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The world could be under pressure, but optimism persists. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate individuals to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in honour of the renowned British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

Initial honorees 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 behind this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. And I think because of the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't particularly bright therefore we must really start thinking again, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat our environment.”

Following an Example

Consequently, observers believe it was a good time to follow her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her priority, to transform how we regard wildlife around us.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope is that this honor can motivate concrete steps. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of an institute that, among its other activities, helps young people get involved locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, our daily actions are significant 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 raise awareness about beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”