Craig Kielburger
Founder, Free the Children

"Freeing children is never a question of money. Freeing children is simply a question of political will. And we simply do not believe that the adults of this world can put a man on the moon, or they can invent a nuclear bomb but they cannot feed or protect the world's children. We simply do not believe it. "

In April of 1995 Craig Kielburger read a newspaper article about the death of a 12 year old boy from Pakistan, Egbo Maci. When Egbo was 4 years old he had been sold into slavery for less than $16 and shackled to a carpet loom to make carpets. Egbo began to organize against child labor for which he received the Reebok Human Rights Award. Shortly after traveling to the United States to receive the prize, Egbo was murdered by the owners of the carpet factory. Craig Kielburger who was also 12 years old at the time sprang into action. He began contacting human rights groups around the world and doing research on the subject of child labor. He spoke to his classmates, friends in the community, and began a youth organization called Free the Children. Run by youth between the ages of 8 and 18, the purpose of Free the Children is to empower youth to participate in the implementation of the United Nations convention on the rights of the child. Craig is now working with governments and non-government organizations to ease the plight of the several hundred million children around the world exploited through child labor. While he continues to speak out and organize around his personal mission to help children involved in child labor, Craig encourages youth everywhere to become involved in social issues that touch them and motivate them to act. He speaks of youth empowerment and the responsibility that young people have to become involved in their schools, communities, country and on an international level. Craig has given young people around the world hope that working with one another and with adults they can make a difference.