🔗 Share this article

The world is facing challenges, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate people to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the close relationship she had with us.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

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

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure remarked, “Frankly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Certain policies globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to really start reconsidering, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only climate change, that’s the entire manner that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, observers believe it was a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change our relationship with the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth has become contested when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that this honor will spur positive change. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to look at doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humans can be conscientious guardians of Earth”, citing the work of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists the youth get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about constructive efforts currently in progress.”