Volunteer and community activist Craig Kielburger shares some of his thoughts on the essence of community in this video highlighting his own organization's efforts to improve conditions in the African nation of Kenya.
Read on for more about Craig Kielburger, Free the Children and how you can make a difference.
Me to We: Energy, ideas and courage
How the journey began.
Meet Craig Kielburger, who in 1995 founded Free The Children, an organization nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and recognized internationally for its innovative and youth-focused development work.
Twelve years ago, in April 1995, 12-year-old Craig came across an article in his local newspaper which forever changed his life. He read the story of Iqbal Masih, a boy from Pakistan, who was sold into slavery to work in a carpet factory. After escaping, Iqbal was callously murdered for speaking out against child labour. Craig was so upset that a young person could be so brutally treated that he gathered a group of his classmates together and founded Free The Children.
Today, Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, having directly impacted the lives of over one million youth in 45 countries through its innovative community development programs.
"In setting out to change the situation for others, we were changed. As we loved, we were loved. As we helped others to smile, we found happiness. As we poured energy into others, we discovered a strength we never knew we had." --Me to We: Turning Self-Help on its Head
Discovering the Me to We philosophy
Craig Kielburger recalls how encounters with key people and inspirational cultures have taught him valuable lessons.
Craig's mission to provide education for all children has led him to visit more than 40 countries; meeting underprivileged children and speaking out in defence of children's rights.
Travels far and wide, observing enlightening cultural traditions and encountering inspirational people, have left a deep and lasting impression on the young Kielburger. His journeys have taught him valuable lessons, bringing him around to a different perspective on life, community and happiness. These ideas are what make up the Me to We philosophy.
"Happiness is not a solitary pursuit. It is not just about us. It is about us in relationships with others and the world. The surest way to find real happiness is to cultivate relationships and reach out to our community -- on all levels of our daily existence."
--Me to We: Turning Self-Help on its Head, (pages 57-58)
Me to We embraces the belief that we can find happiness and purpose through reaching out to others. It involves focusing less on "me" and more on the collective "we" -- on our friends, our communities and on global society as a whole. In essence, Me to We maintains that by helping others you help yourself!
Living Me to We
Experience a healthy and fulfilling way of life.
In fact, this simple philosophy has been validated by the research of doctors, psychologists, and anthropologists alike. Social involvement lowers stress levels, strengthens immune systems, prevents illnesses, and thereby enhances overall physical health.
Community participation also leads to greater mental health and emotional wellbeing, as it helps people avoid and overcome the anxiety, depression, and emptiness that stems from feeling socially isolated.
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