Category: Craig Kielburger

Craig Kielburger is a Canadian author, activist, columnist, public speaker, humanitarian, and children’s rights activist. He co-founded the charitable organization “Free the Children” as a young teen along with his brother, Marc Kielburger, and school friends.

Craig’s passion for the protection of children began when he was only twelve years old when he read a news story about the death of Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani boy the same age who escaped from child labour. It’s suspected the young man was murdered for speaking out against the practice of child labour. The incident had such an impact on Craig that he presented a speech in class and recruited his fellow classmates to form an organization called “Free the Children.” The organization’s goal was to face several initiatives for saving innocent children from the dark reality of slavery and labour.

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 thousands of 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.

“Children are not simply empty vessels to be filled. They are people with ideas, talents, opinions and dreams. Children believe they can fly..” Read More

“Children are not simply empty vessels to be filled. They are people with ideas, talents, opinions and dreams. Children believe they can fly, that there is nothing to stop their dreams from coming true. Some may call that wishful thinking, or simply being naïve. Some call young people idealists, as if it were a stage… Continue reading “Children are not simply empty vessels to be filled. They are people with ideas, talents, opinions and dreams. Children believe they can fly..” Read More

“Working with a team towards a common goal, I felt a sense of accomplishment and joy. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life.” Read More

“Working with a team towards a common goal, I felt a sense of accomplishment and joy. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life. Free the Children was also filling a gap in many kids’ lives. At an age where we were constantly being told by adults what to do, this was something… Continue reading “Working with a team towards a common goal, I felt a sense of accomplishment and joy. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life.” Read More

“I know that this is the change that began somewhere deep inside me when I first read about Iqbal and realized the comfortable North American lifestyle..” Read More

“I know that this is the change that began somewhere deep inside me when I first read about Iqbal and realized the comfortable North American lifestyle I enjoyed was the exception rather than the rule. Since then, with each decision I’ve made to learn more about the world, and each attempt I’ve made to change… Continue reading “I know that this is the change that began somewhere deep inside me when I first read about Iqbal and realized the comfortable North American lifestyle..” Read More

“It’s investing in peace and tolerance training, ending the gap between rich and poor.”

“One of the greatest problems facing Free the Children, no matter what our accomplishments..” Read More

“One of the greatest problems facing Free the Children, no matter what our accomplishments, is the stereotype that young people are naive, or that we’re too young to understand these problems, or that we’re idealistic, as if it’s something that should be outgrown eventually.” Members of Free the Children are taught how to educate themselves… Continue reading “One of the greatest problems facing Free the Children, no matter what our accomplishments..” Read More

“Peace is a culture that we create by putting it in the curriculum for young people, through creating this next generation…” Read More

“Peace is a culture that we create by putting it in the curriculum for young people, through creating this next generation where young people get a chance to go across borders, across cultures, to learn more about each other’s life, to create a global community, learn about opportunities for helping others. It’s investing in peace… Continue reading “Peace is a culture that we create by putting it in the curriculum for young people, through creating this next generation…” Read More

“Child labour is an issue of grave importance. It must become a top priority for all..” Read More

“Child labour is an issue of grave importance. It must become a top priority for all governments of the world. How can the world move into the twenty-first century with children still being exploited for their labour and denied their basic right to an education?”

“Collectively, we have all it takes to create a just and peaceful world, but we must work together and share our…” Read More

“Collectively, we have all it takes to create a just and peaceful world, but we must work together and share our talents. We all need one another to find happiness within ourselves and within the world.”

“I won’t give up until the exploitation of all children has ended and all children have their rights.”

“It’s easier to be ignorant and say I don’t know about the problem” Read More

“It’s easier to be ignorant and say I don’t know about the problem. But once you know, once you’ve seen it in their eyes, then you have a responsibility to do something. There is strength in numbers, and if we all work together as a team, we can be unstoppable.”