“Thinking Beyond Conflict”: in Remembrance of Dr. Jane Goodall

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

“We pray that we may learn the peace that comes with forgiving and the strength we gain in loving; that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life; that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts; that we may learn to rejoice in our being.”

November 4, 1960. It was a rainy morning in Gombe, Tanzania. The brush buzzed with life: rustling branches, rain slipping down through dense canopies, humming insects and birds. A thick humidity permeated the tropical hills. 

Immersed within it all was Jane. Her blond hair was pulled into a low ponytail, which fell down her back as she raised her binoculars. Hidden in a thick bush, her khaki button-down had nearly become a part of the landscape itself.

She was watching a chimpanzee. This one was familiar to her: David Greybeard, a large male with distinctive white hairs marking his chin. He was the first chimpanzee to relinquish his fear and allow her to come close; it had been months of the animals running away each time she approached. Now, he was doing something curious. David Greybeard had picked up a small leafy twig, stripped it of its leaves, and used it to fish for termites out of a mound.

This was object modification: the beginning of toolmaking.

As a child in England, Jane Goodall loved all things outdoors. She would often climb her favorite tree in the yard, reading for hours and daydreaming of a life in the forest. She was determined to go to Africa, live among wild animals, and write books about them. 

At night, she often dreamed as a man. “Probably because,” she reflected, “at the time I wanted to do things which men did and women didn’t.”

She was never discouraged, however. Without money for university, the young Jane Goodall instead decided to work as a waitress, gathering funds to travel to Africa. She had no training nor degree, just a passion for knowledge, deep patience, and an unwavering love for animals and the natural world. Eventually, she made enough money for sea passage to Kenya. 

There, she met Dr. Louis Leakey, who employed her as his secretary and later asked her to travel to Tanzania. He wanted her to observe the behavior of wild chimpanzees in the hopes that it would permit a richer understanding of what our ancestors may have acted like. When Jane arrived in Gombe, she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for – just that she needed to get close to the chimpanzees. Back then, this was practically unheard of, and there was really no existing research Jane could learn from. 

Instead, she simply waited. For months, she fell into a rhythm, staying in the chimpanzees’ world from dusk until dawn. Eventually, Jane’s persistence paid off, and she was accepted into the group.

Jane Goodall was just twenty-six years old when she discovered that chimpanzees use and make tools.  Previously, humans had been thought to be the only creatures capable of making tools. It was considered a defining feature of our species. Jane’s discovery revolutionized the public and scientific communities, permanently altering our perception on what it means to be human. 

Some tried to discredit Jane’s research because she was a young, untrained woman. But ultimately, her groundbreaking discovery led to Louis receiving a grant from the National Geographic Society to continue the study. For decades, Jane Goodall worked to understand the complex nature of chimpanzees. She discovered that they hunt and eat meat, express personality, wage war, have incredibly strong mother-infant bonds, and show deep compassion and love.

A truly brilliant aspect of Jane’s character was her deep understanding of the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Over time, she broadened her efforts from fieldwork research to conservation and education, particularly as she realized the damage people were doing to the chimpanzees’ environment. She helped establish refuge sites for chimpanzees freed from cruel medical research facilities. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to further her research and environmental goals, and in 1991 the Roots & Shoots Program promoting youth activism and peace efforts. Three years later, the TACARE program was formed to reduce poverty and deforestation around Lake Tanganyika. 

Jane was decorated with many esteemed awards throughout her life. She was named a UN Messenger of Peace and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Most important to her, however, was continuing a legacy of community, tolerance, nonviolence, and hope.

The International Day of Peace is September 21st. This year, the UN’s theme was “Act Now for a Future World”. In a recorded message, Jane lamented how our world is currently far from peaceful. Acts of hate, war and armed conflict, genocide, terrorism, school shootings, discrimination, and attacks on the natural world all bring fear, tragedy, and devastation. 

But Jane urged listeners to “think beyond conflict” – to “think to the world we all would love to live in.” As a child, Jane lived through World War II, during which friends and family were killed and cities bombed. The English hated the Germans. But after the war, Jane’s mother sent her to live in Germany for six months. She wanted Jane to understand that the German people were not the same as Hitler. Today, the Jane Goodall Institute of Germany is one of the most active chapters in Europe, promoting harmony and making a difference every day.

“More important than the color of skin, language, culture, and religion is the fact that we are all human – we all feel mental and physical pain, we all weep, and laugh, and love. We are family,” Jane said in last year’s message.

Although it is easy to feel hopeless seeing all that is wrong, Jane claims the answer is to take action. Even small acts, when taken together, can change the world. All people matter and make an impact every day. Volunteering, raising money for charity, saving water, and treating people and animals with kindness and respect are all invaluable ways to make a difference.

The world is undoubtedly weaker without Dr. Jane Goodall. Her lifelong passion, authenticity, and sincerity will be dearly missed by all. But should we continue to heed her guidance, hope remains.

Sixty-five years ago, Jane arrived in the lush tropics of Tanzania, unsure of anything but her commitment to approaching the natural world with an open mind. She would go on to redefine humanity.

We all have a similar capacity to redefine ourselves. Live humbly, live kindly, live consciously, and Jane’s legacy will carry on.