Her Roots & Shoots program, active in over 70 countries, empowers young people to engage in projects that benefit animals, people, and the environment, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these elements.

Goodall's approach focuses on instilling hope and encouraging action, countering the anxiety often associated with environmental issues by promoting positive change and individual responsibility.

Goodall's influence extends to media, with the Apple TV+ series "Jane," which aims to inspire children to care for endangered species and the environment, reflecting her teachings and advocacy.

Her work with the Jane Goodall Institute continues to support conservation efforts, such as the longest-running chimpanzee study in Gombe, Tanzania, and community-led conservation projects.

Moreover, Goodall's message of hope and individual impact is central to her public engagements, where she emphasizes that every person can make a difference through small, ethical actions.

Her collaboration with Mattel to create a Jane Goodall Barbie doll further aims to inspire young girls to explore and make a difference in the world, highlighting her commitment to education and empowerment.

Overall, Jane Goodall's current efforts focus on fostering a new generation of environmental stewards through education, media, and community engagement, reinforcing the importance of conservation and sustainable practices.

Her Roots & Shoots program, active in over 70 countries, empowers young people to engage in projects that benefit animals, people, and the environment, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these elements.

Title:

Content: World-famous for her research with chimpanzees, Jane Goodall now focuses on the human condition

Apr 21, 2024 | 0 comments

By Michelle Cohan

In 1960, on the banks of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, one young British woman would set out to change what we know about primates forever.

Jane Goodall, in 1960, searching an African forest for chimpanzees.

Jane Goodall defied conventional scientific methods by immersing herself in the jungle, which led to groundbreaking discoveries about chimpanzees; most notably that they use tools, are omnivores and that they are socially complex beings.

More than six decades later, her unorthodox field work – and her conservation efforts – are still celebrated around the world.

Today, the recently-turned 90-year-old’s work looks a little different – taking place mostly indoors, and with a different crowd. Through her program called “Roots & Shoots,” Goodall empowers young people to create change within their communities. And for her, this work is just as significant.

CNN spoke with Goodall recently during a trip to South Africa, where she observed some of the projects local Johannesburg students are heading up as part of Roots & Shoots.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CNN: The younger generation has so much they can learn from elders. Who made an impact on your life?

Goodall: I think it’s really important, this exchange of information from the elders to the youngers. I was really lucky; I had an amazing mother. I was born loving animals, and she supported that love of animals. I was one-and-a-half years old, and she came into my room and she found I’d taken a whole handful of wriggling earthworms into my bed. Most mothers would’ve [said], ‘Oh, throw these dirty things [away].’ She just said, ‘Jane, I think they might die without the Earth, you better take them into the garden.’ And so she nurtured this inherent love I had … in all the insects, the birds, the animals, everybody around me.

Jane Goodall

CNN: Roots & Shoots is active in 70 countries, where hundreds of thousands of young people are making an impact within their communities. How did the program come about?

Goodall: When I began Roots & Shoots in Tanzania in 1991, it was because I was meeting young people then who had lost hope. Young people who felt we’d compromised their future. And the reason they’re losing hope, it’s obvious: climate change, loss of biodiversity. I could go on listing, listing, listing … but when they said there was nothing they could do about it, then I thought, ‘No, that’s not true.’

We worked out that Roots & Shoots’ main message [would be that] every individual has a role to play. And that we needed to think holistically in terms of helping the environment, people and animals, because we are all interrelated. That’s where it began.

CNN: What is the most important message to convey to the younger generation?

Goodall: The goal that I have is helping young people understand that there is a window of time [to save the planet]. Unfortunately, today I [still] meet more and more people who are losing hope. So many people feel helpless and hopeless because [they question] what can they can do as an individual.

But what people have to understand is when it’s 2 million, 1 billion, 2 billion, 3 billion, all taking small actions to make the world a better place, that is changing the world. What matters is people understanding that as an individual, what they do makes a difference. Not because it’s just them, but because they are not alone.

CNN: Does climate innovation and technology give you hope?

Goodall: Yeah, I think that if we look around at what’s happening to the planet, we need to grab onto every single thing we can that will help us to move forward out of the disaster that we have created. And if we look at solar energy, if we look at wind energy and the power of tide energy, then these things are good.

The problem has been to get government support. So governments tend to put money into the fossil fuel industry, rather than to support the new emerging technologies that will enable us to live in a more harmonious way with the natural world. If we don’t do that, our future is doomed. And unfortunately, it’s not only our future, but so many of the other animals that so many of us love. We have to take action now.

CNN: What message do you have for the world?

Goodall: A message to the world would be, don’t forget that you as an individual make an impact on the environment every single day. And it’s up to you to choose what sort of impact you make. I think once everybody understands the role that they play, whoever they are, is so desperately important, then we move towards a better world.

Editor’s note: At one of Goodall’s recent presentations in California, 93-year-old movie actor and director Clint Eastwood was in the audience. Asked why he was there, Eastwood said he supported Goodall’s work and added that he was a big fan of 90-year-olds.
_________________

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What would letting children get close to nature help cultivate?

ecological literacy
drive to protect the earth

Goodall's approach focuses on instilling hope and encouraging action, countering the anxiety often associated with environmental issues by promoting positive change and individual responsibility.

Title:

Content: ×

The work of legendary ethnobiologist, conservationist and activist Jane Goodall has already inspired people to care for endangered species and the environment for decades — but the doctor’s latest endeavor continues her work in motivating the next generation.

Apple TV+’s mission-driven children’s series “Jane” harnesses the power of TV, with Emmy-winning creator J.J. Johnson (“Endlings,” “Ghostwriter”) using Goodall’s teachings to motivate kids to take a stand for endangered species and care for the environment. “Jane,” from the Jane Goodall Institute and Johnson’s company Sinking Ship Entertainment, premiered on April 14, with 10 episodes now available on Apple TV+.

“Jane” features eager 9-year-old environmentalist Jane Garcia (Ava Louise Murchison) — who is inspired to help save the planet, following in the footsteps of her role model, Goodall — along with her friends David (Mason Blomberg) and a chimpanzee named Greybeard. Each episode focuses on a different endangered species, such as Apis mellifera (Western honey bee) and Panthera tigris (tiger). Blending live action and CGI — and featuring an epic theme song “One Step Closer” written by Diane Warren, and sung by Leona Lewis — the show depicts the friends taking a stand for the species and the environment, and getting into occasional trouble along the way. The episodes all end with the friends video-chatting with real-life animal experts, particularly highlighting women and people of color.

While Goodall’s years of dedication to great apes research and advocacy have made her a household name in the 21st century, she began her work at age 26 in 1960 studying chimpanzees. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, which fosters research, advocacy as well as community-led conservation, and it empowers children — particularly through its youth program Roots and Shoots, which was founded in 1991.

A United Nations Messenger of Peace and a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE), Goodall’s research on chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania helped change scientists’ understanding of humans’ relationship to animals. The research continues in Tanzania through the Jane Goodall Institute Gombe Stream Research Center, and it is the world’s longest-running chimpanzee study.

Also a prolific author, Goodall has adult and children’s literary works such as “The Book of Hope,” “In the Shadow of Man” and “Rickie and Henri: A True Story.”

Goodall is no stranger to the screen, however, as the subject of dozens of films including “Chimps, So Like Us,” “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees” and “Jane Goodall: The Hope” — as well as Brett Morgen’s 2017 Emmy-nominated documentary, also called “Jane.” While Goodall did not create this “Jane” for Apple TV+, her life’s work and teachings inspire the show’s protagonist who idolizes her, and if Goodall had not approved the show’s concept when it was in development, it would not have moved forward.

Goodall, who turned 89 earlier this month, spoke with Variety over Zoom about how she hopes “Jane” inspires the youngest generation, and what she hopes to accomplish next in her career.

How do you hope viewers, especially children, react when they see “Jane”?

I hope that it will encourage them to actually think more about endangered species — to think about the fact that if we’re not careful, many of these species will disappear. I hope it also will encourage young people to join our Roots and Shoots program, which is in 68 countries. It’s about young people choosing projects to help — animals, people and the environment — deciding what they want to do, working out what they can do, rolling up their sleeves and taking action.

So if this Jane Garcia encourages real-life activities, it’ll be great. I hope it will encourage young people to join in the effort to make this a better world, to choose projects that will help to save the environment before it’s too late.

Talk about environmental issues often creates anxiety in children and young adults, but it is still obviously important to learn about — how do you, through this show or beyond, hope to inspire the next generation without causing anxiety?

That’s my entire program Roots and Shoots, it’s all about taking action. If young people get together and work on projects, which is the same sort of thing with Sinking Ship Entertainment, then it’s all about positive change. We need to know that many species are close to extinction, but that we have to stop that from happening. And therefore we have to work together to find out ways of saving the animals that are moving toward extinction. We need to know about the doom and gloom — I talk about it all the time. But at the same time, it’s desperately important to give people hope, especially young people, because, yes, we can make a difference.

So “Jane” shows young people how they can get together and solve the “doom and gloom” effectively?

Yeah, hopefully. The goal is to try and get young people involved and taking action, and stepping on beyond that to do more. It’s young people getting really worried, but then working together with older people who are also wanting to try to save the species. So it’s a complete mixture.

How do we inspire the next generation to create change, without placing blame on children for a situation they didn’t create?

There are major problems and, yes, all sorts of things have led to unfortunate decreases in numbers of endangered species. But the whole emphasis is on working together to create change. Let’s get young people involved, talk about what can be done to make a difference and then, as I say, roll up their sleeves and work out what they can do. And taking action is going to be different with different species. And, basically, I hope that this program will have enough fun in it, as well as understanding the problem, that young people will be pushing toward saving a lot of these animals. Many animals on the very brink of extinction have been given another chance.

What’s an example of a species that was pushed toward extinction, but human intervention reversed the course?

My favorite one is that little black robin that was reduced to just two individuals, one male and one female. That was it. And through some very clever work, there are now about 500 of them. They’re all genetically identical, of course, but they’re being spread into four different islands. So, hopefully, there will be some genetic change so they’re not all identical, since that’s not very healthy. There are many, many stories like that.

What message do you have for people who feel hopeless, or that they alone cannot make a difference?

People have to realize that every single one of us can make a difference. We could just say, “Oh well, I know that animals are becoming extinct. There’s nothing I can do about it.” That’s really going to be the end of us. But if you decide, “I will try and make a difference, I will do something every single day,” then we can make a difference. We can choose what we can do: Some of us can help animals, some of us can help planting trees, some of us can help whatever it is that we care about. And if we all choose projects to make the world better, then it’s going to make a major difference. We don’t all give up and say, “Well, it’s just me, there’s nothing I can do.” If we give up, then the future is not very good, is it? We all have to do our bit to try and persuade other people. We’re in the middle of a pretty bad, dark space. So for young people to join in and feel, “Gosh, if I do this, I will be making the world a better place,” that’s really important.

You’ve done so much in your life and in your career — what else do you look forward to accomplishing?

I want our Roots and Shoots program to be in every school in every country. But I always say, “If you try and aim for the stars, you might reach the moon. If you aim for the moon, you might reach the head of Mount Everest,” for example. So that’s the same for the stars — and at least we can reach the moon and help to protect the various animals and plants that are facing tremendous danger. The young and old alike in different countries need to really, really work hard to save these creatures. We’ve got to do it now.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Title:

Content: Jane Goodall wants University of Wisconsin-Madison students to walk away with one message Sunday: Do not give up hope.

It’s a strategy the world-renowned ethologist and conservationist has found effective in spurring action, even as headlines catastrophizing climate change inundate people with a sense of doom.

“I don't agree with scientists who say the tipping point has already reached the point of no return with climate change and loss of biodiversity,” Goodall told the Cap Times. “We still have a window of time. But if we lose hope, fall into apathy and don't take action, then we're doomed.”

Goodall is best known for her groundbreaking work in the early ‘60s as a primatologist. At 26, she began studying chimpanzees in Tanzania, becoming the first to observe that the animals make and use tools. Now part of the world’s longest-running study of wild chimpanzees, her findings have forever changed scientific understanding of primates and humans’ relationship to them.

Goodall’s legacy also endures through her activism. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a global conservation nonprofit. One of the organization’s programs, Roots & Shoots, educates young people in over 60 countries to work on environmental, conservation and humanitarian issues.

In 2021, Goodall additionally published “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” which details her hope in the world’s ability to make change despite its environmental challenges.

Goodall will speak Sunday at 7 p.m. in UW-Madison’s Memorial Union for the Wisconsin Union’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Tickets for the event sold out among students within 90 minutes, but the public can still register to watch the online livestream.

In a virtual interview with the Cap Times, Goodall spoke from the Edgewater Hotel about climate deniers, how she remains optimistic and what the audience can expect from her on Sunday.

Will you have time to explore Madison this weekend, or will you mostly be working?

It’s all working. Not mostly — all. But the hotel has a lovely view overlooking the lake with all the ice. My life turns out to be work, meeting lovely people and just having an occasional moment to walk in a bit of nature.

What can people expect to learn from you on Sunday?

I hope they take away the message that every single one of them makes a difference every single day of their lives, and they can choose what sort of difference they make. I think that’s the most important message that anybody can have — that they, as an individual, matter and have a role to play.

Your platform revolves around this message of hope. What might be the harm in catastrophizing?

It makes people lose hope. If you’re told that nothing you can do will avert the planet heating up to a point where life is no longer possible and that we’re destroying the ecosystems on which we depend, then why bother doing anything?

The important thing is to realize we still have time, but we have to take action. We have to each do our bit. It may seem small, but billions of small, ethical actions make change.

Much of your work focuses on involving young people within conservation efforts. What inspires you about the attitudes of younger generations toward animals and the environment?

They are much more aware, which isn’t surprising. When I was young, "environmentalism" wasn’t even a word.

Young people are surrounded by doom and gloom. The radio’s full of it, the internet's full of it, the television's full of it, the press is full of it, and so they're much more aware. Fortunately, there are enough people saying it's not too late, and that inspires them and galvanizes them into action.

Do you think those attitudes are much different from older generations?

They are different because older generations either didn't understand what was happening because of ignorance, or they don't want to understand because they want to carry on with business as usual. They want to go on making money in the short term at the expense of future generations.

Sometimes I don’t think they’re thinking like that. I don't think they're deliberately understanding that they're harming the future for their children and grandchildren. But they're simply not thinking in the way that we should be thinking today.

Is it still worth trying to change their minds?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! How to change the minds of the older people? Through storytelling, not through pointing fingers, not through making people angry, not by telling them they're bad, but by reaching into the heart. I’ll give you one example.

This CEO of a huge international corporation told me he was working to get his company ethical for three reasons. One, because we're using our nature's finite natural resources faster than nature can replenish them. Second, consumer pressure — people are beginning to demand ethically produced products.

But what really tipped the balance, he said, was his little girl of 8. She came back from school one day and said, “Daddy, they're telling me that what you're doing is hurting the planet. That's not true, is it, Daddy? Because it's my planet.” That reached his heart. That's the way you change people.

When did you realize this approach of storytelling could persuade people?

I think it was probably part of my nature. I'm not confrontational. I'm fighting for change, yes, but not by confronting. People must change from within. I don't believe you can change them by hammering them with facts that they don't want to listen to.

When I first went to the medical research labs where the scientists kept chimps in 5-foot by 5-foot cages, it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I came out shaken, trying not to cry. I was taken into a room with the top people from the National Institute of Health in the department of animal experimentation. I realized they were waiting for me to speak.

I said, “I imagine all of you are caring and compassionate people, and maybe feel just as I did about what's going on in there.” When you think of it, that was very clever. They couldn’t admit they weren’t caring and compassionate, could they?

Instead of telling them they were bad people, I showed them pictures of the chimpanzees in the wild, making their nests, playing, lying around. In their minds, they could contrast it with the cages where these very social beings were kept for 30 to 40 years. I know it did get into some of their hearts because they told me so. It made some labs completely change the way that they operated.

When you meet somebody, or a group of people, you may not realize that you've made a difference — but you may have planted seeds that will grow and cause change in some of the hearts.

What mistakes did you make early on in your career that emerging activists and young people can learn from?

I was saved from making mistakes in the early days. Before I went to Africa to study chimps, I was working at London Zoo. The chimps were in terrible conditions. So when I got back from my first stint in Africa, the zoo arranged a press conference. I thought now I could really tell the world how bad the chimps were treated!

I happened to be having dinner that night with a very powerful man that I met in Tanzania, and I told him about my plan with great excitement. There was dead silence. He said, “Do you realize that the head of the London Zoo is Solly Zuckerman, Winston Churchill's wartime adviser? A very, very powerful man. Do you think he's going to take it lying down when you criticize his zoo?”

He said, “Just tell me three things that are the most important to change.” I told him, and within two weeks, they were all done. There was no confrontation. That was a lesson that came just in time for me not to make that mistake.

So it’s about activists getting rid of their own personal egos.

Exactly. What people want is to have their name out there and to say, “I did it. I changed this.” It’s learning to not want to be recognized for change. The main thing is to make the change. Not “me” making the change.

This powerful man obviously didn't want me to say that the chimps were being treated badly. He immediately agreed, but didn’t want it out in the press. Give Solly Zuckerman the credit. That’s fine — as long as it changes.

This is a lesson I talk about with our youth. I tell them not to be confrontational. Your goal: Is it to glorify yourself? To be the champion? Or do you really want change?

What do people still not understand about your work and its relevance today?

Climate change deniers, people who don’t want to make a difference, probably don’t understand. What they really think is hard to tell. But are there really people who deny that climate change is happening? Probably not. When they admit it’s real, they say it’s natural and that it’s not manmade. Do they really believe that? I can’t believe they do — but that’s what they say. They don’t want to lose face, and making people lose face isn’t a good way to make change.

What makes you think they don’t really believe what they’re saying?

Well, I can't think of anybody with any ounce of intelligence could believe it. That's why.

How often do you come across those kinds of people?

Not very often. They tend to avoid me.

Kayla Huynh joined the Cap Times in 2021 and covers higher education. She graduated from Northwestern University with a master's degree in journalism after attending UW-Madison.

Support Kayla's work and local journalism by becoming a Cap Times member.

To comment on this story, submit a letter to the editor.

At the Proctor & Gamble 2022 summit on regional sustainability, what did Dr. Jane Goodall emphasize?

What does Dr. Goodall hope the Jane Goodall Barbie doll will encourage?

Why did Dr. Goodall found Roots & Shoots?

At the Proctor & Gamble 2022 summit on regional sustainability, what did Dr. Jane Goodall emphasize?

What does Dr. Goodall hope the Jane Goodall Barbie doll will encourage?

Why did Dr. Goodall found Roots & Shoots?

Goodall's influence extends to media, with the Apple TV+ series "Jane," which aims to inspire children to care for endangered species and the environment, reflecting her teachings and advocacy.

What difference does Dr. Goodall believe every individual is capable of?

What does Dr. Goodall hope the the Apple TV series "Jane" will do for people?

What would letting children get close to nature help cultivate?

Her work with the Jane Goodall Institute continues to support conservation efforts, such as the longest-running chimpanzee study in Gombe, Tanzania, and community-led conservation projects.

Title:

Content: Tanzania: Boycott of land use plan puts conversation efforts in danger

By Robert Bociaga, in Kigoma
Posted on Friday, 4 November 2022 16:56

Communities living in proximity of Gombe National Park in Western Tanzania have contested conservation programmes meant to protect endangered chimpanzees, as well as land registration process. This comes amid the growing discontent nationwide over the execution of land policies.

The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global conservation organisation that was established following the founder’s research into the lives of the chimpanzees, offered to create a locally managed forest for the dwellers of neighbouring villages in order to stop them from cutting trees at the protected area.

“As chimpanzees require a large home range size and some of the protected areas like Gombe may not provide enough habitat for sustainable chimpanzees conservation, the primates will need to connect to other chimpanzees in the landscape [for genetic diversity] and access suitable habitats outside the park,” says Wilson Elihuruma Kimaro, a biological conservationist at Gombe National Park. “This is why land use planning […] is critical”.

However, the plan was boycotted by some local members of the Waha community, as the participants feared the expansion of the national park and their expulsion without compensation. Despite the deeply rooted fears over the status of their lands, people from the nearby areas were not sufficiently engaged to understand the process.

Growing mistrust

The JGI has been involved in multiple community-centred conservation projects. Since the early 1990s, its TACARE project has encouraged the planting of woodlots to provide a supply of firewood. More recently, a USAID-funded program facilitated the creation of village land-use plans.

During the participatory land use planning meetings, however, worries over whether Gombe National Park would annex more of the area were not sufficiently addressed and as a result, some villagers destroyed the tree samples planted by the JGI, and refused to participate in the land registration process.

The mistrust between the communities and the authorities is also deepened thanks to the persistent issue of the lack of compensation over crops destroyed by wild animals.

Adam Kohoe, a local leader from Bubango village, and the member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), voluntarily patrols the forest to ward off those cutting trees for charcoal or making furniture. For him, silence from the authorities with regards to this matter has been very puzzling. “In the past, we sent many letters to the park about the intrusions of the monkeys, and wild pigs, but we never received any reply,” he says.

Objectives lost in action

“One of the benefits of the land-use planning process provided by the Tanzania land and forest laws is that it gives an opportunity for villagers to designate an area as the Village Land Forest Reserve during the land-use planning process,” says Kimaro.

However, Masalu Luhula, a land tenure specialist, says “national parks in Tanzania have been expanding in a way that makes communities suspicious [and] if people are not engaged, imposed solution[s] will not work as the solutions must come from people”.

In some ways, the law itself is flawed because the president of Tanzania can always acquire the land

According to him, Tanzania’s Village Land Act of 1999 puts rural communities at the heart of all land-related issues, but in practice, the implementation of the law has often turned out to be cumbersome for the authorities.

The law requires the government to consult the villages through an assembly, but in this case, “the institute communicated mainly with the village leader”, says Eliyas Elmas, a resident of Bubango village. “[…] This provoked the accusations over […] alleged corruption and expansion of the Gombe National Park.”

Luhula argues that in some ways, the law itself is flawed because “the president of Tanzania can always acquire the land, and the community can only demand the compensation, which is against the spirit of democracy”, he says.

The case of forced relocation of Maasai people in the Ngorongoro Province, and also the expansion of Rungwa Game Reserve, where communities were not consulted, have been resonating nationwide. Many hint at the history of injustice regarding land-related issues that has been haunting Tanzania since the colonial times when thousands were expelled to make space for the  creation of various protected areas.

Nevertheless, among the villagers, there are still people trying to protect the forest, appreciating the value of the wildlife. Some of them have even agreed to relocation if compensated, but the communication with the authorities has not been sufficient to dispel their doubts about the plan for the area.

Still, “human population increase is one of the main challenges facing […] conservation [efforts] in Tanzania, [but for] the local communities, forest resources are still the cheapest option for their well-being”, says Kimaro.

The need for national debate

In Tanzania, about 43.7% of the total land area is protected, of which at least 28% of the mainland’s total land area is made up of protected areas (including Game Controlled Areas), while about 15.7% is made up of forest reserves. However, most of the species are found outside of already protected areas, competing with farmers, pastoralists or business people for survival.

For Kimaro, the core issue remains the need to balance conservation and development. “People living close to the parks are living in abject poverty. Addressing their challenges while implementing conservation goals can be very difficult,” he says, adding that an improvement in daily well-being would decrease their dependency on forest products.

The Waha communities near Gombe National Park, who are predominantly farmers, lack good quality infrastructure and do not see themselves as the beneficiaries of conservation. “People move on unpaved roads, classrooms are overcrowded, while hospitals [are not well] equipped,” says Elmas.

To earn a living, many cultivate oil palm trees, a cash crop of growing importance, but the villagers apply an old-fashioned technology of processing the palm oil, which keeps their profits low. This is despite Tanzania’s ambitious plans to end the import of palm oil by 2025.

Assa Makanika, a CCM member and Tanzania’s youngest parliamentarian, comes from Kalinzi, another village near Gombe. He advocated for support for existing palm oil producers near Kigoma, but without success, Nevertheless, he supports plans to expand production of palm oil at home, insisting that “there’s enough un-utilised land available in Tanzania, and the country should develop this sector”.

Luhula, however, sees the problem in the fact that “the same system has been exercised for many years, and there have been no major changes in the land governance”.

People have conflicting interests over land use, and with the increase in population “some sort of national debate might be necessary as the land being generationally transferred is a highly important issue”, he says.

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What difference does Dr. Goodall believe every individual is capable of?

What difference does Dr. Goodall believe every individual is capable of?

Moreover, Goodall's message of hope and individual impact is central to her public engagements, where she emphasizes that every person can make a difference through small, ethical actions.

At the Proctor & Gamble 2022 summit on regional sustainability, what did Dr. Jane Goodall emphasize?

What does Dr. Goodall hope the Jane Goodall Barbie doll will encourage?

At the Proctor & Gamble 2022 summit on regional sustainability, what did Dr. Jane Goodall emphasize?

What does Dr. Goodall hope the Jane Goodall Barbie doll will encourage?

Her collaboration with Mattel to create a Jane Goodall Barbie doll further aims to inspire young girls to explore and make a difference in the world, highlighting her commitment to education and empowerment.

Title:

Content: Mattel Inc.

Mattel Inc. Unveils New Barbie Doll Dedicated to Dr. Jane Goodall

Barbie, in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, announced the release of a new doll dedicated to the famous scientist herself.

A Jane Goodall Barbie doll has just hit the market.

It has been a longtime wish of Dr. Jane Goodall to inspire young girls.

The doll was created to celebrate Goodall's groundbreaking research with chimpanzees and her nature conservation efforts.

“My entire career, I’ve wanted to help inspire kids to be curious and explore the world around them – just like I did when I first traveled to Tanzania 62 years ago. I’m thrilled to partner with Barbie and encourage young children to learn from their environment and feel a sense that they can make a difference,” said Dr. Jane Goodall in a statement.

Goodall is well-known for her research observing chimpanzees' similar characteristics to humans. Her work has drastically changed the way we look at the behaviors of animals and humans.

This doll is the first doll in Mattel's 'Inspiring Women Series' to be made from recycled plastic.

“Kids need more role models like Dr. Jane Goodall, because imagining they can be anything is just the beginning – seeing it makes all the difference," said Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, Mattel in a statement.

The doll comes with a chimpanzee figure named after Goodall's famous chimpanzee companion, David Greybeard. It also comes with a notebook and a pair of binoculars.

The release of the doll comes just in time for World Chimpanzee Day on July 14.

Other dolls in the 'Inspiring Women Series' include Ida B. Wells and Maya Angelou.

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Overall, Jane Goodall's current efforts focus on fostering a new generation of environmental stewards through education, media, and community engagement, reinforcing the importance of conservation and sustainable practices.

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Dr. Goodall believed what steps would slow population growth?

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State Department, and Orthodox Christian institutions, have expressed dissatisfaction, viewing the move as an affront to Istanbul's rich history as a crossroads of cultures and a threat to religious freedom for the remaining Christians in Turkey.

The Greek Orthodox Church described the decision as "ill-advised" and a mockery of Turkey's commitment to religious tolerance.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's management of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The conversion is seen by some as a political maneuver by Erdoğan to appeal to his Islamo-nationalist base amid economic challenges and political pressures.

The move has been interpreted as prioritizing the Islamic past over other historical layers, which some argue undermines the multicultural heritage of the site.

In addressing tourists' concerns, it might be helpful to emphasize the ongoing accessibility of the site to visitors, albeit with an entrance fee for tourists, and the efforts to maintain its historical significance through restoration work.

State Department, and Orthodox Christian institutions, have expressed dissatisfaction, viewing the move as an affront to Istanbul's rich history as a crossroads of cultures and a threat to religious freedom for the remaining Christians in Turkey.

Title:

Content: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque

Hundreds of worshippers filled the narrow streets of Istanbul's Fatih district on Friday to hear the sounds of Friday prayers ringing out from the newly inaugurated Kariye Mosque.

Once known as the Chora Church, the site spent the last 79 years as a museum. But it is now the latest structure to be converted back into a mosque by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the conversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020. While viewed as a triumph by many Turkish Muslims, the Greek Orthodox Church has decried it as an "ill-advised decision" that "makes a mockery of the Turkish government's commitment to religious tolerance and religious freedom."

Chora's conversion was announced shortly after Hagia Sophia's, but its opening for prayer was delayed by years of restoration work.

The showing for the first Friday prayers at Kariye was relatively quiet compared to Hagia Sophia, which drew hundreds of thousands who filled the streets with prayer rugs for blocks and blocks away from the building. By contrast, the crowd on Friday was relatively average for a mosque in one of Istanbul's more religiously conservative neighborhoods, where Friday worshippers frequently spill out onto the streets.

Both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia are 4th-century Byzantine constructions. They spent nearly a millennium as Christian holy sites before being converted to mosques by the Ottomans after their conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. Despite their conversions, they remained revered by Orthodox Christians. After the founding of a secular Turkish Republic in the early 20th century, the decision was made for both to be neither mosque nor church but simply museums.

"Both Hagia Sophia and Chora embodied Byzantine and Ottoman pasts, and they became symbols of co-existence and multi-faith living practices. Their conversion fundamentally implies a hierarchy, prioritizing the Islamic past over all other layers, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, et al," Dr. Özgür Kaymak, a lecturer and researcher on minority rights at Istanbul's MEF University, told Religion News Service in an email.

Rededicating the sites as mosques is more than just a status change. According to Islamic tradition, artwork of human figures are forbidden in places of prayer, while in Orthodox Churches, icons of Christ, saints and other biblical figures are a defining feature.

In Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Jesus and Mary have been covered with curtains since the conversion. While Erdoğan promised Hagia Sophia would remain fully accessible and free to all visitors, Turkey reneged on that earlier this year, reimposing an entrance fee on tourists and relegating them to the upper level, while the main floor is exclusive to Muslim worshippers.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's caretaking of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Though Chora is significantly smaller than Hagia Sophia, it is home to some of the best-preserved examples of late-Byzantine art, including mosaics, icons and frescoes, and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"For us it's a very important place because it remembers our culture and our traditions here," Father Evangelos Markantonis, an Orthodox priest who was leading a group of theology students to Chora on Friday, told Religion News Service.

"Though we cannot venerate as Orthodox Christians, we have to try to find things we can be united on. Only with dialogue and good deeds can we continue our lives," Markantonis, who is also a professor at the University of Athens, said when asked about the controversy.

Erdoğan had long refused calls from his right to convert churches like Hagia Sophia and Chora, telling supporters in 2018 to fill the nearby Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known in English as the Blue Mosque) before they talked about needing to pray in Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020.

"My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history," Erdoğan said at the time in a speech inaugurating the Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

"This is the most honorable day that Islam has been looking forward to, Greek Constantinople has become Turkish Istanbul," he added, quoting the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come out of the interregnum," Erdoğan said in his concluding remarks.

Chora's opening as the Kariye Mosque comes just weeks after Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its largest electoral defeat in two decades during Turkey's nationwide municipal elections.

"The recent conversion of Chora into a mosque may be due to Erdoğan's many problems, including his geopolitical power politics, his appeal to religio-nationalism to revive his electoral popularity after the March elections or his tactic to divert attention from Turkey's economic downturn," Kaymak said.

Many analysts have attributed the loss to AKP bleeding votes to the more Islamist-leaning New Welfare Party, which has pressured Erdogan over his response to the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed its rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.

"This mosque is one of the symbols of the Conquest. We are proud and happy. There are very beautiful frescoes inside. They were also nicely renovated before they were closed. May it be good for our country and our nation," a bystander, Ahmet Öteyüzoğlu, told Turkish media.

"Thank God for these days. Not everyone has the opportunity in their lifetime," another bystander named Mehmet Çelik told the Turkish news service Anadolu Agency, in reference to having been able to pray at both the rededicated Hagia Sophia and Kariye Mosques.

However, Greece, the U.S. State Department and Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide have all criticized the decision to revert the structure into a mosque.

"I want to publicly express my intense dissatisfaction, interpreting the feelings of all Greek women and men, for the completely unnecessary conversion of a historic Byzantine temple, the Monastery of Chora, into a mosque. It is, I believe, an action that offends the rich history of Istanbul itself as a crossroads of cultures," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said shortly before leaving for Turkey for a planned meeting with Erdogan.

"We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Greek media.

"The Turkish government's appropriation of both as the property of one faith group not only constitutes yet another sign of that government's contempt for Turkey's rich Orthodox Christian heritage but further imperils the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the remaining Christians of that land," the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a statement.

© Religion News Service

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Greek Orthodox Church described the decision as "ill-advised" and a mockery of Turkey's commitment to religious tolerance.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's management of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The conversion is seen by some as a political maneuver by Erdoğan to appeal to his Islamo-nationalist base amid economic challenges and political pressures.

Title:

Content: >
December 9, 2021

Christian leaders look forward to Turkey's new law on religious foundations

This is an issue of vital importance for local Christian communities whose places of worship are entrusted to and managed by their governing bodies

Religious minorities in Turkey are looking forward to the increasingly Islamo-nationalist government making good its promise of outreach to non-Muslims by giving them freedom to establish and run their religious and social institutions.

The Turkish government is preparing to issue a new regulation on the administrative management of foundations linked to non-Muslim faith communities, which have been paralyzed for years by a legislative impasse that blocks the renewal of their governing bodies.

This is an issue of vital importance for local Christian communities such as Armenians and Assyrians, whose places of worship – many of them historic --, other real estate and public institutions are entrusted to and managed by foundations.

Burhan Ersoy, head of the state-run Directorate of the Foundations, has confirmed that the plan for the drafting of a new regulation concerning the elections for the assignment of offices within the foundations has come into being, Fides reported.

The draft of the text has been drawn up, taking into account requests and proposals from the various minority communities, and it is expected that the new rules, after obtaining government approval, would be implemented by April 2022.

The previous electoral regulation for the top management of foundations had been suspended in 2013, after the government chose to establish new procedures to make the management of real estate more functional and transparent.

This led to some confusion with representatives of the various minority communities unable to come to a consensus to either accept or reject the new electoral rules, Ersoy said.

The Syrian Orthodox Christian Süleyman Can Ustabaşı, current representative of the non-Muslim Foundations within the Assembly of Foundations, has said that the structure of foundations and their membership profiles had changed over time.

The Turkish government already had consultations with the representatives of religious minorities to resolve the dispute over board elections for their foundations.

But Ustabaşı now urges Turkish authorities to carry out another consultation with representatives of minority communities before the new text is to be implemented in 2022.

The legal status of the Foundations is still based on the Peace Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923 by Turkey and the Entente powers (British Empire, France and Russian Empire) victorious from the First World War.

The treaty guaranteed equality before the laws and the freedom to promote and manage "religious and social institutions" for non-Muslim communities in Turkey.

However, the state had seized properties run by these foundations and had to contend with litigation as these foundations claimed the rights guaranteed by the Treaty of Lausanne.

Also, starting from 1936, legislative provisions had allowed foundations of non-Muslim communities to acquire new properties. But in 1974, this guarantee was canceled and the state begun seizing assets acquired by these foundations.

Between 2013 and 2018 about 1,084 properties were returned to the foundations linked to non-Muslim communities, and 20 places of worship restored and given back to the foundations, according to official data.

Greek Orthodox Laki Vingas, in a speech published by the Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, said that the legislative deadlock on the question of the regulation of the foundations has had a negative effect on the life of the different ecclesial communities.

The block in the processes of renewal of the governing bodies of foundations had led to the expulsion of young people from the institutions linked to their communities, and also that many voluntary activities were "unfortunately interrupted".

Non-Muslim places of worship

Within the general Assembly of the Turkish Foundations are some 167 minority foundations. The Turkish Greek community has 77, the highest number of foundations. The Armenian community has 54 and the Jewish community has 19 foundations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a cabinet meeting held on October 25 announced that authorities had put on the agenda the question of the elections of the directorates of the foundations linked to religious minorities.

He also spoke of fundamental tools for the management of assets and resources destined for non-Muslim places of worship.

The issue of the foundations come at a time when Turkish authorities have expelled more and more Protestant Christians -- foreigners and Turkish converts-- on grounds they constitute a "threat to national security".

Turkey had also recently transformed museums into mosques, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora.

Both churches had been turned into museums after the end of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of modern Turkey.

The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora was built by the Byzantines in the 5th century. The Ottomans then turned it into a mosque after they captured Constantinople in 1453. And it remained a Muslim worship space until the end of the Second World War when it was transformed into a museum.

The same happened to the Hagia Sophia Museum in Iznik, and the high-profile reconversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum, Istanbul's most identifiable monument.

Many observers believe that President Erdogan, weakened internally by a bad economy and a lack of political perspective, is compensating with erasing part of the country's multiculturalism, aimed at shoring up the ranks of his Islamo-nationalist base.

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What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

The move has been interpreted as prioritizing the Islamic past over other historical layers, which some argue undermines the multicultural heritage of the site.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

In addressing tourists' concerns, it might be helpful to emphasize the ongoing accessibility of the site to visitors, albeit with an entrance fee for tourists, and the efforts to maintain its historical significance through restoration work.

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Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

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Content: [ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia - Orthodox Christian Laity

Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia

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Source: Greek Reporter

A still from a recently released video shows visitors rushing to take cover as fragments fall from the dome of Hagia Sophia. Credit: Daily Motion/BirGün

A video from 2022 that came to light recently shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.

The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises serious questions over the safety of the former Orthodox Christian cathedral, now a mosque.

BirGün notably quoted officials as saying that “pieces are falling from the roof, due to the humidity created by the crowd, but no precautions are being taken”.

The president of the Turkish Art History Association, Serif Yasar, argued for restoration of the monument as soon as possible, suggesting that “If Hagia Sophia is not restored, it will collapse with the first earthquake.”

The monument was restored as a mosque three years ago after serving as a museum from 1935-2020 and has since received 21 million visitors, according to Turkey’s tourism and culture minister.

Yasar added that when the church was a museum, the scientific council overseeing it urged that groups of no more than 25 people should be allowed to enter the building at any one time.

This enormous lift in visitation has likely brought to the forefront the need for repairs and it was indeed reported in September that the Turkish government had decided to start long-term maintenance of Hagia Sophia.

Turkey to implement visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia

In early October Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli expressed fears that the large number of visitors to Hagia Sophia could lead to a catastrophic structural failure if not addressed immediately.

Writing in the Hürriyet daily, Ortayli said that the monument, which attracts three million pilgrims annually apart from tourists, has undergone significant damage since its conversion into a mosque.

He asserted that even a modest number of 20-30 thousand people annually, including scientists, historians, archaeologists, representatives of the Muslim religion, politicians, and public officials, could be considered excessive for the endurance of the monument.

In June 2022 a number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia were damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site.

In April 2022, The Turkish Association of Art Historians stated that the historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia had been badly damaged.

The group posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate.

Turkey unveiled plans in late October for a visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia, including charging foreign tourists with an entrance fee to be implemented starting Jan. 15.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that extensive restoration work is underway in various sections of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, with plans to progress to other parts upon their completion.

He emphasized that, based on UNESCO’s recommendations, a visitor management plan would be enforced to enhance the quality and safety of visits while preserving the historical significance of the site.

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Officials argue for repairs to Hagia Sophia after footage shows fragments falling from the dome – Neos Kosmos

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The bill proposes fines of up to 100,000 euros for violations and emphasizes using Italian in job applications and official documents, allowing foreign words only if they are untranslatable.

Companies must comply with these regulations by June 1, 2025, to avoid penalties.

This initiative reflects a national trend, with federal discussions on banning foreign language signage, except for trademarks, to preserve the Russian language.

The bill proposes fines of up to 100,000 euros for violations and emphasizes using Italian in job applications and official documents, allowing foreign words only if they are untranslatable.

Title:

Content: Italian govt drafts bill that seeks to ban English language

RomeEdited By: C KrishnasaiUpdated: Apr 01, 2023, 03:15 PM IST

Calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured, the draft bill claims that English “demeans and mortifies” Italians, and called on all public and private bodies to use the “language of Dante” to promote their goods and services, reports Reuters news agency. Photograph:(Reuters)

Story highlights

The bill, which has been drafted by lawmakers of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, aims to promote Italian language and imposes a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) if found violating the rule

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party has proposed legislation that seeks to prohibit public and private bodies in the country from using foreign terms, especially English, in official communications.

The bill, which has been drafted by lawmakers of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, aims to promote Italian language and imposes a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) if found violating the rule.

In order to become a law, the bill has to be approved by both houses of parliament. But there was no indication of when this might happen.

“It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania (has) repercussions for society as a whole,” said the text of the draft bill.

Calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured, the draft bill claims that English “demeans and mortifies” Italians, and called on all public and private bodies to use the “language of Dante” to promote their goods and services, reports Reuters news agency.

The draft also specifies that all job related applications, including names and acronyms, should be spelt out in Italian, with foreign words allowed only if they are impossible to translate.

The bill said the widespread use of English in Europe was “even more negative and paradoxical” given that Britain had quit the European Union.

The draft bill comes at a time when the incumbent far-right government takes measures to what it calls preserving the local culture.

Recently, it banned the use of laboratory-produced food to safeguard the country’s agri-food heritage.

When the Brothers of Italy party took office last October, it added the English term “Made in Italy” to the name of the industry minister, while Meloni occasionally drops foreign words into her speeches.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Companies must comply with these regulations by June 1, 2025, to avoid penalties.

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Companies face confusion as they prepare for Quebec's new language rules next year

A person holds a Quebec flag during Fete Nationale in Montreal, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
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In just under a year's time, important pieces of the new French language law are set to come into force for companies operating in Quebec. Although many are preparing for the laws to be applied, the future requirements are still causing some stress, notably because of the paperwork involved and what some say is a lack of clarity.

As June 1, 2025 approaches, Isabelle Jomphe and Brittany Carson, two lawyers at law firm Lavery, have their hands full. Since the adoption of Bill 96 in 2022, they have been helping numerous companies in Quebec and abroad to comply with the various amendments.

"We're coming up to the last law. So, we need to look for the little additional details to try to advise companies as well as possible and avoid unpleasant surprises on June 2, 2025," said Jomphe in an interview.

The lawyer devotes much of her time to the issues surrounding future trademark regulations.

One of these concerns exterior commercial signage. French will have to appear "clearly predominant" when a company's trademark is displayed in a language other than French. A company that has a name with an expression taken from a language other than French is also affected by the measure.

"It may require merchants to make major changes to their storefronts if they don't already meet this criterion," said Jomphe.

Carson is working on the issue of francization, which from now on will affect small businesses with 25 to 49 employees. They must register with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) before June 1, 2025, and begin the process of francization.

This involves carrying out a linguistic analysis to demonstrate the widespread use of French at all levels of the organization and obtaining a francization certificate from the OQLF.

Carson said many of the questions she receives are from companies headquartered outside Quebec.

"For people who may work on a daily basis with people outside Quebec who don't speak French, who don't write in French, it's quite a challenge," says the labour and employment lawyer.

Still a "lack of understanding"

According to François Vincent, Quebec vice-President at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), there is still a "lack of awareness of what's coming" among its members.

"Especially the administrative burden of being told that they function well in French," he added, referring to the documents companies will need to complete as part of the francization process.

CFIB estimates that it will take between 20 and 50 hours for companies to answer francization-related questions. And based on the latest OQLF data, most of them will be told that they are meeting their linguistic obligations, Vincent believes.

As of March 31, 2023, 66 per cent of certified companies "obtained their certificate without having to implement a francization program," according to the OQLF's 2022-2023 annual management report.

With companies facing many challenges today, the francization process may be far down their list of priorities, Vincent said.

"Not that they don't want to do it, or that they don't operate in French. It's just that it's a real rush at the moment. The first consequence of the labour shortage is that the company director is on the floor putting out fires," he said.

His organization is busy informing its members with a web page and webinars dedicated to the new obligations. On its website, CFIB has also launched a countdown to the new rules.

Vincent believes that Quebec could make an "extra effort" to better inform companies.

The OQLF said it's planning "awareness-raising actions to inform companies of the new requirements."

"It will offer personalized assistance to enable companies to validate their correction project, if necessary," the office said by e-mail.

Grey areas

Implementing the new rules is causing "frustration" among retailers, said Damien Silès, general manager of the Retail Council of Quebec.

"Because it takes time, it takes money. And it was already very strict, so it's making some of our retailers a little grumpy," he said, noting that trademark display legislation was already updated a few years ago.

Véronique Proulx, president and CEO of Quebec Manufacturers and Exporters, noted that her members are "still very skeptical" about the usefulness and relevance of the measures.

"There's also a lack of clarity," she pointed out. "What we've often asked the OQLF for is a clear guide."

The absence of an application guide creates a certain "concern among companies, because you don't know whether you're complying or not," said Proulx.

Many are eagerly awaiting the final version of the regulations on the language of commerce and business to clarify the new provisions.

"There are still a few gray areas," noted Jomphe. "There are still points that are open to interpretation, so we're hoping for more clarification."

Quebec's Ministry of the French Language has said that "the regulation will be made public shortly."

Silès hopes that retailers will be given more time to comply.

"Eighty per cent of the 32,000 businesses in Quebec have fewer than 20 employees. So they don't have the same means to change," he explained.

As to whether it will be flexible or tolerant in its application, the OQLF said that "certain transitional measures have been planned, notably to allow the sale of products already manufactured on this date that would not comply with the new rules."

"The Office will work with each company to find a solution adapted to its situation," the organization added.

Those interviewed reiterated that companies are keen to promote the French language and want to comply with the legislation.

"There's a desire to do things right," says Carson. But clear rules and a flexible approach are needed to enable "greater buy-in," agreed Jomphe.

The ministry maintains that the government's priorities "in terms of promoting and protecting the French language and the objectives of economic stakeholders are reconcilable."

The new measures in the Official Language Act came into force gradually, some as early as 2002 and others last year.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 26, 2024.

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This initiative reflects a national trend, with federal discussions on banning foreign language signage, except for trademarks, to preserve the Russian language.

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Content: Last Updated:

Russian City Of Krasnodar Considers Removing "unpatriotic" Signs As War Wages On

The prospective shift and other changes to the Regulations on Supply of Urban Facilities in Krasnodar will be debated in public hearings scheduled in late April

Russia Ukraine Crisis

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Krasnodar, a city in southern Russia, may soon get rid of all billboards and signs that are not in Russian, as per a fresh proposal put out by the local government, RT reported.

The prospective shift and other changes to the Regulations on Supply of Urban Facilities will be debated in public hearings scheduled for late April, the city administration announced on Friday. Residents in the area would have two weeks to review the suggested improvements, it was stated.

"This seems a bit unpatriotic," says Krasnodar's mayor on foreign language billboards

The effort was started in response to the city's mayor, Evgeny Naumov statement in February that there were several signs and billboards in the city that were in other languages. "We have a lot of signs in English and who knows what other languages… Given the situation our country has found itself in, this seems a bit unpatriotic,” he noted alluding to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the standoff between Russia and the West.

At the federal level, similar concepts have also been advanced. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin claimed in June 2022 that the lower house of parliament was considering a ban on signage that were in other languages. The chairwoman of the Duma Committee for Culture, Elena Yampolskaya, claimed at the time that there were between 30% and 50% more signs throughout Moscow using the Latin alphabet than those using the Russian alphabet.

RT in a report said Moscow's business ombudswoman Tatyana Mineeva says that the initiative has encountered criticism from the private sector, with shop owners noting that replacing billboards would be a very expensive operation. Early in December, a motion banning advertisements in foreign tongues was formally submitted to the Duma. Trademarks, however, are exempt from the potential ban. The project is being examined right now.

Russian government representatives are already subject to some limitations on the usage of foreign terms. A law prohibiting the use of "words and expressions that do not correspond to the norms of modern Russian" in formal contexts was signed by President Vladimir Putin in late February, with the exception of terminology that lacks an equivalent in the official language.

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