“I am absolutely sure that never before in this space has been a proper acknowledgment that we humans are not the only beings on the planet, I want to bring into the space the voice of the chimpanzees, the animal that I've been studying for so many years with my dedicated team. And what I'm going to say simply means: this is me; this is Jane. Because the chimpanzees have different ways of announcing their presence,” Dr Goodall, or Dr Jane as she likes to be called, then proceeded to speak in chimpanzee to begin her speech.
Jane Goodall’s observation that chimpanzees make and use tools were a revelation. As Audrey Azoulay, Director-General said in her welcome speech, “Your work has shattered the divide that human have relentlessly built, generation after generation, between themselves and the rest of the living world.
Her speech highlighted the important role of collaboration in the fight against climate change and to support local communities. UNESCO works in countries to support communities to use their local knowledge to protect biodiversity, and Dr. Goodall’s speech highlighted the importance of this mandate.
"I’m very proud of the relationship that the Jane Goodall’s Institute has with UNESCO, which is gradually being building up greater cooperation over the years. It’s so true that today the world is in such a state that no one or organization can do it alone, we need to collaborate, we need to get together, we need countries and individuals to work together to make this a better world"
Dr Jane Goodall
Let us get together, each do our best in whatever way we can. Make the world better for the children that are coming after us and help them to make the world better for themselves.
Dr. Goodall ended her speech by telling a story about a male chimpanzee who was attacked by three other male chimpanzees and fell into a lake when he was trying to escape. A man, who was watching from outside the enclosure, rushed to rescue the chimpanzee, ignoring the danger that he might be attacked himself. When asked why he did it, he answered, “I looked into his eyes and it was like looking into the eyes of a man, and the message was, “Will anybody help me?” That’s what the world is saying to us today.”
