In 1998, Satyarthi conceived and led the largest civil society network for the most exploited children—the Global March against Child Labor. It traversed across 103 countries covering 80,000 kilometers—mobilizing unions, civil society and, most importantly, children with a sole demand for an ILO Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labor. This march led to the adoption of the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, which went on to become the fastest-ratified convention in the history of ILO.

Satyarthi is also the architect of the Global Campaign for Education, an exemplary civil society movement working to end the global education crisis. He is credited for the first-ever civil society–business coalition by establishing Rugmark (now known as Good Weave): the first-of-its-kind certification and social labeling mechanism for child-labor-free carpets. This mechanism was engineered by Satyarthi much before the phrase Corporate Social Responsibility was even coined.

In 2014, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the struggle against the suppression of children and young people and the right of all children to education.

In 2016, Satyarthi founded a novel and unique initiative: Laureates and Leaders for Children. The initiative has brought together several Nobel Laureates and Leaders from across the globe to build a sense of urgency, collective responsibility and a strong moral voice to galvanize political will for ensuring the rights and safety of the world’s children and young people in an endeavor to end violence against them and creating a child-friendly world.

Satyarthi’s unrelenting efforts to end child slavery, trafficking, forced labor and violence received international support when he succeeded in getting child protection and welfare-related clauses included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations in September 2015.

Satyarthi envisions a world where the Youth realizes its truest potential as the agent of positive social transformation. It is for this reason he launched the 100 Million for 100 Million Campaign in December 2016. This campaign is a global intervention to mobilize 100 million youth for shaping a better future for 100 million children who have been denied their rights and liberties.

Satyarthi has raised a demand for a new legally binding UN convention against online child sexual abuse and pornography and is now working with the Heads of State and other influencers like International Organizations, Faith Leaders, Civil Society and Youth Organizations to see it through to fruition.

To realize his vision of ending violence against children, he founded Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation to work towards a child-friendly world where all children are free, safe, healthy and educated. Read Less ^