Meritorious Service Medal
Awarded on: 1997-09-25
Invested on: 1998-12-04
Craig Kielburger, M.S.M., O.M.C., Thornhill, Ont.
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
Poised and articulate beyond his years, Craig Kielburger, at the age of thirteen, mounted an anti-child labour campaign in 1995 that raised public awareness of the exploitation of children in third-world countries. This outspoken activist founded "Free the Children", a core group of fifty youths whose main objective is to end child labour. Craig's determination led him on a fact-finding crusade to developing countries, and to Geneva to meet with leaders of the International Program for the Elimination of Child Labour. His initiatives have brought honour to Canada.