When Cher and Jane Goodall speak, the world tends to listen. One Young World co-founders Kate Robertson and David Jones were delighted to introduce these two impressive women alongside BBC journalist John Simpson and business mogul and conservationist Mark Cowne at One Young Young World’s Montreal Summit for “The Icons Panel: The Cause for Conservation, Why It Matters Now More Than Ever.”
“We’re so happy to welcome back for her third time an Oscar-winning actress, one of the bestselling musicians in history, an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, she actually wrote and performed a song for One Young World, She’s a dedicated campaigner for elephant conservation,” Jones said in his Cher introduction.
Cher’s efforts for elephants
Cher started her journey in 2016, when she became aware of Kaavan, a 37-year-old Asian elephant chained to a wall in a Pakistani zoo. She successfully had him transported to a sanctuary in Cambodia.
Comedian and actress “Lily Tomlin called me and asked me if I would come to a city council meeting about this elephant,” Cher said. Tomlin was concerned about an elephant named Billy located in the LA Zoo. Cher said she would go.
Although the superstar shared that she was unable to rescue Billy, it led her to help Kaavan.
Cher is such an avid animal lover that she said she doesn’t believe in zoos holding animals in captivity. “Animals are so much like us that it’s like putting your grandmother in a cage and having someone throw peanuts at her,” Cher asserted. “It’s just not right. It’s not humane.
“I have an idea for a virtual reality zoo and kids coming up now, they wouldn’t know the difference and they wouldn’t care. They would just be able to have the experience of enjoying the animal, and they could walk around it.”
Cher added that in traditional zoos, “even if they love the animals, they’re not doing the right job. They’re not doing what’s best for the animal. Animals just don’t belong in cages.”
Jane Goodall weighs in
Goodall was quick to point out that not all zoos are bad.
“Some animals can be much happier in a zoo than they actually are in the wild,” she noted.
She added, “No zoo should exhibit elephants. No aquarium should have dolphins and whales. And some zoos shouldn’t exist — they should be closed down immediately.”
Goodall is advocating for a united movement “so we no longer have miserable, shackled elephants — which, by the way, are all over India and the temples. There is so much work to be done, but luckily there are more and more people understanding the need to rescue these animals.”
But the panel all agreed the work is meaningful — and urgent. Cher is working with Free the Wild with Cowne. “The real thing about Free the Wild is we’re not really anti-zoo. We’re anti animals being abused or mistreated in captivity,” Cowne said.
Cowne pointed out an often overlooked but horrifying reality of zoos in war zones such as Ukraine and Gaza, where animals in zoos are often left unattended when a crisis hits. “We’ve been working to relocate animals which have been abandoned,” Cowne explained.
“We’ve relocated a great number of lions, tigers, bears — some to South Africa, some to Jordan. It’s a tragedy. Everybody thinks about the people being the refugees, but the animals are as well.”
Cher summed up her passion by sharing, “I believe we should all be together on one level. If you can’t treat an animal right, the next step is not treating people right.”
See the full interview here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/11387953/video/1011361820
How Kate Robertson is continuing one young World’s global conversation
Discussions like the one with Cher, Goodall, Simpson, and Cowne are just a tiny glimpse into the magnitude of what One Young World engages with on a daily basis. The organization and its army of budding change-makers are determined to make their mark on issues ranging from climate change to the peace process.
“Every young leader who attends our Summit leaves as an official One Young World Ambassador, with lifelong access to one of the most incredible networks in the world!” One Young World posted on its LinkedIn page. “For us, and our Community, the Summit closing ceremony marks the start of a bold new era in our fight to build a fair and sustainable future for all!”
Kate Robertson also cites One Young World’s leaders as “the most informed, most educated, most connected generation in human history and with powers to change anything and everything.”
Bringing together participants from 190 countries, One Young World’s Montreal Summit became a channel for people from all backgrounds to engage in a new narrative.
“Together, we can always do more,” ambassador Yixuan Ma told CTV News Montreal. “I really want to be part of this global representation to tackle the most pressing issues together hand in hand. There are so many challenges locally, nationally, and also on a global scale, and all of them are intertwined.”
Co-founder Jones revealed his satisfaction with hosting the summit in Montreal. “It’s a great place to bring the summit,” he told the Canadian news outlet. “It’s a city that fundamentally believes in sustainability. It’s a city that places high value on diversity and inclusion.”
