UNESCO and ISDR are launching a sensitization campaign at school level on the prevention of natural disasters.

You will no doubt remember the wonderful story of Tilly Smith, the young British pupil who saved about 100 tourists when the tsunami devastated the beaches in Phuket (Thailand) in December 2004. Tilly had had a geography lesson only two weeks before going on holiday to Thailand with her parents. Before the first wave struck the coast of Phuket, she recognized the first signs of a tsunami and alerted her parents, and then the hotel manager who immediately evacuated everybody. This alone saved about 100 lives. We heard of similar stories in Nepal, Japan and elsewhere, which show that when children know how to recognize a natural hazard, they can better protect themselves, and often save their family and relatives.

It is therefore important that every child, wherever he or she lives, can have access to this sort of knowledge from school. We cannot stop volcanic eruptions, or earthquakes, or cyclones, but we can learn how to protect ourselves before they become real human tragedies.

Our challenge for you is to find a slogan for the campaign to give the message "disaster reduction starts at school". YOU are an actor in this campaign. Indeed, tomorrow you might be the mayor, the architect or one of the decision-makers of a town or a village, and then you will be the one to pass on this knowledge within your community or your country.

Send your slogan by 31 March at the latest to: sc.disaster@unesco.org, without forgetting to indicate your name, age and address and telephone number.

If you also have a logo or a drawing to propose, kindly attach it to your e-mail.

With your help, awareness of natural disasters will be strengthened.