TORONTO — Jane Goodall believes the world is at a crossroads and that the Middle East is an important part of the future.

Convinced that no one can simply be a bystander any longer, the
renowned primatologist spends 300 days a year travelling, lecturing and
encouraging youth involved in organizations such as the Jane Goodall
Institute’s Roots & Shoots, a global network of young people who
work for environmental and humanitarian education and action.

On Nov. 16 at the Fairmont Royal York, the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada will partner with the Canadian Friends of Haifa University to host a fundraising dinner for Israel’s first Roots & Shoots program.

Goodall will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Haifa at the event.

“At this point, we need to acknowledge that the collective impact of millions of people making right decisions is huge. What we wear, what we eat – it all has an effect,” Goodall said in a phone interview from New York, where she waiting for a flight to Australia.

Goodall, who became famous for her pioneering work with chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream in Tanzania, earned her PhD from Cambridge University in 1965.

Her discovery that chimps used wrapped leaves to fish termites from a nest debunked the belief that humans are the only species that uses tools, and it cemented Goodall’s reputation as a major figure in the academic world. Goodall, along with Dian Fossey and Birute Galdikas, paved the way for many women to pursue careers in primatology.

In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute, which focused attention on the threatened African habitat of chimpanzees and other wildlife. In 1991, she perceived the need for a youth-focused initiative when a group of her students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, expressed a desire to become more actively involved in environmental and humanitarian issues.

She encouraged the students to form clubs in their schools. The idea took root and since then, the Jane Goodall Institute has helped more than 100,000 young people in almost 100 countries participate in programs.  

In Canada, there are more than 10,500 young Canadians who have completed some 2,500 Roots & Shoots projects, such as collecting garbage in Montreal and rejuvenating rare oak trees in London, Ont.

Around the world, projects supported by the Jane Goodall Institute have helped students recycle telephone books in Shanghai, clear rubble from Nigerian roads and initiate HIV- and malaria-prevention programs in Kenya.

“Cross-border peace initiatives are particularly rewarding,” Goodall said, noting that Roots & Shoots programs have been established in Congolese refugee camps in Tanzania, in northern Uganda and in Burundi with both Hutus and Tutsis.

“Initially, the young want to talk only about revenge on those who’ve killed their families. But by involving them in Roots & Shoots programs, they become immersed in their work and learn to understand that we’re all part of one family,” Goodall said.

“It’s an incredible transformation. These kids become apolitical and learn to relate to each other through common projects,” she added.

Goodall’s initial connection to Israel began when an Israeli, Itai Rotman, became involved in one of her youth programs.

After seeing him work on various projects, the idea of forming an Israeli group was developed, and the University of Haifa emerged as the place to house the initiative.

As the most pluralistic institution of higher learning in Israel, the University of Haifa prides itself on bringing Jews, Arabs, new immigrants and Israel Defence Forces officers together in classrooms that promote tolerance and mutual respect.

Arab students comprise 20 per cent of the student body, which is equivalent to the proportion of the Arab population in Israeli society. In the 1970s, the university established the Jewish-Arab Centre to deal with the socio-academic needs of Arab students and to help increase understanding between Jews and Arabs on campus.

Recently, Israel’s Ministry of the Environment recognized the University of Haifa as a “green campus” for its efforts to reduce pollution, increase water conservation, recycle and raise awareness of environmental issues.

Bringing Israeli and Palestinian students together to work on Roots & Shoots projects, which include environmental and conflict resolution programs, may not lead to peace right away, Goodall said.

But hopefully, the “proliferation of these kinds of projects will make a difference,” she added.

Co-chairs of the Nov. 16 fundraiser are Diane Bald and Michael Budman and Denyse and Don Green. Honorary chair is environmentalist David Suzuki, and MC is CBC personality George Stroumboulopoulos. Special guests will include Dan Aykroyd, Norman Jewison, Eugene Levy and others from the entertainment world.

Proceeds from the dinner will also go toward establishing Jane Goodall scholarships in environmental studies at the University of Haifa and expanding Canadian Roots & Shoots programs.

For details, call Canadian Friends of Haifa University at 416-972-9400.