Activist brothers to receive honorary doctorates from Nip U

Two brothers will be receiving honorary degrees from Nipissing University today.

The brothers will receive their degrees at the university's convocation.

Further information is included in the following news release issued by Free the Children:

Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger, Canadian youth leaders and international spokespersons for social change, will receive Honorary Doctorates from the Faculty of Education at Nipissing University on Thursday, June 9.

The degrees are conferred in recognition of their leadership development efforts through Free the Children and Leaders Today. Past recipients include Rex Murphy, Globe and Mail columnist and host of CBC’s “Cross Country Checkup” and Ed Smith, Founder of International Children's Awareness.

Spring convocation ceremonies take place from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Faculty of Education, Nipissing University.

In attendance to confer the degrees will be Nipissing’s Chancellor, David Liddle, the President/Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Dennis Mock, Chair of the Board, Steve Carmichael, the Vice-President Academic and Research, Prof. Robert Hawkins and Dean of Education, Dr. Ronald Common.

Following the presentation of the Honorary Degree Certificates, Craig Kielburger will deliver the Convocation address.

On Friday, June 10, the celebration will continue with the Alumni Awards and Convocation Dinner, held at the Clarion Pinewood Park Ballroom. Craig Kielburger will dine with Nipissing’s Chancellor, President and past honorees.

Craig Kielburger is a long-time child rights activist, founder of Free the Children, and co-founder of Leaders Today, the top youth leadership training organization in the world.

Craig’s work has been featured on Oprah, CNN, 60 Minutes and 20/20, and profiled in Time and People magazine and numerous newspapers. His first book, Free the Children, won the Christopher Book Award and has been translated into eight languages. Craig is the co-author of the national bestsellers Take Action!, Take More Action! and Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head.

Craig has received the Nelson Mandela Human Rights Award, the 2001 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award, the Roosevelt Freedom Medal, the Governor General’s Medal of Meritorious Service and the State of the World Forum Award.

Craig is currently pursuing a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto.

Marc Kielburger is a Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar and Oxford-educated lawyer. An advocate of social responsibility, Marc serves as Chief Executive Director of Free the Children and with Craig, is co-founder of Leaders Today.

Marc’s work has been featured on CNN, CBC’s Man Alive and the BBC, and profiled in numerous newspapers and magazines. Together with Craig, Marc is the co-author of Take Action!, Take More Action! and Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head. Marc is the youngest person ever to be awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship and the youngest ever to be selected as one of Canada’s “40 Top Leaders Under Forty”.