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The world is under strain, however there is hope. A novel accolade originating at the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire individuals to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in memory of the renowned scientist and conservationist who died this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely due to the unique relationship she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably encompass various fields.

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, the situation appears very good therefore we must really start reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

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 essential spirit of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to change our relationship with fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A major topic today involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become contested where political interests are involved. This is a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal is that the medal will inspire positive change. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, people can be diligent stewards of Earth”, citing the work of an institute which, among its other activities, empowers the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”