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Earth is under strain, yet a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire people to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

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

According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the close relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

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

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation is conducting an assault on knowledge. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good therefore we must begin to reflecting, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, observers believe this is an opportune moment to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a matter of debate when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that this honor will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to show concern and to strive in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and when empowered, humans can be diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of a foundation that, among its other activities, helps the youth become engaged with their community, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “There is still time and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness regarding constructive efforts that people are making.”