Inspiration:

There were many factors that inspired Craig Kielburger to make such advances in children’s rights. The most influential factor was the newspaper article about Iqbal Malik that Craig read when he was only twelve years old ("Yes!").In 1994, there was an article in the newspaper about a twelve-year-old Pakistani boy named Iqbal Malik ("Yes!"). The article talked about how Malik was enslaved in a carpet factory in Pakistan since the age of four ("Yes!"). He was never allowed to go to school and get an education; he had no freedom what so ever. Iqbal was force to work twelve to fourteen hour days, six days a week, tying tiny knots and making carpets to sell to tourists ("Yes!"). Iqbal was murdered after he was freed because he tried to bring attention to the unjust ways to the public ("Yes!"). His murder was never solved. Craig saw this article and felt closeness to this boy although there were countless differences between their lives. Craig and Iqbal were the same age and Craig felt that he needed to do something to help him. He got together a bunch of friends to talk about the issue and decide a plan of action. The group of boys then heard the story of Kailash Satyarthi ("Yes!"). Satyarthi is an Indian leader in the fight against child labor who was imprisoned for his actions ("Yes!"). Kielburger and his friends wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister and collected three thousand signatures and sent the letter in a shoebox wrapped in brown paper ("Yes!"). Satyarthi was released, and, upon a visit to Canada, Satyarthi recalled the effort and said, “It was one of the most powerful actions taken on my behalf," he said, "and, for me, definitely the most memorable” (“Yes!”). Craig continued working against child labor by signing petitions and faxing world leaders, including the Canadian Prime Minister, to help the cause and join forces ("Yes!"). When the Free the Children Organization was first created the board of directors was made up, in entirety, of boys and girls under the age of eighteen ("Yes!").At age fourteen, Craig went to the slums, sweatshops, and backalleys with South Asian police to help find and free enslaved children ("Yes!"). He then accompanied the police to the children’s houses to speak to the families ("Yes!"). He made enormous progress in his youth and is still proceeding to fight the great fight. Just a newspaper article that would have normally been overlooked, that’s all it took to start this cascade of events and progress that has touched innumerable families and children across the world.