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| "Sometimes life's most important lessons must be literally staring us in the face before we're able to recognize their true value." |
PEACEMAKER HERO:
MARC KIELBURGER
by Ceilidh from Peterborough
Marc Kielburger, an activist for human rights, was born in 1977 in Southern Ontario. Throughout a fortunate youth, he didn't realize that there were others that were much less fortunate than him. Right after he graduated high school, he was working as a page in the House of Commons when someone convinced him to go to Thailand and spend some time helping out a charity in the slums of Bangkok. While working in Klong Toey, Marc discovered his calling: helping others. It took some courageous orphans and someone dying of AIDS, but Marc Kielburger has dedicated his life to the Me to We philosophy. After returning home to North America, Marc further pursued his education. He accepted a scholarship to study at Harvard and earned a degree Magna Cum Laude in International Relations. He then turned down abundant well-paying job offers in favour of an Oxford degree in law. After graduating Oxford, Marc was again inundated with job offers, with hard-to-ignore starting salaries of $155,000. He made a choice that would change his life: moving back to Canada and starting a children's charity.
Marc is the youngest ever to have been awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. He was, at the time, the youngest person ever to be selected as 'One of Canada's Top 40 Leaders under 40' in 2004. Two years later, his brother, Craig, became the youngest. Marc also has an honourary doctorate from Nipissing University 'for his work in leadership development.'
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Marc is a co-founder (with his brother Craig) of the Kiel Network, a network comprised of a trio of charities: Free the Children; Leaders Today; and Me to We. He is the co-author of two books, Me to We: Turning Self-help on it's Head, and Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. The Me to We philosophy is all about not just thinking about yourself, but helping others, and finding true happiness. Marc also writes regularly for the Toronto Star and Canadian Living.
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Written by
Ceilidh from Peterborough
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Free the Children The official site of Free the Children, an organization that is concerned with children's rights. International Speakers Bureau Read Marc's bio and find out how to get him to be a speaker at your school. Me to We Homepage of Me to We, an organization based on the Me to We philosophy Leaders Today Homepage of Leaders Today |
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| Greg Mortenson promotes peace by building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. | Guernica : Picasso's work of art evokes peace worldwide. | Hadraawi, Beloved Peacemaker / Poet of Somalia is a powerful voice for peace in his country. | Hassan 2 was a monarch who worked for peace in the Middle East |
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| Hugo Grotius was a scholar who advocated for peace between nations based on natural law and reason. | Ibrahim Alex Bangura makes music that sends a message of peace and tolerance. | Jason Crowe received the UN's Global Peace & Tolerance Award. | Jehan Sadat is a leader for peace and women's rights in Egypt. |
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| Jimmy Carter has dedicated his life to humanitarian and philanthropic causes. | Jimmy Carter For as long as she can remember, Sherry Lansing has considered President Carter her hero. | John Wallach helps young people learn to make friends of enemies. | Kim Dae-Jung brought democracy and economic stability to South Korea. |
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| Lyndon Harris: People Making a Difference founded The Gardens of Forgiveness Project. | Malika Sanders was born into the Civil Rights Movement and continues work today. | Marc Kielburger is a human rights activist who has dedicated his life to helping others. | Martin Luther King, Jr. brought change through non-violence. |
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| Martin Luther King, Jr. was a hero of faith, peace, and tolerance. | Mattie Stepanek is a hero to people of all ages around the world. | Mattie Stepanek: For Our World Mattie’s poems of peace and hope have touched millions of lives | Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat came to be a great advocate for peace. |
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| Mohamed Anwar El Sadat risked his life for peace. | Mohamed ElBaradei is dedicated to ridding the world of nuclear weapons. | Mohandas K. Gandhi used non-violence to free India from British rule. | Muhammad Yunus started a bank for poor people in Bangladesh. |
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| My Hero & Childnet ask "How can we use the Internet as a Tool for Peace and Hope?" | Nickole Evans is using technology for peace. | Oprah was honored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity . | Oscar Arias Sanchez won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to establish peace in Central America. |
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| The Art Miles Mural Project teaches respect and understanding through art. | The Everest Peace Project promotes peace, teamwork, and cultural understanding. | Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Prize for Peace for brokering a treaty between Japan and Russia. | UWC Initiative for Peace brings together teens from India and Pakistan to discuss nuclear disarmament. |
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| Winston Churchill was one of the first to recognize and warn others of Hitler's danger to freedom and human rights. | Yitzhak Rabin made peace a priority as the leader of Israel. |
Last changed on:3/7/2008
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