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The world might be facing challenges, yet a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to motivate people to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The concept of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted this to happen. And I think because of the close connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes carried out to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure said, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. Certain policies in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples collective action.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to commence reflecting, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the entire manner in which we interact with nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted it was a good time to emulate her guiding principles. “I think that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

A pressing concern currently involves the spread of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The goal is that this honor can motivate concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to participate and to show concern and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must look at working the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant involved in conservation work shared confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humanity can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, pointing to the work of an institute that, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly emphasized, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about constructive efforts that people are making.”