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The world could be under strain, yet there is hope. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to encourage individuals to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect the natural world.

Award Details

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. And I think due to the close bond she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “Frankly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“In truth, the situation appears very good so we have to begin to reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, observers believe this is a good time to honor her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a matter of debate where political interests is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration remains that the medal will spur positive change. “It focuses on encouraging people to participate and to care and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on doing the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant involved in conservation work expressed confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, citing the programs of an institute that, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation get involved locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”