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Our planet could be under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival will encourage the public to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who champion the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, one figure remarked, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation really cripples collective action.”

“In truth, the situation appears very good which means we need to really start reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Following an Example

Consequently, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to change how we regard the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become contested where political interests is involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that this honor will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to get involved and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, assists the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly reminded us, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”