Communicating Hope

The interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and human conflicts demand urgent actions by governments, corporations, and citizens. Yet it is easy for us as individuals to feel hopeless in the face of such daunting challenges given the multitudes of obstacles that persist, such as the paralysis of political institutions, consumption-driven economies that prioritize short-term profits, global population growth, and virulent nationalism. How can we keep hope for a better future alive?

Jane Goodall, an esteemed primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace, gives us an answer to that question in her latest book with coauthor Douglas Abrams, The Book of Hope (published by Penguin Books and Macmillan with slightly different subtitles). We will discuss an excerpt from this book in our regular seminar on December 1, just in time for the next International Primatology Lecture by Dr. Goodall herself the following week. Building on our recent discussions on the societal roles of scientists beyond academic research (see here), we will analyze Dr. Goodall's message and talk about how best to communicate hope in our own capacities.