“Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World”

　　2011 World Cancer Day, themed with “Cancer can be prevented”, is the fourth year for the large series of “Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World” events hosted by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) throughout the world. Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), jointly with Tianjin Anti-Cancer Association, has comprehensively applied the 2011 prevention-oriented activities among teenagers. They invited Tianjin Arts School and other 4 middle schools to develop the creative activities with regard to drawing, cartoon, as well as selection of them, focusing on such main themes as scientific sun protection, healthy diet, moderate exercise and avoidance of passive smoking. In the morning of Jan. 20th, “Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s World” themed events were held in the hall of Tianjin Arts School, attended by Professor Zhang Guangchao, Secretary-General of CACA and expert on pediatric tumor; Professor Zhi Xiuyi, Director of Science Publicity Department of CACA; Director Chu Jiansheng of Moral Education Department of Tianjin Arts School; and more than ten newspapers, radio stations and TV stations from Tianjin.

　　The events aim to guide the vast numbers of teenagers to have a deep understanding of how improper living habits impair their physical condition and even others in the process of deliberation and creation. Concerning the collection of works, substantial support from leaders and teachers and active participation by students of 5 schools were available. There were over 100 pieces of works collected in every respect, among which 54 were selected as shortlists and 9 were awarded “Excellent Works Prize”. Students who had created the 54 works selected as shortlists participated in the events of World Cancer Day that day, when “Excellent Works Prize” was published, certificates and prizes were issued to the winners, and commemorative certificates were presented to the instructors of each school who attended the events. Professor Zhao Qiang, expert on pediatric tumor of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, and Professor Tian Xi, Secretary-General of Tianjin Nutrition Society were invited to explain the knowledge about cancer prevention and healthy diet for children and teenagers to the students who attended the events. In this manner, they could have an in-depth cognition of the fact that cancer is preventable, which must be started from each individual and from a young age.

　　Professor Zhang Guangchao, emphasized in his speech on behalf of Academician Hao Xishan, President of CACA the issue of sun protection initiated by World Cancer Day this year. Although a majority of skin cancers happen to the middle-aged, most people are injured by ultraviolet rays before 18 years old all their lives. People in their childhood are exceedingly sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Children are generally more active to take part in more outdoor activities, so the time they are exposed to sunlight for a whole year is more than twice of the adults do. For this reason, we should pay attention to sun protection and take care of our skin. Furthermore, he called on the students who participated in the events to set an example in their own living and learning environments as a person who protects the environment and keeps good living and eating habits with no bad habits, hereby arousing the consciousness of cancer prevention of more people.

　　Director Chu Jiansheng indicated that it would be a new teaching aspect for school moral education to provide students with proper instructions on cancer prevention to guide them to understand the form of prevention, correct their attitudes towards living, and cultivate good living habits from a young age. Schools should intensify their efforts in this aspect in future and do their bit for the children, as well as for harmonious development, healthy advancement and progress of the society.

　　During the events, 4 students read aloud the articles and poems about cancer prevention they wrote themselves. Those childish words expressed their resolution of actively correcting their improper living and eating habits and persuading others to do so after strengthening their awareness of cancer prevention, and wonderful expectations of future life. In the end, leaders, teachers and students who attended the events signed on World Cancer Declaration to show their determination of cancer prevention. After the events, leaders, together with students, visited the works selected as shortlists of each school. Besides, Zhang Guangchao—Secretary-General of CACA— listened respectfully to students on what they had learned from creation and then explained the knowledge about cancer prevention for them based on their works.