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Our planet is under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire individuals 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 individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize enduring projects undertaken to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and offer support to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to begin to reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, it was noted this is an opportune moment to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to change the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The focus of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that the medal will spur positive change. “It’s about inspiring individuals to engage and to show concern and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still continue striving toward success.”

A family member engaged in conservation work expressed hope that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth become engaged with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “It is not too late and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”