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The world is under pressure, however there is hope. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival will inspire people to make a difference.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It will recognise individuals and groups that champion our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the close connection she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes undertaken to create a planet a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to continue that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of the festival indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure stated, “To be truthful, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Certain policies globally represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, the situation appears very good which means we need to really start reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the whole way that we treat nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, observers believe it was a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that truth is becoming a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. This is an alarming trend,” it was said. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and once enabled, people can be diligent stewards of Earth”, pointing to the initiatives of an institute that, among its other activities, assists the youth get involved locally, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly reminded us, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts currently in progress.”