🔗 Share this article A Jane Goodall Earth Medal to Honor Those Acting to Improve the World. Our planet might be under strain, however a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to take action. An event related to the Starmus festival. The medal will be given in memory of the esteemed British primatologist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect life on Earth. The Medal's Framework Initial honorees are slated for announcement during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from 17–22 October next year. According to statements that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported 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 that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the very special relationship she shared with us.” “This medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support for the continuation that work,” said a family member. Structure and Vision One of the founders of the festival indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions. “The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” he explained. Jane Goodall was an honoree of that award. Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting an assault on knowledge. This situation really cripples global initiatives.” “In truth, things don’t look very good which means we need to begin to reconsidering, with greater urgency regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not only global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with nature.” Inspiring Change Therefore, observers believe it was an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her priority, to change how we regard wildlife around us.” A pressing concern currently is the proliferation of false information. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”. “There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming contested when politics is involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.” Optimism and Resolve The hope is that this honor will spur action. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.” A family member engaged in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, people are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of a foundation which, among its other activities, empowers the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world. “As my late grandmother repeatedly reminded us, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding the positive actions currently in progress.”