NOSM and Laurentian University Co-Host Speaking Engagement by Stephen Lewis

On Thursday March 25, 2010, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and Laurentian University hosted an event in which distinguished speaker, Stephen Lewis, on behalf of the Canadian coalition, the Campaign to Control Cancer (C2CC), delivered a presentation on the topic of cancer.

The first of a series of addresses to audiences at six Ontario universities, Mr. Lewis launched The People vs. Cancer Speaking Tour at Laurentian University’s Fraser Auditorium in Sudbury from where he began spreading the word that everyone can participate in the fight against this widespread disease.

Mr. Lewis drew heavily on his extensive international experience, speaking about the transformational role that an engaged public can play in the battle against cancer, and urging Canadian universities and students to bring forward their skills, innovation, creativity and leadership to the campaign to reduce cancer in one generation.

Stephen Lewis’s speaking tour was launched in conjunction with a series of Community Conversations on Cancer. These public forums allow people from all walks of life to organize and host Community Conversations in their own regions with the view to encouraging discussions about cancer and cancer control among community members. A report on the key findings gathered from Community Conversations will be presented to policy makers in 2010.

The Campaign to Control Cancer, which is hosting Mr. Lewis’s speaking tour, is a coalition of more than 70 organizations dedicated to combating the alarming spread of cancer, which is the leading cause of death in Canada. An estimated twenty five percent of Canadians are expected to die from the disease.

Stephen Lewis is Professor in Global Health at McMaster University and is Board Chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation which supports community-based organizations working to turn the tide of HIV/Aids in Africa.

His work with the United Nations spans more than two decades, including his posting as Canada’s ambassador to the U.N from 1984 to 1988. He previously served as an elected member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and in 1970, became leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party.