Craig Kielburger

Humanitarian, Activist, Bestselling Author & Social Entrepreneur

Craig Kielburger is internationally recognized for his philanthropic contributions.

Since he was 12 years old, Craig Kielburger has been positively impacting the lives of thousands of people all around the world. He has remained committed to human rights activism his entire life, steadily growing his charitable organizations and becoming a world-renowned author, philanthropist, public speaker and social entrepreneur.

An Early Start To Activism

At the young age of 12, Craig Kielburger had an epiphany that children truly have the power to effect change. Inspired by the story of Iqbal Massih, a boy his age in Pakistan who had spoken out against child labor and was killed, Craig and his brother Marc Kielburger initiated a project that they called Free the Children.

The Kielburgers eventually grew the project into a group of organizations empowering others to make an impact on their communities and the world.

Watch Craig share on CNN how young people can help end Child Labor in 2019

Free the Children would eventually become WE Charity, but the organization saw success before changing its name. When the organization was still headquartered in the Kielburger family home, Craig and his brother sent a petition to have Kailash Satyarthi released from imprisonment.

Kailash Satyarthi was a child labor activist in India. The petition was signed by 3000 people and sent to the Indian prime minister. This action resulted in the release of Kailash Satyarthi, who went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

WE Charity & ME to WE

When Free the Children became WE Charity, the organization continued making significant efforts in the fight against child labor, especially in India and Pakistan, where many communities use children as workers. Craig’s passion for helping children all over the world has made a huge impact.

Craig Kielburger also created the ME to WE Social Enterprises, which supported the work of WE Charity. ME to WE was founded in 2009 to provide economic opportunities in WE Village communities and to serve as a long-term funding source for WE Charity.

With the help of his brother Marc Kielburger, Craig also developed the WE Villages program, a comprehensive international development model that was designed to create sustainable change. By working with local leaders and families, We Charity was able to change lives by implementing adaptable, reliable, and long-term sustainable solutions.

Education and Recognition

Though he started working as an activist as a teenager, Craig also took his studies seriously.

Craig Kielburger combined his activism with his scholarly pursuits in 2002, enrolling in the University of Toronto’s Peace and Conflict Studies program. In 2009, Craig became the youngest person to ever graduate from York University’s Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program.

Craig has also been recognized for his activism throughout his career.

He has received 15 honorary degrees and doctorates for his efforts to promote education and human rights. He has also been awarded the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal, the Order of Canada, the World Children’s Prize, and was named Canada’s Most Admired Public Sector CEO in 2015.

Craig Kielburger writing contributions

For many years, Craig Kielburger co-wrote a column called “Global Voices” published by news organizations throughout Canada and abroad.

Those publications include Halifax Chronicle Herald, Edmonton Journal, Victoria Times Colonist, Waterloo Region Record, Winnipeg Free Press, Huffington Post and Huffington Post Canada online.

Craig Kielburger has also authored 12 books. Several of them were co-written by Craig and his brother, Marc Kielburger. One of those books, “WEConomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make a Living, and Change the World,” was written in 2018 and also co-authored by Holly Branson, the daughter of Richard Branson.

Other books from Craig Kielburger include:

“Free the Children – A Young Man Fights Against Child Labor and Proves that Children Can Change the World”
For many years, Craig Kielburger co-wrote a column called “Global Voices” published by news organizations throughout Canada and abroad.

Those publications include Halifax Chronicle Herald, Edmonton Journal, Victoria Times Colonist, Waterloo Region Record, Winnipeg Free Press, Huffington Post and Huffington Post Canada online.

Craig Kielburger has also authored 12 books. Several of them were co-written by Craig and his brother, Marc Kielburger. One of those books, “WEConomy: You Can Find Meaning, Make a Living, and Change the World,” was written in 2018 and also co-authored by Holly Branson, the daughter of Richard Branson.

“The World Needs Your Kid: Raising Children Who Care and Contribute”
Another very personal book drawn from Craig’s own experience, “The World Needs Your Kid” discusses how parents can raise their children to care about making a positive impact on the world.

The book contains a guide to parenting strategies centered on a simple yet profound philosophy aimed at encouraging children to become global citizens.

Activists Craig and Marc Kielburger included a new foreword from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as celebrity contributors including Nobel Laureates Elie Wiesel and Betty Williams, singer Jason Mraz, and public servant Robert Kennedy Jr.

“The World Needs Your Kid” provides life lessons from some of the most remarkable individuals, whose success stories often began with unconventional childhoods. Marc and Craig Kielburger demonstrate how small actions can make a big difference in the life of a child, leading to meaningful changes in the world around them.

“Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World”
For those who yearn for a better life and a better world, Craig and Marc Kielburger share a blueprint for personal and social change. They believe this method has the ability to transform lives — one action at a time.

Through inspirational contributions from people who come from different walks of life, the Kielburgers reveal that a more fulfilling path is ours for the taking, as long as we find the courage to reach out to others.

“The Power of We Day: Moving the World from Me to We”
WE Day is a celebration of volunteer work that became a world-famous event through the help of social activists, celebrities, and of course the remarkable young people committed to making the world a better place.

WE Day is the only place in the world where you can find the likes of Martin Sheen, Jennifer Hudson, and Magic Johnson rubbing elbows with Nobel Peace Prize laureates and former heads of state, along with tens of thousands of student volunteers dedicated to building a better and safer world.

“Global Voices”
“Global Voices” shares previously untold stories of people around the globe struggling to build a better life for themselves and their families.

With a foreword from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as discussion questions to help spark debate, this book will inspire young readers to deepen their understanding of issues. It also offers ways that young people can move past the depressing headlines they find in the newspaper, and focus on volunteer work that makes life better for those around them.

Craig Kielburger inspires the crowd at a WE Day event: “Every single day, including today, we have opportunities laid in front of us to make this world a better place.”

In a speech at WE Day, Craig Kielburger speaks to the young people volunteering for WE Charity: “You are a generation that believes in change.”

Craig Kielburger praises the volunteers of WE Charity for their good work: “Together, this group, the WE Movement, has collected nearly 13 million pounds of food for food banks and those in need.”