TRANSCRIPT
Renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall is marking her 90th birthday with a series of talks to spark hope amid the world's many social and environmental issues.
She says while her ambitious lifelong mission has concerned a number of issues, it has always required individuals around the world to believe a better world is possible.
“We've got a window of time, I believe, to start slowing down climate change, to alleviate poverty, to bring to an end the terrible industrial farming, especially of animals. To try and persuade the very wealthy to be a little more considerate of the future. The future of all of our children. And without hope, this won't happen. People have to have hope. Otherwise, why bother to do anything?”
Dr Goodall, a United Nations Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, is universally acknowledged for her groundbreaking research on wild chimpanzees in Gombe [[gohm-bay]], Tanzania which she conducted over 60 years.
She is considered the foremost expert on the animals with her insights into the behaviour of chimpanzees, including their use of tools, revolutionising our understanding of the relationship between humans and animals.
Dr Goodall says the celebrity status she received from becoming one of the faces of the conservation movement was bizarre, but ultimately helpful for her work.
“There's a Jane out there which doesn't feel like me. It's the Jane that's become an icon. National Geographic built up her picture and Discovery Channel, and all the rest of the media hype, hype, hype. I struggle to keep up with her. But, obviously, I sort of feel I was born with a mission. And to accomplish that mission, what's happened with this icon is clearly very, very helpful.”
Her 90th birthday speaking events are to raise money for the Jane Goodall Institute and her proudest achievement, her Roots and Shoots program.
The program was founded by her in 1991 to bring together youth from pre-school to university age to work on environmental, conservation, and humanitarian issues, and has local chapters in over 140 countries involving nearly 150,000 youths.
When asked what her birthday wish would be, she says she wishes for more time.
“My birthday wish would be to give me another five, six, seven, eight good years to continue getting the message out. If it was a wild, ridiculous wish, I would wish that people would come to their senses and start thinking about the environment and not only the bottom line.”
Goodall will speak in Seattle on March 30th and at New York Beacon’s Theatre on April 1st.
The upcoming talks will focus on Goodall's reflections as she turns 90 and her view on why immediate action is crucial for the creation of a better future.
But above all, she wants the next generation to know that each small action towards a better future is a significant step.
"Just do your bit, it may seem small, but when millions and millions of people do small changes for the better, then that's going to make a huge difference.”
