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The world might be under strain, however there is hope. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the celebrated British primatologist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

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

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, a prominent voice said, “Honestly, it is difficult to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good which means we need to really start reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the whole way that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to change our relationship with the other animals around us.”

A major topic at present is the proliferation of misinformation. The central topic of the upcoming Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that truth is becoming a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on encouraging people to participate and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at working all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, people can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the programs of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists the next generation become engaged locally, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about constructive efforts currently in progress.”