Stephen Lewis Asks Students to Lead Fight Against Cancer - Campaign to Control Cancer Kicks off The People vs. Cancer Speaking Tour

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - The Campaign to Control Cancer (C2CC) is proud to launch The People vs. Cancer Speaking Tour featuring Stephen Lewis, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Starting today, Mr. Lewis will speak at three Canadian universities, encouraging young people to take a leadership role in the fight against cancer and addressing the moral imperative for Canadian leadership. The speaking tour is inspired by the United Nation's first Global Summit on Noncommunicable Diseases held September 19-20, 2011 in New York City. The only other UN summit to focus on a global health issue was the HIV/AIDS summit in 2001.

"Canada was a leader in launching the concept of global peacekeeping in the 1950s and we now have an opportunity to play a catalytic role in global health," says former MP Nick Discepola, Chair of the Board of the Campaign to Control Cancer.  "The C2CC is proud to bring Stephen Lewis to university audiences across Canada to help inspire that vision and build public demand for Canadian leadership. Canada has the capacity to take a leadership role and therefore has a moral imperative to step forward and act."

One in three Canadians will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. The C2CC estimates that cancer rates can be cut in half in one generation simply by acting on and implementing what we know already in areas like tobacco control, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, regular physical activity, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding tanning beds and UV exposure, and screening at-risk and vulnerable populations.

Speakers include students, business leaders, healthcare agencies and more

To achieve pan-Canadian social change, People vs. Cancer is calling on all Canadians to play a transformational role in the fight against cancer. That's why this speaking tour is creating dialogue between young people, business leaders, academics, NGOs, government, as well as healthcare practitioners, institutions and companies.

For his part, Mr. Lewis will draw on lessons learned in the global movement against HIV/AIDS and will share his ideas about social action processes and the engagement of everyday people in social change. He will challenge Canada's leaders, universities and students to bring forward the skills, innovation, creativity and leadership to help significantly reduce cancer rates in one generation.

Joining Stephen Lewis for The People vs. Cancer speaking tour will be Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, Board Chair, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Past President, BC Cancer Agency. "Many global health problems stem from economic, social, environmental, political and health care inequities," says Dr. Sutcliffe. "Canada's post-secondary institutions can help prepare the next generation of global leaders to solve complex health problems by building the capacity to cause change to happen."

"Healthcare needs a transformation in Canada, like in other countries, from an emphasis on sick care to an emphasis on health care," said Hugh O'Neill, speaker, event sponsor and President and CEO of Sanofi Canada.  "All stakeholders have to make sure our science, our systems, our processes, our negotiations and our values always put patients first and measure the same thing: improved patient outcomes, not merely cost reduction."

Community Conversations on Cancer (www.controlcancer.ca)

In conjunction with the tour, C2CC is launching a series of Community Conversations to engage young Canadians in this initiative. Ideas and comments that are shared during these conversations will be incorporated into a report that C2CC will bring to provincial legislatures across Canada in 2012. Individuals interested in leading or participating in one of these conversations can download the host guide at: http://www.controlcancer.ca/?page_id=306.

Schedule of Speaking Tour

McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Health Sciences Building, Room 1A1
Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 4:00 to 6:00 pm

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
MacEwan Student Centre Ballroom
Thursday, September 22, 2011, 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec
Henry F. Hall Building, Alumni Auditorium (Room H-110)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

For more information:

Community Conversations on Cancer: http://www.controlcancer.ca/?page_id=197
Stephen Lewis Tour 2010: www.peoplevscancer.ca

 

 

For further information:

Media Inquiries can be directed to:

Campaign to Control Cancer 
Pat Kelly, CEO
pk@controlcancer.ca
Tel: 1.877.728.5355
Cell: 1.828.337.8313
Stephen Lewis Foundation
Christina Magill
christina.magill@gmail.com
Tel: 416.657.4458