Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show re… - Jane Goodall

I do not want to discuss evolution in such depth, however, only touch on it from my own perspective: from the moment when I stood on the Serengeti plains holding the fossilized bones of ancient creatures in my hands to the moment when, staring into the eyes of a chimpanzee, I saw a thinking, reasoning personality looking back. You may not believe in evolution, and that is all right. How we humans came to be the way we are is far less important than how we should act now to get out of the mess we have made for ourselves.

The Buddhists believe that we can be reincarnated as animals-it depends on where we are on the path toward enlightenment. And, of course, both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in karma-if you suffer misfortune, you are paying for sins you did in a previous life.

Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement