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Earth could be under pressure, however there is hope. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire people to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in honour of the celebrated British primatologist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that protect life on Earth.

Award Details

The first recipients are expected to be announced at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

According to statements that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. And I think due to the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize enduring projects carried out to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to continue that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it is difficult to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation represents an assault on knowledge. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good so we have to commence reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, observers believe this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will inspire action. “It’s about encouraging people to participate and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humanity can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the work of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, empowers young people become engaged with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, our daily actions have an impact and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”