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The world is under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to motivate people to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It will recognise those who protect life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The concept of having this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the very special relationship she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern about the future of the planet, one figure remarked, “Frankly, it's challenging to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation represents a war on science. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, things don’t look very good which means we need to commence reflecting, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, but also the whole way that we treat nature.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted this is a good time to honor her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic at present was highlighted of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality has become contested when politics is involved. And it’s a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration remains that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to show concern and to work in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and once enabled, people can be diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the work of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, helps young people get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”