There are very few whose deaths are truly humanity’s loss, and among them is Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist and legendary naturalist and conservationist who passed away earlier this month.
Global tributes to Goodall are best summarised by UNESCO: “Today, we pay tribute to a woman who changed history… A pioneer whose life was devoted to the protection of nature, the sharing of knowledge, and the respect for all living beings.”
In 1996, this reviewer had the honour to meet Goodall in person during her initial visit to Taiwan.
Back then she was already carrying Mr H, the little monkey plush that would go on to travel with her to more than 65 countries.
Soft-spoken, highly sophisticated and incredibly elegant, Goodall was in Taiwan to promote her initiative ‘Roots and Shoots’, a youth-led action program founded in 1991 that encourages young people of all ages to be the change in their local communities.
The program is currently making a difference in more than 60 countries around the world.
As described by Jane Goodall Institute Australia, ‘Roots and Shoots’ aims “to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, other animals, and the environment”.
In a word, the program is all about empathy.
It is through empathy that young people are identifying and tackling issues faced by their communities, brainstorming solutions and creating projects that help to solve the problems.
Goodall often spoke about the power of young people as “leaders of the future” and the hope they represent.
She once said: “I work so hard with young people because they get it. They are changing the world.”
When asked how we can help to keep young people from feeling overwhelmed by what is happening to our planet, Goodall responded: “By getting them involved in hands-on projects that they choose to help people, animals and environment. When they get together and work out what they want to do, and they roll up their sleeves and take action, then they begin to dare to think about a better future.”
“If we lose hope, then we become apathetic and do nothing. We don’t want to bring children into a world where, from the very beginning, they believe everything is hopeless,” she said.
Goodall’s 1999 autobiography, Reason for Hope, is now difficult to find.
But our local library does have some of her other books, including Through a Window: Thirty years with the chimpanzees of Gombe (2020, originally published in 1990) and The Book of Hope: A survival guide for an endangered planet (2021).
Readers are also invited to check out Goodall’s 2021 reading of her 2004 children’s book Rickie and Henri, a heart-warming true story of a rescued chimpanzee and the dog who became her friend.
The video can be viewed here: youtube.com/watch?v=c5oxGsDt5vY
