The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times(59)

But as a messenger, I have something very important I want to convey: we must not let this distract us from the far greater threat to our future—the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity—for if we cannot solve these threats, then it will be the end of life on Earth as we know it, including our own. We cannot live on if the natural world dies.

During my lifetime we have defeated Nazism, although its fascist remnants are resurfacing. We defused the once great risk of nuclear Armageddon, even though these weapons still menace. And now we must defeat not only COVID-19 and its mutations—but also climate change and the loss of biodiversity.

It is somehow strange that my life has been sandwiched between world wars. The first, when I was a child, was a fight against human enemies, Hitler’s Nazis. And now, as I approach my nineties, we must defeat two enemies, one against invisible, microscopic enemies; the other—our own stupidity, greed, and selfishness.

My message of hope is this: now that you have read the conversations in this little book, you realize that we can win these wars, that there is hope for our future—for the health of our planet, our societies, and our children. But only if we all get together and join forces. And I hope, too, that you understand the urgency of taking action, of each of us doing our bit. Please believe that, against all odds, we can win out, because if you don’t believe that, you will lose hope, sink into apathy and despair—and do nothing.

We can get through the pandemic. Thanks to our amazing human intellect scientists have produced vaccines at record speed.

And if we get together and use our intellect and play our part, each one of us, we can find ways to slow down climate change and species extinction. Remember that as individuals we make a difference every day, and millions of our individual ethical choices in how we behave will move us toward a more sustainable world.

We should be so grateful for the incredible resilience of nature. And we can help the environment heal not only by means of the big restoration projects but as a result of our own efforts as we choose how to live our lives and think about our own environmental footsteps.

There is great hope for the future in the actions, the determination and energy of young people around the world. And we can all do our best to encourage and support them as they stand up against climate change and social and environmental injustice.

Finally, remember that we have been gifted not only with a clever brain and well-developed capacity for love and compassion, but also with an indomitable spirit. We all have this fighting spirit—only some people don’t realize it. We can try to nurture it, give it a chance to spread its wings and fly out into the world giving other people hope and courage.

It’s no good denying that there are problems. It is no shame if you think about the harm we’ve inflicted on the world. But if you concentrate on doing the things you can do, and doing them well, it will make all the difference.

During one of my visits to Tanzania, where Roots & Shoots began, I attended an event where all the groups of the neighborhood came together to share their projects and socialize. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of enthusiasm.

As the event wrapped up, everyone there got together and shouted out, “Together we can”—meaning together they could set the world right. I took the mike and told them, “Yes, absolutely we can. But will we?” This startled them, but they thought about it and understood what I meant. I led them in a rousing “Together we can. Together we will!” This is now the way they end all their meetings, and it has spread to other countries. And I sometimes end my lectures that way. I gave a short talk at the second largest music festival in Europe—to a crowd of around sixteen thousand people. I asked them to join me in that clarion call for action. There was a response, but it was not impressive. I told them, primary school children did better than that, and we tried again. I still get goose bumps when I remember how the entire audience rose to their feet, and the words rang out in the warm evening air.

But when the same scenario was repeated at Davos at the beginning of last year, when I gave a talk to powerful CEOs of big corporations with a smattering of politicians and other attendees—that was more than amazing. Their first response, again, was weak. But when I told them I had hoped for more enthusiasm to show their commitment to change, and when they all stood and gave a loud and ringing response, followed by prolonged applause, there were tears in my eyes.

Together we CAN! Together we WILL!

Yes, we can, and we will—for we must. Let us use the gift of our lives to make this a better world. For the sake of our children and theirs. For the sake of those struggling in poverty. For the sake of the lonely. And for the sake of our brothers and sisters in the natural world—the animals, the plants, the trees.

Please, please rise to the challenge, inspire and help those around you, play your part. Find your reasons for hope and let them guide you onward.

Thank you,

Jane Goodall





Acknowledgments


From Jane:

After eighty-seven years how can I properly acknowledge all the people who have helped me on my way, kept me going when times were hard, encouraged me to do things I thought I could not do?

Of course, I must start with my wonderful mother and the rest of my family. Their role is well described in this book. Rusty, who taught me that we are part of the animal kingdom. Louis Leakey, who gave me the opportunity to realize my dreams, who had faith in a young girl who went into the field with only her passion for learning about chimpanzee behavior. Leighton Wilkie, who provided money for my first six months in the field. David Greybeard, who allowed me to watch him using and making tools—an observation that so interested the National Geographic Society that they continued to fund my research. BIG THANKS. And I owe so much to my first husband, Hugo van Lawick, whose film and stills enabled me to persuade the animal behavior people of the time that we are not the only beings with personalities, minds, and emotions.