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The world might be under pressure, but there is hope. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to motivate people to make a difference.

The medal will be given in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate those who champion the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The concept behind this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. This is likely due to the very special connection she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize enduring projects undertaken to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably include several divisions.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation represents an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must commence thinking again, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

As a result, observers believe this is an opportune moment to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of false information. The central topic of the upcoming festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that the medal will spur positive change. “It’s about motivating others to participate and to show concern and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, people are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the programs of an institute that, among its other activities, helps young people get involved locally, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that people are making.”