Ever since grade school, students have been exposed to global humanitarian issues. Teachers educate and inform youth on the effects of child labour, international conflict, and food insecurity. Throughout their years of schooling and volunteering, many students join charities and non-profit organizations (NGOs) to advocate on behalf of such issues. Only a few, however, have taken their passion as far as Craig Kielburger did.
Kielburger, a UofT alum and social entrepreneur, is the co-founder of WE Charity’s ME to WE—a for-profit offshoot of the charity that sells lifestyle products, leadership training, and volunteer-based travel experiences. While reading an article about Iqbal Masih’s murder, Kielburger was struck by the disparities of labour and social conditions between the Global North and Global South. The story propelled him to impact the world. After begging his parents to assist a humanitarian worker, Kielburger found his voice within the human rights sector.
The initiative he started in high school soon expanded to over 18,000 school boards. Students began to participate in Kielburger’s projects, leading the charity to alleviate poverty for one million people around the world. Some events were based in schools, while others were trips to conferences.
The WE Day event was one that those who have attended cannot forget. Celebrities, actors, and humanitarians took their stance on the stage to address global inequities. The organization was inspiring for students who were passionate about starting their own charities.
However, the tables have since turned.
Four months ago, the WE Charity and the Federal government of Canada agreed to administer the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG). The program was budgeted to be around 10% of the COVID-19 financial aid for post-secondary students. It was not long, though, before the idea was brought into question. The CSSG stated that students would volunteer and receive money depending on their participation. For every 100 hours worked, students would receive $1000 for the grant. Around 35,000 individuals applied for the program.
Soon, observers realized that the agreement between the Liberal government and WE Charity had been subject to bias. Prime Minister Trudeau’s family has participated and appeared in multiple WE Day events, and some members were even compensated to attend as speakers. Bill Morneau, the now-former Finance Minister, also faced the same situation, as his daughter’s employment at the charity was discovered.
After the controversy began, Morneau and Trudeau’s relatives soon reimbursed the charity for travel and additional expenses. The agreement was cancelled on July 3, 2020, leading both Trudeau and Morneau to apologize for failing to discern the potential conflict of interest. As a result of the situation, WE Charity downgraded their full-time staff, including members of the Board of Directors, and cancelled it’s WE Day activities. The organization has now begun a formal review to revamp its structure and formulate new goals.
One of the largest school boards in Canada, the Toronto District School Board, is in the process of reviewing their partnership with WE. Other school boards are reconsidering their future activities with the charity as well. Soon enough, the largely packed WE conferences may come to an end, with many students not being able to attend or share their experiences.
However, student leaders of campus non-profit organizations must learn from the situation. After reaching out to a number of student-run charity organizations at UofT, only one was available to share what they have learned from this scenario. The NGO asked not to be named, but they believe that “efficiency while keeping integrity in mind is most important” for an organization. “Non-profits and their effectiveness depend on how they… are perceived,” they stated. “After a scandal, it’s often impossible to return a good faith in your supporters’ eyes. So, it’s vital that you keep integrity at the forefront when making decisions.”
As students become passionate about humanitarianism, the question of integrity and bias within an organization is often overlooked. The effects of nepotism should not only be considered for global organizations, but for local school charities as well. The conflict of interest demonstrated by ME to WE can happen in any charity due to a personal relationship or interaction.
In order to achieve meaningful goals, maintaining integrity and ethical thinking are the most important part of NGOs. Being passionate about their cause and trying to figure out a solution is only one part of the equation, and their impact would perhaps change if organizations placed ethics and values over school events. If this is the case, many would say that WE Day should have never existed in the first place.
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