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The world is under strain, yet optimism persists. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire individuals to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise those who champion the natural world.

The Medal's Framework

The inaugural winners are expected to be announced during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the very special bond she shared with us.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, one figure stated, “Honestly, it is difficult to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation represents a war on science. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to commence reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, but also the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, observers believe this is an opportune moment to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to change how we regard the other animals with which we share the planet.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The focus of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming contested where political interests is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on encouraging people to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, people can be diligent stewards of Earth”, citing the programs of a foundation that, among its other activities, helps the youth get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding the positive actions currently in progress.”