We Day
Encyclopedia
We Day is an annual event organized by the Canadian charity Free The Children
that, according to founder Craig Kielburger, is designed to “motivate young people to help fight injustice by convincing them that fighting injustice can be hip”
. We Day was formed to “empower, educate, and above all, inspire.” The event features a lineup of social activists and speakers as well as musical performances. The event is the start of a year-long initiative encouraging students to participate in Free The Children’s campaigns to raise awareness and funds for local and international projects.
, former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal
, and mountaineer Spencer West. Performers included Classified
, Down With Webster
, Shawn Desman
and Hedley
, as well as local hip hop dance group Freshhh.
On October 15, We Day returned to Vancouver, with over 14,000 in attendance. Jesse Jackson, Martin Sheen, and Al Gore were among the speakers. Barenaked Ladies
performed two songs. Stereos
performed as well.
, Dr. Jane Goodall
and Mia Farrow
. Performers included K’naan, Sarah McLachlan
and Jason Mraz
.
The Dalai Lama spoke to the crowd about making the 21st century one of peace. He said, "Peace does not mean no longer any problem, no longer conflict. Some form of differences, some form of conflict, (is) always there…Now peace means when there is possibility of conflict or violence, using our common sense and . . . compassion."
On October 5, 2009, another 16,000 students attended We Day Toronto. Speakers included holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel
, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike "Pinball" Clemons, former Prime Minister Paul Martin
and founder of Participant Media Jeff Skoll. Performers include Justin Bieber
and Hedley
.
The event also included a surprise performance by the Jonas Brothers
. The brothers initially appeared on a taped message broadcast throughout the stadium before they stepped out on stage to perform a two-song set.
Both events were carried by CTV
on live webcast. The broadcaster also aired a two-hour highlight special on October 10, 2009.
The 2009 Free The Children initiative introduced at We Day is called the 10 by 10 Challenge. The initiative aims to have student raise $10 and log 10 volunteer hours. This will help raise funds to fully develop 10 villages located in Africa, South America and Asia. The Kielburgers estimated at the day this program will impact 100,000 people.
The event was hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim of eTalk. Speakers for the day included Craig Kielburger, Marc Kielburger, Mia Farrow, Justin Trudeau, celebrity designer Nate Berkus, Jessi Cruickshank, the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and former Prime Minister of Canada John Turner.
Performers included Sarah McLachan, Crash Parallel, the Canadian Tenors and Canadian Idol winner Theo Thames. A live webcast of the event and a one-hour special was carried by CTV.
Participants were asked to take part in the 100-School Challenge, a fundraising that challenged students to raise enough funds to help Free The Children build 100 schools in the developing world.
Speakers at the event included Justin Trudeau, Senator Romeo Dallaire, Irshad Manji, Jessi Cruikshank and Olympic swimmer Mark Tewksbury. Performers include Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo and Hanson. The event was broadcast across Canada via a live webcast produced by MTV.
Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
that, according to founder Craig Kielburger, is designed to “motivate young people to help fight injustice by convincing them that fighting injustice can be hip”
Background
We Day is an event hosted by Free The Children, a children’s charity founded in 1995 by child’s rights advocate Craig KielburgerCraig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger, CM, MSM, OMC is a Canadian activist for the rights of children. He is the founder of Free The Children and co-founder of Me to We. On February 20, 2007, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General of Canada.-Early life:Kielburger was born in Thornhill,...
. We Day was formed to “empower, educate, and above all, inspire.” The event features a lineup of social activists and speakers as well as musical performances. The event is the start of a year-long initiative encouraging students to participate in Free The Children’s campaigns to raise awareness and funds for local and international projects.
We Day 2011
We Day 2011 kicked off in Toronto, ON, at the Air Canada Centre. Performers included Joe Jonas, Nelly Furtado, and City and Color. The Vancouver, BC chapter of the event was hosted on October 13 at Rogers Arena and featured former Soviet Union president Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, and mountaineer Spencer West. Performers included Classified
Classified
Classified may refer to:*Classified information, sensitive information to which access is restricted by law or regulation to particular classes of people*Classified advertising*Classified , rapper from Halifax, Nova Scotia...
, Down With Webster
Down with Webster
Down with Webster, or DWW, is a 7-man Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto, Ontario who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. During live shows the band occasionally uses a 3-piece horn section....
, Shawn Desman
Shawn Desman
Shawn Bosco Fernandes better known by his stage name Shawn Desman, is a Canadian pop/R&B singer of Portuguese descent. He is signed to Universal Music Canada.-Career:...
and Hedley
Hedley
Hedley may refer to Places:* Hedley, British Columbia* Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland* Hedley Hill, county Durham* Hedley, TexasHedley may refer to People or Groups:...
, as well as local hip hop dance group Freshhh.
We Day 2010
We Day 2010 kicked off in the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Speakers included Jacob Hoggard (Hedley), and many others. Performers were Down With Webster, Greyson Chance, K'naan, and many others. Many schools went to attend.On October 15, We Day returned to Vancouver, with over 14,000 in attendance. Jesse Jackson, Martin Sheen, and Al Gore were among the speakers. Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
performed two songs. Stereos
Stereos
Stereos are a Juno nominated pop band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, formed in 2008. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of hip hop and pop to form their primary style including. Their first act that had them recognized was appearing on the MuchMusic original series,...
performed as well.
We Day 2009
For We Day 2009, Free The Children held two separate events. On September 29, 2009 16,000 students attended We Day in Vancouver to hear speakers including the Dalai LamaDalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Dr. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
and Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
. Performers included K’naan, Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
and Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
.
The Dalai Lama spoke to the crowd about making the 21st century one of peace. He said, "Peace does not mean no longer any problem, no longer conflict. Some form of differences, some form of conflict, (is) always there…Now peace means when there is possibility of conflict or violence, using our common sense and . . . compassion."
On October 5, 2009, another 16,000 students attended We Day Toronto. Speakers included holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel
Elie Wiesel
Sir Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE; born September 30, 1928) is a Hungarian-born Jewish-American writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and...
, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Mike "Pinball" Clemons, former Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
and founder of Participant Media Jeff Skoll. Performers include Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
and Hedley
Hedley (band)
Hedley is a Canadian pop rock band comprising lead singer Jacob Hoggard, Tommy Mac on bass, Dave Rosin on lead guitar and Chris Crippin on drums. The current band retains the original name of Hoggard's pre-Canadian Idol group, although the membership has changed. The band originated in Abbotsford,...
.
The event also included a surprise performance by the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
. The brothers initially appeared on a taped message broadcast throughout the stadium before they stepped out on stage to perform a two-song set.
Both events were carried by CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
on live webcast. The broadcaster also aired a two-hour highlight special on October 10, 2009.
The 2009 Free The Children initiative introduced at We Day is called the 10 by 10 Challenge. The initiative aims to have student raise $10 and log 10 volunteer hours. This will help raise funds to fully develop 10 villages located in Africa, South America and Asia. The Kielburgers estimated at the day this program will impact 100,000 people.
We Day 2008
Free The Children’s second We Day took place on October 17, 2008 at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum. It involved more than 8,000 students in grades 7 to 12 representing 600 schools and 40 school boards.The event was hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim of eTalk. Speakers for the day included Craig Kielburger, Marc Kielburger, Mia Farrow, Justin Trudeau, celebrity designer Nate Berkus, Jessi Cruickshank, the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and former Prime Minister of Canada John Turner.
Performers included Sarah McLachan, Crash Parallel, the Canadian Tenors and Canadian Idol winner Theo Thames. A live webcast of the event and a one-hour special was carried by CTV.
Participants were asked to take part in the 100-School Challenge, a fundraising that challenged students to raise enough funds to help Free The Children build 100 schools in the developing world.
We Day 2007
The first We Day took place on October 19, 2007 at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum and involved more than 7,500 youth. The participants were grade 7 or 10 students from more than 500 schools in the Greater Toronto Area.Speakers at the event included Justin Trudeau, Senator Romeo Dallaire, Irshad Manji, Jessi Cruikshank and Olympic swimmer Mark Tewksbury. Performers include Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo and Hanson. The event was broadcast across Canada via a live webcast produced by MTV.