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The world is under strain, but optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to motivate the public to act.

The medal will be given in memory of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise those who champion our planet's biodiversity.

Award Details

Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely because of the close connection she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize enduring projects carried out to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to continue such efforts,” 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 for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure remarked, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good so we have to commence reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, observers believe this is an opportune moment to emulate 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 transform how we regard fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of false information. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. This is a perilous development,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to participate and to show concern and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work expressed hope that “with guidance and once enabled, people are capable of being responsible caretakers of our planet”, pointing to the programs of an institute which, among its other activities, assists young people get involved locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”