“Dr. Jane”
Messenger of Peace

Audio and Video Clips Available

Dr. Jane Goodall made her second appearance at Community of Christ Auditorium as a special guest of the Children’s Peace Pavilion on March 5. Nearly 4,600 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students from elementary schools well beyond the Independence area were delighted by the message of peace and hope shared by “Dr. Jane.” Goodall first visited the Auditorium on October 23, 1999, when she was honored with the Community of Christ International Peace Award. During that stay in Independence she also took the opportunity to speak to more than 4,000 schoolchildren at the Auditorium.

Goodall with audience in 1999

“I want to start with a little fun,” Goodall said. With the avid participation of her young audience, Dr. Jane and the children took turns saying good morning to each other in English, German, Swahili, and finally by hooting a chimpanzee greeting. She shared that it is an honor for her to serve as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, an appointment she accepted from Secretary-General Kofi Annan on April 16, 2002, in recognition of her “contribution to the advancement of research, education and advocacy on environmental issues.” Goodall credits the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program with gaining her such recognition.

Goodall encouraged the children to recognize the difference they can make as individuals and as members of groups such as Roots and Shoots. Travelling approximately 300 days per year, leaving very little time to spend observing her beloved chimps at the Gombe reserve in Tanzania, Goodall explained that she “kept finding students who were feeling hopeless.” Discouraged by messages about war, terrorism, and destruction of the environment, people who felt overwhelmed with uncertainty about the future asked Goodall if she was truly hopeful.

“I have four reasons for hope that I would like to share with you,” Goodall said. First she lifted up the activities and service projects of the nearly 5,000 Roots and Shoots groups around the world, which promote care and concern for animals, the environment, and the human community. These programs are administered in settings including preschools, home-schools, universities, prisons, and long-term care centers. Second she admonished the accomplishments of the human brain, including traveling to the moon and development of the Internet. “Now that we know how we have harmed planet Earth, we can find ways to heal her,” she said.

Goodall’s third reason for hope is the amazing resilience of Mother Nature. She gave examples of places that have been destroyed by human acts, which now bloom again. “My fourth reason for hope,” she said, “is the amazing, indomitable human spirit.” Through brief life stories, she created heartfelt images of inspiring people who have overcome illness, disabilities, and other challenging life circumstances to make a difference in the world. “The most important message of Roots and Shoots,” said Goodall, “is that each one of you makes a difference every day…. We can choose the kind of difference that we want to make.”

Children’s Peace Pavilion coordinator Poul Wilson said, “We were blessed by the warmth of Dr. Jane’s message of peace, presented to thousands of children who can and will make a difference.” He continued by saying, “In these uncertain times, the promise of children and their future should permeate everything that we do. The Pavilion continues to be a place where lessons of peace and peaceful ways to live are expressed in our daily activities.”

Goodall’s idea that each individual’s actions make a difference in the world is reflected in “The Power of One” exhibit at the Pavilion, which features an image of Goodall in the field with a chimpanzee; a recorded message from Dr. Jane; and a sketch of her chimp friend Fifi, drawn by Goodall when she toured the Pavilion in 1999. Kelly Ellison, outreach specialist at the Pavilion, said, “The Children’s Peace Pavilion has a special place in its heart and museum for Dr. Jane. Her message of peace and hope is consistent with the Pavilion’s goal to inspire children and adults that they can make a difference in our world.”

-Kendra Friend reporting