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The world is facing challenges, yet there is hope. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus seeks to motivate individuals to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in memory of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize ongoing initiatives carried out to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Certain policies globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good therefore we must commence reconsidering, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat nature.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted it was a good time to honor her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic today involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming a matter of debate where political interests is involved. This is a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will inspire action. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to look at working our utmost,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, people can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, citing the initiatives of a foundation that, among its other activities, assists young people get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about the positive actions that are being undertaken.”