- John Terry, Donna Woonteiler

Craig Kielburger: a youth whose life was changed at age 12, after reading about the death of child labor activist Iqbal Masih in Pakistan. Now 16 years old, Craig is the founder of "Free the Children" and an international spokesperson for children's rights. In this interview Craig talks about youth activism and the need for intergenerational collaboration.


CYD: Why is it important for young people to be activists?

CK: Today, because of modern technology and mass communication, young people are more aware and more informed than any other generation. We also face a world full of problems, ranging from the environment to weapons of mass destruction to something that's close to my heart: child labor. So many challenges have been created by adults that it's incredibly important for young people to get involved. Young people have a great deal to contribute. We may not have all of the answers, but we are willing to learn: there is no shortage of energy and enthusiasm. There is an African proverb that says, "It takes a village to raise a child." We believe that it also takes children to help raise a village. Through Free the Children we would like to make it possible for young people to not only be the leaders of tomorrow, but to be leaders of today-in their schools, in their communities, and on a global scale.

CYD: How is your experience as the founder of Free the Children a metaphor for how and why youth should be involved, and how effective they can be?

CG: Great question! Youth need to be involved for themselves and for the greater good of society. The perspective of young people is desperately needed if we are to create a better and safer world for children, for youth, for everybody. Yet, the opinions of young people are seldom considered even when there is an issue that affects them directly. Many adults don't think of us as having a role to play in issues of social justice, assuming that we have little to contribute. I have learned, however, that with enough determination, young people can make their voices heard. And what is required first and foremost is a sound understanding of the issues and the confidence to speak openly about them. Who best can understand children than other children?

It seems to me that one of the consequences of a consumer-driven society is that many young people are bored by life in the suburbs. How many games of Super Intendo do you want to play? How many times do want to go to the shopping mall? Young people are longing for something more meaningful in their lives, something more challenging, something that allows them to prove themselves. The death of Iqbal Masih moved me and young people to start Free the Children-and Free the Children answered the need for that challenge. Many important issues locally, nationally, and internationally-having to with social justice and the environment-can and should be a rallying point for youth.

CYD: What is your concept of childhood, and how might it be different than other people's definitions? Also, can you tell us something about your own childhood?

CG: While my view of childhood may be different from that of most people, I'm not that different from other kids. I still go to school. I love the outdoors and often go camping. I love to dance. I'm still able to get together with friends, kick back, watch a movie. But I am deeply committed to my cause. Let me tell you this story. The night before I was scheduled to come home from Southeast Asia, a radio talk show host in Toronto told the public that he thought I was "not normal." At 13, he claimed, I should be thinking about sex and girls, and not about human rights and child labor. Others have asked me whether I feel I have lost my childhood since I have become so caught up in the fight for children's rights.

What is a good and normal childhood in the world today? In my travels I have found two extremes. In many developing countries, children are often asked to work long hours at hazardous jobs with no opportunity to play or go to school. They are not allowed to develop physically, intellectually, and emotionally as they should. They support entire families. They fight in wars. They are given too much responsibility at too young an age.

On the other hand, in many industrialized countries everything is done for children. They are segregated most of their lives with members of their own age group and given little opportunity to assume responsibility, to develop a social conscience, or to benefit through interactions with adults. Through media they learn to be consumers, to gain their self-image through the electronic toys they own and labels they wear. They, too, are exploited. They see violence and suffering in the news every day but are told they are too young to do anything about it. They are conditioned to become passive bystanders. This is the other extreme. Marian Wright Edelman, founder of Defense for Children International, once said, "Affluenza and lack of moral purpose are more dangerous viruses than influenza for millions of America's and the world's children."

I think that the concept of childhood needs to be redefined as we enter the new millennium. We have to think about how we educate children, how we raise them. It's not so much about simply providing information and facts in our schools any more; a 12-year-old can get information from the Internet. Childhood is a time of formation, helping children to better understand themselves and the world around them, including their talents and what they have to offer to mankind. School should be focusing more on heroes, positive role models-focusing on the whole person.

CYD: I'm all for a redefinition of who children are, and what they can do. I'd like to read a quote from the chapter "Childhood" in your book. You say that "it is the children I have met who are my real heroes. It is their courage and hope for a better world that ring clearest in my mind. When I get discouraged it is the memories of these young people that I return to, for faith in what I am doing." Can you tell us a little bit more about what makes these young people heroes?

CG: Of all the world leaders I have had the chance to meet, it is the natural leadership skills of the children that have most impressed me. For them, leadership isn't a question of getting re-elected. It's finding food for their stomachs when they are hungry, or negotiating with drug dealers or policemen so they won't get beaten or abused. These children work together and protect one another. It is entirely another world. If you took some of these children and had them trade places with some of our politicians, the world might be a better place. On the flip side, it would be interesting to see if politicians could survive one day as street children, many of whom live in absolute poverty due to choices made by political and economic leaders.

CYD: In the same chapter you say, "To be inspired takes a belief in one's self. A belief, as Mother Theresa would say, that a single person can make a difference. People have to have faith in themselves, faith that they can change the world. Because it is true: we can change the world one person at a time. Imagine if all the students of a school came together on one issue that they believed in. Imagine the power they would have." Why do you think this is an important belief to hold as an activist?

CG: One of my favorite parts of the chapter just referred to is when I talk about dreamers. Those who believed in ending Apartheid, putting a man on the moon, or seeing the Berlin Wall fall were all dreamers. Just as those people had an ideal, we too, similarly, must have a belief in ourselves and in something better for all people of the world. I think that when each and every one of us was born we were given a special gift or talent. Some people are good with their hands; others are compassionate and understanding. There are those individuals who are mathematical or gifted in science or in sports. Others are talented in music or at making money or bringing joy through laughter. Each one of us has something special to share with others. Just imagine if we all believed in ourselves and worked together-young people, adults, seniors, all cultures and all religions-all sharing our gifts and talents. The odds of ending poverty, exploitation, child labor and other social evils would be overwhelming. We have everything it takes. Just think what a great world this would be!

CYD: You make reference to the fact that not only third world children are suffering, but many are suffering right here at home, in North America. Can you comment on this?

CG: Among industrialized nations, the United States ranks number one for Gross Domestic Product (GDP), number one for military technology and exports, number one for the number of millionaires and billionaires, and number one for defense expenditures. But it ranks last in the gap between rich and poor children, and worst in the number of children killed by guns.

In the past twenty years, over 50,000 American children have been killed by guns in their homes, schools, and neighborhood. This is more child gun deaths than all of American casualties in the Viet Nam war. Even in Canada, voted the best place in the world to live, one in five children live below the poverty line. So as you can see, there are big problems right here in North America. That is why we encourage young people to take action at a local level, in their schools and in their communities. In the United States children should be challenging the U.S. Government to ratify the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, underwriting a petition campaign. We not only want to free children from poverty, from neglect, and from abuse-but perhaps most importantly, we must free children from the idea that they have no power and nothing to offer to society.

One of our mandates is to implement leadership training and youth empowerment sessions. Young people need the necessary tools to improve their lives and the lives of their peers. Some children may have all they need materially but often they have no real direction, and very little hope. A lot of youth are desperately searching for heroes. They are getting tired of people like Michael Jordan, who is willing to support and to take millions of dollars from a company that exploits workers' rights. Children today are searching for real heroes with values and a mission in life-people who inspire them.

CYD: We believe that the act of engaging young people as active partners in their communities, with adults, will not only improve the life of the community, but improve the self esteem and life of the youth. How does your organization connect up to this approach, which we call the Community Youth Development movement?

CG: Youth want to have the opportunity to sit side by side with adults-to collaborate and to work together on social issues. I believe that this is important not only for what young people can learn but for what they can contribute. I have had the chance to work with organizations that say they involve youth in decision making, but, unfortunately, there is always too great an imbalance of power. The truth is that usually all of the knowledge, skills, and power lie in the hands of adults. Both adults and young people become frustrated. Sometimes adults will say to kids, "We are giving you this opportunity-why aren't you 'getting this right'? Often, young people who sit on boards or committees don't have the tools, skills, or experience to really participate effectively.

One thing that adults and youth mentors can do is to help prepare young people for this role. This can happen in the form of training sessions in leadership, conflict resolution skills, or organizational skills. The best way, however, is through participation with an adult mentor on the team. On the other hand, adults need to see what we can bring to the table, what are our talents are. Too often adults underestimate the abilities of youth. What I find most discouraging is when adults speak on behalf of children or youth and fail to give us a voice. Or when adults feel compelled to do everything "for" children rather than "with" children. Many young people are very articulate. They are usually the best spokespersons for their peers from a local to an international level. Young people can add a lot to a team, including a certain perspective from their own experience, great enthusiasm, idealism, and an infectious desire to do help humanity. By helping youth to develop the necessary skills to bring to the table, adults are giving them an opportunity to have a voice and to be leaders of today among their peers and great leaders of tomorrow. As our experiences working together develops, more intergenerational dialogues and collaboration will take place. When this happens both sides will benefit.

CYD: So the process of empowering is really very important.

CK: Exactly. It's very important to give youth those starting tools, that know-how, the leadership skills and the opportunity to participate in finding solutions to issues which affect them.

CYD: Some people would say that the next great liberation movement is the liberation of children and youth, and that we are in the midst of it.

CK: Well, I think its time has come! What would happen if you had a conference on women's issues and there were no women? Or a gathering to speak about the situation of minorities in our country without minority representation? But people constantly hold conferences and run think tanks about children without children. We are the last element in society that has no real voice.

CYD: Do you have a vision or sense about how those of us who are engaged in this youth movement can collaborate more effectively?

CK: What has to be done is the development of partnerships of youth and adults working together. The hardest thing will be putting aside egos. A young lawyer in Toronto, Malini Moorthy, recently began working full-time with Free the Children to help us with our project contracts and international structure: a field that we young people do not have any expertise in. Malini graduated at the top of her class from university and law school and was working with one of Canada's most renowned law firms. When we asked her if she would leave her job and come and work with us (at a fraction of her lawyer's salary) she answered, "You know what? I will. This is not why I became a lawyer. I became a lawyer to help people."

Malini always says that adults who work for Free the Children cannot have "an ego." Her first day of work was one of the most humbling days of her life. She sat around, looking at the 12-, 13-, 14-, and 15-year-olds, and realized that they were her bosses! At that point she became very excited about the potential of building an intergenerational working team to help the children of the world.

CYD: If we could bring groups that claim to be under the same banner together, and we could leave our egos outside the door, we might indeed be able to collaborate more effectively. Is there anything else you'd like to say to young activists through the medium of New Designs?

CK: We, as youth, must believe in ourselves. We should celebrate the fact that as young people we have an incredible opportunity to affect positive change in society. We are living at a time when, through the Internet and other mass communication, we can instantaneously communicate with and influence people halfway around the world. We have access to a world of information. We have the power to become global citizens of the world. All we have to do to make the decision to become involved .

CYD: And what words would you like to pass on to adults?

CK: That would be not to underestimate what young people have to offer, and to challenge us. As much as we need to give a voice to children, we also need adults to mentor, to teach, to play a leadership role and to help create intergenerational partnerships. Young people, today, are looking for heroes, for adults who inspire them to be and to do the best they can.