Jane Goodall at Vesak Festival in Milan: Hope as a Tool for Change

On May 25, 2025, British ethologist and primatologist Jane Goodall, 91, spoke at the Vesak Buddhist festival at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan. She recounted her journey from WWII England to Tanzania, where in 1960 she observed chimpanzees using tools, revolutionizing science. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which runs community development programs like Tacare in Gombe, Tanzania, and the global youth movement Roots & Shoots (150,000 members in 75+ countries). During the conference, the Italian branch of JGI presented its work: a 2022 census found 37 captive chimpanzees in 7 Italian facilities, and a 2020 technical proposal by biologist Daniela De Donno (now JGI Italia president) sets minimum welfare standards for great apes in captivity, awaiting ministerial approval. JGI Italia also recycles mobile phones to reduce coltan mining pressure in Africa. Goodall emphasized that hope is a causal factor, not an abstract feeling, and that change comes from touching people's hearts.