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May 20, 2011
Youth empowerment
Kielburger “thrilled” to talk at KDHS event.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
The vision statement of King David High School begins: “Our school nurtures a Jewish high school community characterized by a shared tradition, a common dedication to social justice and a love for learning.” It achieves these goals by teaching students tikkun olam (repairing the world), ahavat Yisrael (love of Israel) and menshleichkeit (ethical conduct), “imparting ways to behave in a kindhearted, respectful manner and to engage in responsible action.” It should be no surprise then that this year’s Teaching for Tomorrow fundraising gala has as its focus “Youth Engagement” – and Marc Kielburger will be the event’s keynote speaker.
Kielburger co-founded Free the Children in 1995 with his brother, Craig. The organization’s mission is: “Free children from poverty. Free children from exploitation. Free children from the idea that they are powerless to change the world.”
The brothers also co-founded Me to We. Described as a “social enterprise with a mission,” Me to We “sells socially conscious and environmentally friendly clothes, books and music – as well as life-changing experiences. We also provide inspiring speakers, leadership training and transformative travel experiences.... Half of Me to We’s profit is donated to its charitable partner, Free the Children.”
Though the brothers obviously are working towards similar goals, the Me to We website points out, “Even though we are brothers, we are not one of the same. Craig is passionate and follows his heart. We all get swept up in his dreams, and then Marc finds a way to put them into action. Marc is analytical and leads with his head.”
Marc Kielburger graduated from Harvard University, and then Oxford University with a law degree. He’s also a Rhodes scholar and a bestselling author, and he was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the 250 Young Global Leaders. The title of his KDHS talk is Engaging the Power of Youth.
“A frustrating attitude that we have come across is the belief that students are too young to make a difference – that they are just ‘adults-in-waiting,’ or the leaders of tomorrow,” explained Kielburger to the Independent about his topic. “We have seen some amazing work accomplished by youth and know this perception is completely untrue. Young people today have the incredible ability and passion to change the world – they just need the encouragement to get out there and do it. By engaging the power of youth, we aim to help young people increase their confidence and leadership skills, helping them to become socially conscience, global citizens.”
While his talk will undoubtedly inspire KDHS students, Kielburger said, “As typical as this might sound, my mom has and always will be one of my biggest sources of inspiration. She taught my brother Craig and I kindness and compassion at a very young age. When we would venture downtown in Toronto as a family to shop, we would pass people living on the streets. It seemed everyone would walk by them and not even glance; however, our mom would always stop with us beside her and look for change to give them. As she searched her purse, she would ask their name, how long they have been on the street, how cold was it last night and how they were doing. Craig and I would always try to tug her away from the conversation, which only lasted a few moments, but, looking back now, it had such a big impact. The simple action of stopping and recognizing that everyone deserves kindness has stuck with my brother and me and continues to inspire us every day. Of course, inspiration also comes to us every day in the form of the youth that we meet through our programming. We are consistently blown away by the passion, commitment and knowledge that young people have for important social issues.”
Busy as he is, Kielburger said that a typical day for him starts with reading the newspaper in the morning. “Archbishop Desmond Tutu taught me and my brother not to look at the newspaper as negative stories and daunting headlines, but instead as a ‘to-do’ list of what and who needs help,” he explained. “Once I take in what’s happening in the world around me, I head into work, where I get to be surrounded by some of the most passionate and dynamic individuals – the Free the Children and Me to We staff. While no two days are exactly the same, I love that I get to meet and interact with students, teachers and schools every day who are so excited and engaged in making a difference in the world.”
And what a difference they have made. In terms of measuring that difference, Kielburger told the Independent, “Domestically, Free the Children works with over 3,500 schools through fundraising and awareness campaigns, mentorship and youth empowerment programs.” He added, “Internationally, Free the Children measures success in the numbers of people we reach through our Adopt a Village program. Largely funded by the youth we work with domestically, our team implements the Adopt a Village program in rural and marginalized areas in Kenya, China, India, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Sri Lanka and Haiti. Adopt a Village consists of four pillars crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty: education, alternative income, health care, and water and sanitation.
“Through the our Adopt a Village model,” he continued, “Free the Children has built over 650 primary schools, providing daily education to more than 55,000 children in around the world. In addition, Free the Children’s clean water projects and alternative income programs benefit over half a million people throughout the developing world. We are proud that more than 60 percent of Free the Children’s funding for these initiatives has come from young people themselves, who amaze us with their enthusiasm and compassion every day.”
And all this has occurred in just over 15 years. In addition to such tangible changes, Kielburger also has noted a change in attitudes over that time.
“When we were young, a lot of people believed that reputation came from the clothes they wore or the gadgets they had rather than the good deeds performed,” he said. “Today, we are thrilled that those barriers are starting to be broken down and people are beginning to take notice that kindness is cool. Luckily, the youth involved in our programs are pretty good at proving that on a daily basis. Local service and fundraising clubs are now just as popular as the prom committee and students are spending their March break rolling up their sleeves building a school overseas instead of lying on a beach. All around the world, we can see that young people and students are answering the call to action to change this world for the better.”
And the efforts of students at KDHS in this regard have not gone unnoticed.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak in front of such an amazing group of students, and at a school that holds good citizenship and social action as pillars in their educational culture,” Kielburger said. “I would like to congratulate them on the work they are doing, and am thrilled to be speaking [for] King David High School!”
Teaching for Tomorrow is at the River Rock Resort, 8811 River Rd., in Richmond, on May 25, 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $72 for general admission, event sponsorship ranges from $180-$5,000. Visit kdhsgala.com.
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