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The world could be under strain, yet optimism persists. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire individuals to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in honour of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Award Details

Initial honorees are expected to be announced at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

According to statements that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely because of the close bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, one figure said, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good therefore we must begin to reflecting, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not only global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

A Call to Action

Consequently, observers believe 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 core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat wildlife with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of false information. The focus of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal is that this honor will spur action. “It focuses on motivating others to engage and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. 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 have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member engaged in conservation work expressed optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, people can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, highlighting the initiatives of a foundation that, among its other activities, helps the youth become engaged locally, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly told everyone, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about constructive efforts that people are making.”