Marc Kielburger

Marc Kielburger in 2008.

Marc Kielburger, CM, OMC (born 1977) is a Canadian Big textBig textBig textauthor, humanitarian and activist for children's rights. He is the co-founder of Free The Children, an international development and youth empowerment organization.

Marc Kielburger is also the co-founder and Director of Me to We. The goal of Me to We is to make ethical living become the norm while helping Free The Children achieve financial sustainability. 

After attending Brebeuf College School in Toronto, Kielburger graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, completing a degree in International Relations. He won a coveted Rhodes Scholarship and went on to complete a law degree at Oxford University with an emphasis on human rights law. He has also received two honorary doctorates for his work in the field of education and human rights.

He is the co-author of national bestsellers Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship, Take More Action and most recently, the New York Times Best Seller Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World.

With his brother Craig Kielburger, Marc is a syndicated columnist carried by the Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun and Huffington Post, as well as for Canada’s most widely-read women’s magazine, Canadian Living.

Marc is the recipient of many honours, including the Order of Canada and selection by the World Economic Forum as one of the 250 Young Global Leaders. His work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, BBC as well as many other news and print media.

In the fall of 2009, Marc and his brother Craig organized We Day, an event held in Vancouver on September 29 at GM Place and Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on October 5 involving 30,000 students in two large arenas, which became a Canadian national television special on CTV on October 10, 2009.

On November 17, 2009, Marc appeared on The Colbert Report during a segment discussing child labor.

Marc is set to receive an honorary degree at the University of Toronto convocation ceremonies in Spring 2011 in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to society along with other outstanding scholars, innovative thinkers, humanitarians, dedicated public servants and leading philanthropists. President David Naylor of the university said “These extraordinary people ─ public servants, social activists, philanthropists, researchers, teachers, writers, leaders - have asked difficult questions, offered new ways of looking at the world and made significant contributions to Canada and the world. They reflect the values and strengths of the University of Toronto and will be a tremendous inspiration to our graduating students.” Marc's brother Craig graduated from U of T in 2006, and both brothers will receive honorary doctor of laws degrees June 8, 2011 at 2 p.m.

He also spoke Saturday, February 19, 2011, at NAIMUN XLVIII, to a group of nearly 3000 high school students.

Awards

• Youngest person ever to be awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship
• At the time (2004, aged 27), he became the youngest to be selected as one of Canada’s "Top 40 Leaders Under Forty" (In 2006, aged 23, his brother Craig became the youngest.)
• Honorary doctorate from Nipissing University for his work in leadership development
• Toronto Catholic District School Board Alumnus of the Year Award, 2005

External links

• Free The Children Official website
• Me to We
• Craig and Marc Kielburger Interview on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos