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The world could be under strain, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to inspire the public to take action.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the renowned British primatologist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees are slated for announcement during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to create a planet a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to continue that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely have multiple categories.

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

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, one figure stated, “Frankly, it is difficult to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good so we have to commence reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, observers believe it was an opportune moment to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with wildlife around us.”

A major topic currently involves the spread of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that the medal can motivate concrete steps. “The purpose is encouraging people to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still have to work toward success.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection expressed optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, assists the youth get involved locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother often reminded us, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that people are making.”