University News

Free The Children Founder Craig Kielburger to Speak at Bishop’s University

SHERBROOKE, QC - January 26, 2010

Craig  Kielburger, an internationally respected activist for children’s rights and a  leading social entrepreneur, will speak at Bishop’s on Tuesday, January 26 as  part of the Donald Lecture Series.

Free The Children is a  charitable organization that Craig founded from his home when he was only 12  years old. It works to provide relief from extreme poverty and child labour  through its international programs. Having grown tremendously since its humble  beginings, Free The Children has built more than 500 schools in Asia, Africa  and Latin America, providing daily education to more than 50,000 children.

Craig is also  co-founder of Me to We, a new kind of social enterprise for people who want to  help change the world with their daily choices. Through its media, socially  responsible products and leadership experiences, Me to We supports Free The  Children's work with youth, creating global change.

“Craig’s work with Free  The Children and Me to We has inspired thousands of people to work towards  improving their communities and their world,” said Michael Goldbloom, Bishop’s  University Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “It is proof positive that each of us  is capable of effecting social change through our actions, whether large or  small.”

Craig is the co-author  of national bestsellers Take Action!: A Guide to Active Citizenship , Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World , and most recently, The World Needs Your Kid . Craig has been awarded many national and international awards for his work, including The Roosevelt Freedom Medal, The World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize) and he is one of the youngest recipients of the Order of Canada. Craig’s work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, 60 Minutes and The Today Show, and in People, Time and The Economist.

Craig Kielburger will  talk about the philosophy behind Me to We – the idea that we can better our  lives and our world by shifting the focus of our actions from “Me” to “We” – as  well as his recent experiences in Haiti.

The lecture will take  place on Tuesday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. in Bishop’s Centennial Theatre . It is free and open to the public.

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