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Our planet might be facing challenges, however a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire people to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the renowned scientist and conservationist who passed away recently. It will recognise those who advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the very special connection she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation really cripples the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to commence reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to change how we regard fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern currently was highlighted of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; it is impossible to allow interference from politics in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that the medal will inspire positive change. “It focuses on encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to work toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in conservation work expressed optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of Earth”, pointing to the programs of an institute which, among its other activities, assists the youth get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly reminded us, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about constructive efforts currently in progress.”