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Our planet might be facing challenges, however there is hope. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to encourage people to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

Initial honorees are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October next year.

According to statements that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The concept behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think due to the very special connection she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives undertaken to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Certain policies in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good therefore we must really start reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the entire manner that we treat nature.”

Following an Example

As a result, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform how we regard wildlife around us.”

A major topic at present involves the spread of false information. The central topic of next year’s festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth has become contested when politics is involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor will spur concrete steps. “It’s about encouraging people to get involved and to care and to strive toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in conservation work expressed optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, pointing to the work of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, helps the next generation get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often emphasized, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that people are making.”