Meeting Jane Goodall

[Guest guest]

*Dear colleagues,*

* Yesterday and today have been days of

significance in my career since I was given the opportunity to interview

Jane Goodall, DBE, United Nations Messenger of Peace, thrice. I spent almost

five hours in her company in these two days and it was an enriching

experience. She had a press conference yesterday which I attended and I did

a one hour exclusive interview with her today morning. A colleague of mine

from India Today magananimously gave me 15 minutes of his time so that I

could have a prolonged personal session with her. Of course, I could ask her

lots of questions starting from the Great Ape project to the relationship

between human rights and animal rights and from the destructive role of

religion in society to what she thought of the role of the United Nations in

her capacity as a messenger of peace. *

* After the interview session today, I accompanied Jane Goodall and her

secretary Mary Lewis on a trip to the Kolkata Zoo alongwith two fellow

journalists and a posse of photographers who took pictures of her from every

possible angle. Throughout her stay in the city, Jane Goodall emphasised

on three issues: people, ie., caring for people in society who are

underprivileged and need assistance, animals, wild and domestic, who need

help to survive and the environment that has to be respected by undertaking

a sustainable and responsible lifestyle.*

* It gives me great pleasure to say that all the journalists who

interviewed Jane Goodall were very sympathetic to her cause. I informed her

about the recent leopard killings in India and the Kashmir Moon Bear

incident and she was visibly distressed to hear of such cruelty. She did

emphasise on ways and means to resolve human animal conflict and quoted

examples from the work of her organisation, Roots and Shoots.*

* She made observations on the chimpanzees, elephants, primates, parrots and

big cats at the zoo. In the evening, she delivered a lecture entitled

'Reasons for Hope' during which she delivered a chimpanzee call as a

greeting. She took questions from the audience, the most interesting one

being what she thought of Michael Jackson keeping a pet chimpanzee.*

* Jane Goodall carries a monkey doll named Mr Hope that she has been

carrying with her around the world for the past ten years. Yesterday during

the press conference she passed the doll around saying that touching the

doll would spread a feeling of inspiration amongst everyone present. It felt

nice to cuddle the doll that has been touched by millions of people

worldwide.*

* There are many memories of her during the past two days that I cherish

but one incident stands out in my mind. **I requested Jane Goodall to sign

my copy of her autobiography ,'Reason For Hope: A Spiritual Journey.' She

willingly obliged with the following message :*

* For *

* Follow your heart*

* Jane Goodall.*

**

* Regards,*

**

* *

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Good work Shubhroto. Iam impressed with your range of activities and

your dedication to the cause. Wish I could have got to cuddle Mr

Hope. Incidentally my Organization ASHA too means HOPE

Best wishes,

brinda

aapn , " "

wrote:

>

> *Dear colleagues,*

> * Yesterday and today have been days

of

> significance in my career since I was given the opportunity to

interview

> Jane Goodall, DBE, United Nations Messenger of Peace, thrice. I

spent almost

> five hours in her company in these two days and it was an enriching

> experience. She had a press conference yesterday which I attended

and I did

> a one hour exclusive interview with her today morning. A colleague

of mine

> from India Today magananimously gave me 15 minutes of his time so

that I

> could have a prolonged personal session with her. Of course, I

could ask her

> lots of questions starting from the Great Ape project to the

relationship

> between human rights and animal rights and from the destructive

role of

> religion in society to what she thought of the role of the United

Nations in

> her capacity as a messenger of peace. *

> * After the interview session today, I accompanied Jane

Goodall and her

> secretary Mary Lewis on a trip to the Kolkata Zoo alongwith two

fellow

> journalists and a posse of photographers who took pictures of her

from every

> possible angle. Throughout her stay in the city, Jane Goodall

emphasised

> on three issues: people, ie., caring for people in society who are

> underprivileged and need assistance, animals, wild and domestic,

who need

> help to survive and the environment that has to be respected by

undertaking

> a sustainable and responsible lifestyle.*

> * It gives me great pleasure to say that all the journalists who

> interviewed Jane Goodall were very sympathetic to her cause. I

informed her

> about the recent leopard killings in India and the Kashmir Moon Bear

> incident and she was visibly distressed to hear of such cruelty.

She did

> emphasise on ways and means to resolve human animal conflict and

quoted

> examples from the work of her organisation, Roots and Shoots.*

> * She made observations on the chimpanzees, elephants, primates,

parrots and

> big cats at the zoo. In the evening, she delivered a lecture

entitled

> 'Reasons for Hope' during which she delivered a chimpanzee call as a

> greeting. She took questions from the audience, the most

interesting one

> being what she thought of Michael Jackson keeping a pet chimpanzee.*

> * Jane Goodall carries a monkey doll named Mr Hope that she has been

> carrying with her around the world for the past ten years.

Yesterday during

> the press conference she passed the doll around saying that

touching the

> doll would spread a feeling of inspiration amongst everyone

present. It felt

> nice to cuddle the doll that has been touched by millions of people

> worldwide.*

> * There are many memories of her during the past two days that I

cherish

> but one incident stands out in my mind. **I requested Jane Goodall

to sign

> my copy of her autobiography ,'Reason For Hope: A Spiritual

Journey.' She

> willingly obliged with the following message :*

> * For *

> * Follow your heart*

> * Jane Goodall.*

> **

> * Regards,*

> **

> * *

>

>

>