The Seventh Annual St. Jerome's Feast
The 2007 Chancellor John Sweeney Award Recipient: Craig Kielburger, O.C.

At the age of 12, Craig Kielburger read about the plight of child-labourers in Pakistan and took action.  A student in the York District Catholic School Board, Craig mobilized his classmates and took the first steps towards what would eventually become an international organization—Free the Children—devoted to empowering and educating children throughout the world. 

His life has been a testimonial to the value of acting to actualize personal values. "Raised in a family of faith, I was fortunate to attend Catholic schools and receive an invaluable education rooted in the church's teachings. I grew up attending services and learning parables, but never entirely felt a deep connection to my religious identity."

"It was only when I ventured overseas to explore the horrors of child labour that the lessons I'd been taught truly found personal resonance. In my travels throughout the developing world, I have witnessed first-hand the dark realities of extreme poverty and exploitation. From India to sub-Saharan Africa, rural China to war-torn Sierra Leone, all around the world I have encountered poor and disenfranchised people in need of compassion and support.  

"In the presence of such profound injustice, the principles of our faith never seem more apt: if cold, clothe; if hungry, feed. For many, like Mother Teresa, faith is what compels service. For me, the desire to serve led me to unlock and understand the true meaning of my convictions. I came to understand that practicing one's faith means more than simply identifying with a community—it means giving back and living the message by reaching out to help others.  

"Meeting children around the world and trying to answer their hope for a better, healthier life has deepened my appreciation for my upbringing and shaped my life's path. Through our organization's many projects, I have been able to stay true to my goal of translating faith into positive social action." I look forward to speaking about how communities of faith can realize their own beliefs through a life of compassion and generosity."

Free the Children has grown into an organization that has harnessed the energy and goodwill of young people to build over 450 primary schools which provide daily education to more than 40,000 children world-wide.  Craig's book, Free the Children, won the prestigious Christopher Award.  He and his brother, Marc, founded Leaders Today, which empowers young people through leadership education, and co-authored Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World, a New York Times best-seller.

Now 24, Craig has received many awards, including the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award, the Order of Canada, the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of Children, also known as the Children's Nobel Prize.  He and Free the Children have received three Nobel Peace Prize nominations and he has facilitated partnerships with organizations such as the United Nations and Oprah's Angel Network as well as working with world leaders such as Bill Clinton, Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. 

Click here for a few photo's of the Feast