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Birth
Today was the day that Craig Kielburger was born. Craig is a Canadian activist for the rights of children. He is the founder of Free The Children and co-founder of Me to We. On February 20, 2007, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General of Canada. -
Where It All Began
When Craig was 12 years old, Craig saw a headline in the Toronto Star that read “Battled child labour, boy, 12, murdered.” The accompanying story was about a young Pakistani boy named Iqbal Masih who was forced into bonded labour in a carpet factory at the age of four, became an international figurehead for the fight against child labor by 12 years of age, and was brutally murdered in 1995. -
Free the Children- Children Helping Children through Education
Today was the very first day when Craig started the Free the Children foundation. Free The Children believes in a world where all young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. On Novemeber,2011 there was a 'Vow of Silence' going on worldwide for those who wanted to participate in living how many children live their life acoss the world. Free the Children supports trying to help children all across the world be heard. -
Working with FTC
Kielburger travelled to Asia with Alam Rahman, a 25-year-old family friend from Bangladesh, to see the conditions for himself. While there, he learned that then-Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien was travelling to India. After being denied a meeting, Craig arranged a press conference where he announced that the prime minister had a “moral responsibility” to take action on child labour. The Prime Minister eventually met with him and raised the issue of child labour., -
Public Life
In 2000, Kielburger was awarded $319,000 in damages as settlement for a libel suit launched against the now-defunct Saturday Night magazine.The settlement covered Kielburger's legal costs and the remainder was used to set up a trust fund for Free The Children. -
Trust Fund For Free the Children
In 2000, Kielburger was awarded $319,000 in damages as settlement for a libel suit launched against the now-defunct Saturday Night magazine. The settlement covered Kielburger's legal costs and the remainder was used to set up a trust fund for Free The Children. -
Youth Award
In 2002 Craig was honored the Youth Award for the World Of Children. -
Starting To Earn Medals
In 2004 Kielburger was given the Kiwanws International Foundation World Service Medal. -
Publishing Me To We
In 2004 Kielburger co-authored a book with his brother Marc, also entitled Me to We. It focuses on explaining their philosophy of volunteerism, service to others and social involvement with contributions by Oprah Winfrey, Richard Gere, Jane Goodall, Desmond Tutu and others. -
Getting Noticed All Around The World
At such a young age, Craig's name was now being said all over the world. At the age of just 23 Kielburger was announced the youngest person listed to the Globe and Mail's top 40 under 40. At this point Craig has completed so many great things and is starting to get credit for all his hard work. -
Rights of the Child
The 2006 World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child -
Me to We- Better Choices for a Better World
Today was the day when Marc and Craig Kielburger had their very first Me to We event, Me to We is an innovative social enterprise that provides people with better choices for a better world. -
Early Life
Craig completed his Executive MBA at Schulich School of Business at York University as the program's youngest-ever graduate. -
As Time Progresses
In June 2010, Kielburger joined CP24, a Toronto-based news television station. As "Special Correspondent" he interviewed a variety of Toronto citizens and visitors regarding their thoughts about the 2010 G20 Toronto Summit being held in the city in the weeks following. He reported locally on eyewitness accounts of the 2010 Central Canada earthquake and at regular intervals during the violent and nonviolent protests in Downtown Toronto on the weekend of June 26 and 27. He also hosts a segment -
The Interviews Begin
In October 2010, Kielburger’s Shameless Idealists came to Canada’s CTV channel. In front of a high school audience, Kielburger conducts one-on-one interviews with socially active public figures including K'naan, Cherie Blair, Al Gore, Jacob Hoggard, Jesse Jackson Sr., Martin Sheen and Betty Williams.
