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The world might be under strain, however a sense of hope remains. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire the public to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away recently. It will recognise those who champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. And I think due to the close connection she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure said, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. The current political climate globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“Realistically, the situation appears very good therefore we must really start thinking again, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Following an Example

Consequently, observers believe it was an opportune moment to emulate Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform how we regard the other animals with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today is the proliferation of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become contested when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that the medal will spur action. “The purpose is encouraging people to participate and to care and to strive in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, empowers young people get involved locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that people are making.”