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The world might be facing challenges, yet optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire individuals to make a difference.

The medal will honor in memory of the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It will recognise those who advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October next year.

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

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

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

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “To be truthful, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Present governance globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears very good therefore we must really start reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

Inspiring Change

As a result, it was noted it was an opportune moment to honor Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to change how we regard fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

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

“There is a recognition that truth has become contested where political interests are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The goal is that this honor can motivate positive change. “The purpose is encouraging people to participate and to care and to work toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be diligent stewards of our planet”, citing the initiatives of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists the next generation become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about constructive efforts currently in progress.”