Overview

Gender

male

Craig Kielburger has made a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people all around the world.

He has been a human rights activist since he was 12 years old, channeling his energy for activism to become a world-famous author, speaker, philanthropist and social entrepreneur.

Craig Kielburger and his brother Marc Kielburger co-founded WE Charity, an international development charity and youth empowerment organization.

During 25 years of fighting to end child labour and improve developing communities in many countries across the globe, Craig has received many recognitions for his work on behalf of others.

In addition to 15 honorary degrees and doctorates, Craig is a recipient of The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal, and the World Children's Prize. He was named one of Canada's most trusted influencers in a Reader’s Digest poll and was also named Canada's Most Admired CEO in the public sector.

It all started in 1995, when a newspaper article forever changed the trajectory of Craig’s life. While searching for the comic strips, Craig decided to read a front-page article about a 12-year-old Pakistani boy forced into child labour. The boy, Iqbal Masih, was the same age as Craig, and was ultimately murdered for his protest against child labor in his country’s carpet factories.

Craig was deeply moved by the story, and soon launched a youth-led advocacy group to bring attention to the issue of child labour. Many years later, Craig remains committed to his charity work.

In addition to WE Charity, Craig and his brother Marc also founded ME to WE in 2009. ME to WE is a social enterprise that supported social and economic development at the charity.

Craig Kielburger and his brother Marc continue the work they’re passionate about: developing youth programs that empower young people to bring about effective social change.

Craig continues to travel and deliver speeches, encouraging people to join him to end child labour around the world. He is also a New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated columnist who has published 12 books.