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Earth might be facing challenges, yet there is hope. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire people to act.

The medal will be given to pay tribute to the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think due to the very special relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to feel hopeful. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good therefore we must begin to reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, observers believe it was an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform how we regard the other animals around us.”

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

“We realised that truth has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that this honor can motivate action. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, pointing to the programs of a foundation that, among its other activities, empowers the youth become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly reminded us, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”