CBC In Depth
INDEPTH: CRAIG KIELBURGER
Craig Kielburger: Children's rights crusader
CBC News Online | April 18, 2006

Kielburger founded Free the Children when he was 13. (Susan Walsh /Associated Press)
Craig Kielburger began his crusade at the age of 12, while looking for the comics in the newspaper. Instead, he read an article about Iqbal Masih, a former slave in Pakistan who had been freed. Masih spoke out about debt slavery, and advocated for children's rights, but was shot to death at age 13. Kielburger was struck by the story, and wanted to find out more. Once he did, he decided to take action.

Kielburger, along with some friends from school, founded Free the Children, an organization devoted to fighting child slave labour, and encouraging children to speak up about injustice. From his home in Thornhill Ontario, Kielburger and his friends planned juice sales, garage sales, and coin drives to raise money and awareness about child labour.

Within a year, Kielburger travelled to Asia to see conditions for himself. He describes the trip as life-changing. While there, he learned then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien would soon be arriving. He asked for time to talk to Chrétien, but was denied. So, Kielburger held a press conference, telling all who would listen that the prime minister had a "moral responsibility" to take up the issue. Chrétien relented, and met with the 13-year-old. He later mentioned that Canada would look at the issue more closely.

During his work, Kielburger has met many world leaders, and activists, including Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and the Queen.

Kielburger in 2004. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)
Kielburger's Free the Children is now 10 years old, and the organization says it has built more than 425 schools in 23 different countries. It also claims to have helped 600,000 families obtain access to medical care. Their website says they have more than one million youth supporters worldwide, and that 65 per cent of the funds raised come from young people. The fundraising goal for 2005 was $6.5 million.

Kielburger's brother Marc is executive director of Free the Children. The two have written several books together, about how children and youth can get involved in issues that are important to them. Craig Kielburger also wrote Free the Children in 1998 with Kevin Major.

In April 2006, Kielburger won the 2006 World Children's Prize, often referred to as the "Children's Nobel Prize". The award is for outstanding contributions to the defence of children's rights.




^TOP
MORE:
Print this page

Send a comment

Indepth Index