• Search
    • Sign up for our newsletter
    August 20, 2021
    SHARE
    The White Saviors
    Chapter One – The Children’s Crusade
    Craig Kielburger was the Greta Thunberg of the 90s – a 12 year-old kid from the suburbs who dreamed of freeing the world’s children from slavery. His activism made him famous, and he was endorsed by Oprah, the Pope, the Queen, and the Clintons. His campaign became a global movement and a powerful brand.  But right from the start, there were uncomfortable questions about money and exploitation. Decades later, it all came crashing down. But the seeds of WE’s self-destruction were planted right from the start…

    Retraction and Apology to Theresa Kielburger (June 11, 2026):

    On August 20, 2021, Canadaland published The Children’s Crusade, the first episode of a podcast series entitled The White Saviors. In that episode we stated that Theresa Kielburger had placed hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations to a children’s charity in a family bank account. This was unfounded. We were wrong to have published it.

    Canadaland wholly retracts its statement about Ms. Kielburger. We apologize unreservedly to her for the harm caused by our publication of it. Canadaland has agreed to pay substantial damages to Ms. Kielburger.

    Official responses from WE:
    According to the WE Organization: neither the WE Organization nor Marc or Craig Kielburger have ever been investigated by a law enforcement agency, currently or in the past.
    The WE Organization maintains that all financial transactions between its various entities, both charitable and for-profit, have followed all applicable laws.
    In his libel claim against Saturday Night Magazine: Craig Kielburger said that the article was false and led people to wrongly believe he was keeping the money for himself. According to a reported statement by a Free the Children accountant, donations made prior to the organization becoming a registered charity were deposited in a separate bank account, and the group was being run as a charity pending Revenue Canada’s approval of its application.
    WE responses, 2018 investigation:
    https://www.canadaland.com/all-of-wes-answers-to-canadaland-and-letters-from-their-lawyers/
    WE responses, 2019 investigation:
    https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21044335-we-responses-to-canadaland-2019?responsive=1&title=1
    Further reading:
    Canadaland’s reporting on WE Charity:
    https://www.canadaland.com/?s=we+charity
    The WE Charity story, according to WE:
    https://www.we.org/en-CA/about-we/we-charity/our-story
    WE.org Transparency page:
    https://www.we.org/en-CA/transparency-reporting/we-charity
    WE.org Financials page:
    https://www.we.org/en-CA/about-we/we-charity/governance/
    ME to WE Transparency page:
    https://www.we.org/en-CA/transparency-reporting/me-to-we
    Music by Audio Network

    This episode contains source materials used under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act.

    Sources:

    It Takes a Child
    Craig Kielburger’s Story – A Journey into Child Labour
    Directed by Judy Jackson
    Produced by Judy Films
    Youtube

    The Story of Craig Kielburger
    produced, and narrated by Sherine Mansour
    CPAC
    Youtube

    In Search Of Character
    LiveWire Media
    Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc
    https://www.livewiremedia.com/product/in-search-of-character/

    The Price WE Paid
    The Fifth Estate/CBC

    Interview with Craig Kielburger
    CSPAN

    Craig Kielburger NSB Speakers promotional video
    Youtube

    Marc Kielburger NSB Speakers promotional video
    Youtube

    WE Movement Youtube Channel
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6agaIkn5aBJlLLds7P1HQ

    MeToWe Youtube Channel
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6agaIkn5aBJlLLds7P1HQ

    CTV News – Kielburger brothers interview with Lisa Laflamme
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_p5PRLy2os

    MTV Cribs: Craig Kielburger Episode
    Haddon Strategy
    https://vimeo.com/49975157

    More from this series
    UPDATE (September, 2021)
    What's up with the WE Organization now? An update on recent developments.
    September 21, 2021
    Chapter Five – The Bottom Line
    Where did the money go? Where are all the schools that WE says it built? A political scandal breaks the dam on decades of silence. Revelations pile up of donor fraud, racism, child abuse, "dirty trick" campaigns against WE's enemies and other financial misconduct. Then, the Kielburgers silence the scandal with a shocking announcement...
    September 13, 2021
    Chapter Four – Crimes In Kenya
    Kenya was the jewel in the crown of the WE Organization's global empire. It's where they took celebrities and CEOs for life-changing "experiences" with needy children, followed by stays in their 5-star luxury beach resort. It's also where WE co-founder Marc Kielburger hired a private security firm staffed by an ex-Israeli military operative and a Sri Lankan fugitive to deal with Kenyan employees who he thought were robbing or blackmailing him. They in turn accused Marc of kidnapping them and financial misconduct. This is an explosive tale of death threats, bribery and corruption in a country where WE was supposed to be helping.
    September 6, 2021
    Chapter Three – The Halo Effect
    In the age of “corporate social responsibility,” giant corporations are tired of looking like the bad guys. Microsoft, Dow Chemical, Allstate Insurance, Hershey’s, Teck Mining – these companies were used to being blamed and boycotted. But by donating to WE Charity, they got more than tax benefits - they got a whole new PR strategy. This is the story of how WE turned virtue into a commodity, and sold it to the world’s biggest companies. But at what point does a charity become a marketing firm?
    August 30, 2021
    Chapter Two – The Cult of Kielburger
    Kids in 17,000 schools have been encouraged to take the WE Pledge, join the WE movement, and “Live WE.” But what does that really mean? In practice, it has meant fundraising for WE, paying the Kielburgers’ private company for a “voluntourism” trip, going to work for WE, and living in communal WE housing. According to many of those who lived WE, it meant joining an organization very much like a “cult.”
    August 23, 2021
    Chapter One – The Children’s Crusade
    Craig Kielburger was the Greta Thunberg of the 90s – a 12 year-old kid from the suburbs who dreamed of freeing the world’s children from slavery. His activism made him famous, and he was endorsed by Oprah, the Pope, the Queen, and the Clintons. His campaign became a global movement and a powerful brand.  But right from the start, there were uncomfortable questions about money and exploitation. Decades later, it all came crashing down. But the seeds of WE’s self-destruction were planted right from the start…
    August 20, 2021
    Trailer: The White Saviors
    The exclusive story of a charity that did well when it was supposed to be doing good.
    August 11, 2021
    all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
    The White Saviors