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The world is under strain, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire the public to make a difference.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor in memory of the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that protect the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

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

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “She expressed she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the unique bond she had with us.”

“This medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes undertaken to create a planet improved for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

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

“It will be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, one figure stated, “Honestly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Present governance in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples collective action.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good which means we need to commence reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the entire manner that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

As a result, observers believe it was a good time to follow Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform how we regard the other animals around us.”

Another key issue at present was highlighted of misinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to get involved and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working all that is possible,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still have to work towards succeeding.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, people are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, citing the programs of an institute that, among its other activities, empowers the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, our daily actions are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness about the positive actions that are being undertaken.”