by Lana Polito: In 2019, the Philippines experienced the most powerful typhoon on record…
Hurricane Dorian was declared the worst natural disaster in the history of the Bahamas. Drought has persisted around the world and fires are still burning in California, across South America and Africa. Increasing political division has led to hateful rhetoric and disillusionment. Despite the hardships that our world faced in 2019, Dr. Jane Goodall has a tremendous amount of hope. Why? It is because of what she has seen accomplished when people act the way they believe. To spread hope, we’ve gathered some of our favorite Jane quotes from 2019 to lead us into a more hopeful 2020, and to help make the Oxford Word of the Year 2020 “Hope”!
“Fortunately, nature is amazingly resilient: places we have destroyed, given time and help, can once again support life, and endangered species can be given a second chance. And there is a growing number of people, especially young people, who are aware of these problems and are fighting for the survival of our only home, Planet Earth. We must all join that fight before it is too late.”
Dr. Goodall Speaks About Threats to Biodiversity Following U.N. Report
“In all my lectures and books, I focus on reasons for hope. But today, it’s getting harder and harder to take that message of hope around the world. Todays’ young people—everywhere I go—they’re so excited and empowered. We’re listening to their voices. That gives us a reason to hope.”
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“But consumers, at least if they’re not living in poverty, have an enormous role to play, too. If you don’t like the way the business does its business, don’t buy their products. This is beginning to create change. People should think about the consequences of the little choices they make each day.”
Jane Goodall Keeps Going, With a lot of Hope (And a Bit of Whiskey) NYTIMES
“Young people, when they understand the problems, are empowered to take action. When we listen to their voices (they) actually are changing the world and making it better for people, for animals, and for the environment because everything is interconnected.”
Jane Goodall, Dr. Goodall & JGI Win BBVA Foundation Worldwide Award for Biodiversity
“My job now is to try and help people understand every one of us makes a difference. And cumulatively, wise choices in how we act each day can begin to change the world.”
Dr. Jane Goodall in an interview with The Washington Post
“ In order to slow down climate change, we must solve four seemingly unsolvable problems. We must eliminate poverty. We must change the unsustainable lifestyles of so many of us. We must abolish corruption. And we must think about our growing human population…But I believe we have a window of time to have an impact.”
“What you have to do is to get into the heart. And how do you get into the heart? With stories.
“More and more young people around the world are taking-action now, today, on projects they are truly passionate about. I am very excited to have the opportunity to connect with classrooms around the globe for this Skype in the Classroom broadcast and to discuss how we can improve the world for people, animals and the environment we share.”
Hope Online: Dr. Goodall’s Skype in the Classroom Reaches 200k Students
“If we all get together, we can truly make a difference, but we must act now. The window of time is closing.”
What keeps her going: “Precious moments when I can have a quick walk in nature. I always hope to meet and greet a dog, get a ‘dog fix’—any old dog whose owner agrees.”
