🔗 Share this article

The world could be facing challenges, however a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will inspire the public to act.

The medal will be given to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October next year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the close connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. The current political climate globally is conducting an assault on knowledge. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“In truth, the prospects aren't very good therefore we must really start thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, but also the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, observers believe this is a good time to honor her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to change the way we treat wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming contested where political interests are involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal can motivate positive change. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing our utmost,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in conservation work expressed confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the programs of an institute which, in addition to its projects, assists the youth become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often reminded us, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”