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The world is facing challenges, however optimism persists. A novel accolade originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to encourage individuals to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are slated for announcement during the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special bond she shared with us.”

“This medal will recognize ongoing initiatives carried out to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Jane Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure said, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. So this undermines global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good which means we need to commence reflecting, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted it was a good time to honor Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of misinformation. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth has become a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “The climate science is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that this honor will spur action. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on working the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “with guidance and when empowered, humanity are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, citing the initiatives of an institute which, among its other activities, assists the youth get involved locally, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall often reminded us, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts currently in progress.”