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Our planet could be under pressure, however a sense of hope remains. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to motivate individuals to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise those who champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients will be revealed during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the close relationship she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world 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 indicated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall herself received of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “Frankly, it is difficult to be optimistic. Present governance globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't very good which means we need to commence reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, but also the whole way that we treat our environment.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, it was noted it was an opportune moment to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to change the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A major topic at present involves the spread of misinformation. The focus of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that the medal can motivate concrete steps. “It focuses on encouraging people to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on working all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, people are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the programs of an institute which, among its other activities, empowers the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”