Craig Kielburger: Believing in the Power of Youth
Credit : Free The Children.
As part of its series of articles on major personalities who have furthered the cause of tolerance in Canada, Tolerance.ca® presents Craig Kielburger, an energetic and involved young man who has dedicated himself since the age of 12 to defending the rights of children and ending exploitative child labour.
When Prime Minister Jean Chrétien travelled to Asia in January 1996 at the head of the "Team Canada" trade mission, he had not planned on broaching the thorny issue of forced child labour with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts. That was to ignore the daring and sense of justice of a 12-year-old fellow Canadian, Craig Kielburger, who was in Asia at the time observing the working conditions of children.
Many Canadians have not forgotten the sight of young Kielburger on television, accompanied by two Indian boys, holding an improvised press conference to denounce the enslavement of children and demand that the Prime Minister of Canada do likewise.
Under media scrutiny, Chrétien had no choice but to agree to raise the issue of child labour with the Heads of State he was scheduled to meet. A 12-year-old boy had reminded the world of the existence of a forgotten form of slavery-and learned about the power to effect change.
The Worth of a Picture
Several months earlier, in April 1995, Craig Kielburger had seen a picture that had changed his life. Looking for the comics in the Toronto Star, he came across the front-page photo of a 12-year-old Pakistani boy, Iqbal Masih. Sold into child labour at the age of four to pay back a loan his parents had taken out, Masih had spent his life working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week in a carpet factory. When he escaped his enslavement and spoke out against his working conditions, he was murdered.
"I was shocked to learn that slavery still existed," recalls Kielburger from his home in Toronto, where he spoke for more than an hour for this article. "I read the story out loud in front of my class, then I asked the students if they wanted to join me and create a movement. Twelve people raised their hands."
An Organization is Born
Craig and his classmates founded Free the Children, an organization dedicated to creating awareness of forced child labour, defending children's rights, and working cooperatively with children around the world. In December 1995, after five months of efforts to raise the necessary funds and convince his parents to let him go, Craig travelled to South Asia, accompanied by a 25-year-old activist friend. He spent two months meeting with children in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. He returned more convinced than ever that his cause was just.
From its simple beginnings, Free the Children has grown into an organization present in 35 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with branches in Japan, Kenya, Ecuador and India. It has 100,000 members worldwide, and thousands of people have participated in its campaigns and projects, including such prestigious figures as Richard Gere, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall and Desmond Tutu.
The son of retired professors, Craig Kielburger grew up in Thornhill, a suburb north of Toronto. He claims he got his inspiration and commitment to social justice from his older brother Marc, an environmentalist who is now the executive director of Free the Children and co-founder with Craig of Leaders Today.
Children as Agents of Change
At the heart of Free the Children's philosophy is the principle that children have the resources and skills to be agents of change. Founded by and for children, the network intends to dispel the idea that children are not old enough or smart enough to have an impact.
"We must free children from slavery, exploitation and poverty, but also from the idea that they are powerless to influence the course of events. Children can be leaders in bringing about positive change," declares Kielburger.
Every year, during the summer season, 250 members of the organization aged 12 to 25 travel to India, Thailand, Kenya, Nicaragua and Ecuador to work as volunteers, teaching or building schools. To date, Free the Children has contributed to the education of nearly 30,000 children and helped many poor families secure alternative sources of income to child labour. Among other achievements, the organization has convinced governments to enact laws making sexual tourism an offence. It has built health clinics and provided medical supplies. And it has helped children affected by war to return to normal life.
What Has Really Been Accomplished?
Despite the organization's growth and successes over the past decade, Kielburger considers that only moderate progress has been made. There remain 250 million exploited children in the world-about the same as in 1995, notes Kielburger. "In certain regions, poverty is on the rise. That's the case in Africa, due to war and AIDS. On the other hand, in Asia and South America, we have made progress."
The Canadian government could do more, in the eyes of Kielburger, who feels that Chrétien neglected his promises. Since their meeting, little has been done to further the cause of children.
"Canada took the initiative on the issue of child soldiers," he notes. "But since opposing land mines, the country has shown little leadership. And that reflects a reality that Canadians have forgotten, too. People must make the government aware that it's just as important an issue as health care."
An Ambassador for Peace
Edward Gillis has worked for Free the Children for the past six years. He is full of praise for his friend, admiring Craig's strong sense of justice. "Craig is certainly the most authentic person I've met in my life. He is extremely skilled in interpersonal relations. He really listens to people and takes an interest in them and their lives. He's also a tremendous optimist."
Free the Children has a staff of 28 at its Toronto headquarters. Like Craig Kielburger, who says he enjoys having a modest lifestyle, the vast majority of the organization's members volunteer their time.
Kielburger is presently in his third year of a four-year undergraduate program called Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto. "Most of my courses in psychology, history, philosophy and political science are focused on conflicts around the world and ways to resolve them," he explains.
Lloyd Hanonan, director of development at Free the Children, sees a born leader in Kielburger. "He's the living example of what young people are capable of. He's a great inspiration to others. His finest quality is his ability to help people believe they can change things. He believes the world can and should be better, and that all people are important."
A Vision of Social Justice
Kielburger is especially proud of the efforts of Free the Children to educate young people about social justice and empower them with the skills to effect change. The organization has reached 300,000 young people through its leadership programs and seminars in North American schools.
"Our workshop leaders go to Toronto-area public schools to teach our program to nearly 24,000 10th grade students. Once they've completed the program, students must pass a test and do 40 hours of community service," explains Kielburger. "The objective is to demonstrate that young people can exercise leadership."
In order to spread his ideas and vision even further, Craig and his brother Marc recently published a new book, Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head. It describes their philosophy of life and challenges people to transform their own lives by helping others.
"Most of the time, we ask ourselves what is good for us," Craig observes. "When we buy things, make decisions, or vote, we act according to what is good 'for me,' not what is good 'for us.' If we want to eliminate poverty in the world and put an end to injustice, we must create a movement of people who start from a position of not what is good for them, but what is good for us. It's important that we begin to think more collectively."
Translated by Christine York.
To learn more:Kielburger, Marc and Craig.
Me to We: Turning Self-Help On Its Head. Toronto: John Wiley and Sons Canada Ltd, Toronto, 2004. Available at www.amazon.com.
Web site: www.freethechildren.org
This article is one of a ten-part series made possible with the financial support of
