and criticism

Craig Kielburger and fellow We Charity co-founder Marc Kielburger announced they were pulling out of a $912 million Canada Student Grant contract because of the "controversy" the awarding of the contract raised. The contract with the We Charity had raised accusations of favoritism, since the government was outsourcing a massive federal aid program to a private organization with close ties to the prime minister. Following this, Opposition members of Parliament (MPs) asked the auditor general and the procurement ombudsman to investigate the contract, and other contracts awarded to We Charity over the years.[25]

Marc Kielburger later said he "misspoke" when he told youth leaders that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's staff reached out in April to see if the organization would administer a $912 million federal student-aid program, a claim the Prime Minister's Office dismissed as untrue.[26]

Public life
Craig Kielburger addressing candidates at the 2013 York University Convocation

Kielburger contributes a regular column called "Global Voices" for the Vancouver Sun,[27] Halifax Chronicle Herald, Edmonton Journal, Victoria Times Colonist, Waterloo Region Record, Winnipeg Free Press, Huffington Post and Huffington Post Canada online.

He is the author of 12 books, several co-written with his brother Marc Kielburger [28] Their latest publication (2018) is WEconomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make a Living, and Change the World, co-authored with Holly Branson, daughter of business magnate Richard Branson [29]

In 2000, Kielburger was awarded $319,000 in damages as settlement for a libel suit launched against the now-defunct Saturday Night magazine.[30] The settlement covered Kielburger's legal costs and the remainder was used to set up a trust fund for Free The Children.[30]

In 2007, at age 25, Craig Kielburger was inducted into the Order of Canada, the second-youngest Canadian ever to receive the honor.[31]

In 2012, Craig Kielburger Secondary School opened its doors in Milton, Ontario. The school was named for the activist after a campaign by two former and two current students.[32]

In 2013, Kielburger was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, alongside his elder brother Marc Kielburger.[1]

He participated in the 2015 edition of Canada Reads, advocating for Thomas King's book The Inconvenient Indian.[33]

Honours

Awards
  • Reebok Human Rights Award[34]
  • World Economic Forum Global Leaders of Tomorrow Award, 1998[35]
  • Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award, 2003[36]
  • Action Canada Fellowship (2005-2006)[37]
  • EY & Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2008)[38]

Orders, decorations and medals

Commonwealth honours
Commonwealth honours
Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters
 Canada2007 – PresentMember of the Order of CanadaCM
 Canada1997 – PresentMeritorious Service Medal (Civil Division)MSM
 Canada1998 – PresentOntario Medal for Good CitizenshipOMC
 CanadaFebruary 6, 2012 – PresentQueen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version)

Scholastic
Honorary degrees
Location Date School Degree Status
 OntarioJune 9, 2005Nipissing UniversityDoctor of Education (D.Ed) [42] [43]
 OntarioJune 2007University of GuelphDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [44]
 OntarioFall 2009University of WindsorDoctor of Humanities (DHL) [45]
 OntarioJune 3, 2011Trent UniversityDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [46] [47]
 OntarioJune 8, 2011University of TorontoDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [48]
 OntarioJune 14, 2011University of Western OntarioDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [49]
 OntarioJune 2011Wilfrid Laurier UniversityDoctor of Letters (D.Litt) [50]
 Ontario2012Carleton UniversityDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [51]
 British ColumbiaMay 31, 2012Kwantlen Polytechnic UniversityDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [52]
 QuebecJune 2012Concordia UniversityDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [53]
 OntarioSpring 2013York UniversityDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [54]
 British Columbia2014Thompson Rivers UniversityDoctor of Letters (D. Litt) [55] [56]
 Ontario2018University of Ontario Institute of TechnologyDoctor of Laws (LL.D) [57]
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Bibliography
  • Free the Children (1998)[16]
  • Me to We (with Marc Kielburger, 2004)[58]
  • Take Action (with Marc Kielburger, 2002)
  • Take More Action (with Marc Kielburger, 2008)
  • Making of an Activist (with Marc Kielburger, 2007)
  • The World Needs Your Kid (with Marc Kielburger, 2009)[59]
  • Global Voices: Volume 1 (with Marc Kielburger, 2010)[60]
  • Lessons From A Street Kid (2011)
  • Living Me to We: The Guide for Socially Conscious Canadians (with Marc Kielburger, 2012)
  • The Power of We Day: Moving the World from Me to We (with Marc Kielburger, 2013)
  • My Grandma Follows Me on Twitter (with Marc Kielburger, 2012)[61]
  • WEconomy (with Marc Kielburger and Holly Branson, 2018) [62]

References
  1. "Craig Kielburger". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. October 10, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  2. "Order of Canada recipients | The Star". thestar.com. February 21, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  3. Government of Canada (April 2019). "Leaders' Debates Commission". Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  4. Vigliotti, Marco (March 22, 2019). "Ex-politicians Leslie, Manley, Grey to sit on debates' commission advisory board". CBC News. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  5. "The Freedom Fighter". Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  6. Spiering, Brenda. "Two teachers who helped their kids start a movement". Canadian Living. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  7. "Boy leader of child labour protest is shot dead". The Independent. April 19, 1995. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  8. Rysavy, Tracy. "Free the Children: the Story of Craig Kielburger". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. "The Nobel Peace Prize 2014". NobelPrize.org.
  10. "CANADIAN, 13, WAGES WAR ON CHILD LABOR". February 23, 1996 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  11. "Promise to help children kept 17 years later". www.cbsnews.com.
  12. "Winfrey, Kielburger launch youth initiative | The Star". thestar.com. May 26, 2008.
  13. "It Takes A Child". www.cultureunplugged.com. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. "Free the Children". Quill and Quire. March 1, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  15. April 25, rew Duffy Updated; 2015 (April 25, 2015). "Free The Children at 20: An unlikely Canadian success story | Ottawa Citizen". Retrieved May 19, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. "Significant developments in Free The Children's history". Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  17. Thomson, Greg (October 18, 2016). "Free the Children Becomes WE Charity". charityintelligence.ca. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  18. "WE Charity". Charity Navigator. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  19. Trudeau, Margaret; Campbell, Kim (July 19, 2019). "When barriers are lifted, women flourish. The growth in Kenya's communities prove it". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  20. "Federal Government Gives WE Charity $3 Million To Create 'Youth-Led Enterprises'". HuffPost Canada. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  21. "CM Magazine: Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World". umanitoba.ca. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  22. "Marc and Craig Kielburger's do-gooding social enterprise". Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  23. "Yorkdale Me to We pop-up offers one-stop Christmas shopping | The Star". thestar.com. November 19, 2014.
  24. "Craig and Marc Kielburger believe changing the world is possible". Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  25. "We Charity cuts ties with Canada grant programme". BBC News. July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  26. Berthiaume, Lee (June 30, 2020). "Kielburger backtracks after saying PMO contacted WE about student-aid program". CTVNews. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  27. "Vancouver articles - Craig Kielburger".
  28. "Craig Kielburger | Humanitarian, Activist & Co-Founder of the WE Movement". National Speakers Bureau. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  29. Chierotti, Logan (February 15, 2018). "Holly Branson, Daughter of Virgin's Founder, Merges Profit and Purpose in Book 'WEconomy'". Inc.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  30. "Child Rights Activist Wins Libel Award". CBC News. November 11, 2000. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  31. "Order of Canada recipients | The Star". thestar.com. February 21, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  32. "High school named after founder of Free the Children". InsideHalton.com. November 22, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  33. "CBC announces Canada Reads finalists". Toronto Star, January 20, 2015.
  34. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. The Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  37. "2005/2006 Fellows - Action Canada". Action Canada. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  38. "Social Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 Winner Canada".
  39. "Meritorious Service Medal".
  40. "Toronto Catholic District School Board". www.tcdsb.org. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  41. "Diamond Jubilee Gala toasts exceptional Canadians - Arts & Entertainment - CBC News". June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  42. "Activist brothers to receive honorary doctorates from Nip U". BayToday.ca.
  43. "Honorary Degree Recipients". Nipissing University.
  44. "University of Guelph - Document Center". uoguelph.civicweb.net.
  45. HONORARY DEGREES CONFERRED - University of Windsor
  46. "Trent University Announces Five Honorary Degree Recipients to be Recognized at 2011 Convocation Ceremonies". Trent University News. March 9, 2011.
  47. Trent University Honorary Graduates
  48. Honorary Degree Recipients - University of Toronto
  49. HONORARY DEGREES AWARDED - Western University
  50. "Honorary Degrees | Wilfrid Laurier University".
  51. "Honorary Degrees Awarded Since 1954 - Senate". carleton.ca.
  52. "Photo: Honorary doctorates for Marc and Craig Kielburger". Langley Advance Times. June 4, 2012.
  53. "Honorary degree citation - Craig Kielburger". www.concordia.ca.
  54. "Honorary Degree Recipients | University Secretariat". secretariat.info.yorku.ca.
  55. www.tru.ca, Thompson Rivers University. "Honorary Degree Recipients, Thompson Rivers University". Thompson Rivers University.
  56. www.tru.ca, Thompson Rivers University. "2014 Honorary Degree Recipients, Thompson Rivers University". Thompson Rivers University.
  57. Mr. Craig Kielburger and Mr. Marc Kielburger - Ontario Tech University
  58. Kielburger, Marc. Take action! : a guide to active citizenship.
  59. "Introducing The Kielburgers' New Series On Parenting And Social C hange". HuffPost Canada. January 12, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  60. Kielburger, Craig. Global voices. Volume 1, The compilation.
  61. "My Grandma Follows Me on Twitter: And Other First World Problems We're Lucky to Have | Portland Book Review". Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  62. Kielburger, Craig. WEconomy : you can find meaning, make a living, and change the world.
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