Jane Goodall on Q&A: “We have stolen our children’s future.”

Amid troubled talks of Trump, terrorism and impending global catastrophe, Dr. Jane Goodall offered a glimmer of hope for humanity last night on Q&A.

The renowned primatologist and conservationist, now 83, issued a rallying cry to “leave a better world for our children” after a simple question from an 11-year-old boy.

“As primary school students, we don’t have a lot of power or influence,” Tyne Jones began from the audience, “but what can we do to help prevent the destruction of natural habitats and the exploitation and hunting of primates?”

Goodall responded by reminding Jones – and the audience – that he had a “role to play” and even the smallest everyday choices can have a huge impact.

“[Imagine] there are billions of people making ethical choices each day as to what you buy, what you wear, what you eat, how is it made, where did it come from, did it involve cruelty to animals or child slave labour?

"Then if everyone is making the right ethical choice, whatever religion they’re part of, then we’re going to have a much better world for you as you grow up, and for the primates."

Goodall maintains we can "learn from our mistakes" - and our closest living relatives - as long as we work together.

“We have this expression, ‘We haven’t inherited this planet from our parents, we’ve borrowed it from our children’.

“We have not borrowed our children’s future – we have stolen it and we’re still stealing it now, and it’s time we get together, whatever our religion, whatever our culture, get together and start changing the way – changing our attitude, so that we can leave a better world for our children, whom we love.”

You can watch the full episode of Q&A which featured panelists Liberal Senator James Patterson, Labor's Shadow Minister for Human Services Linda Burney, Reverend Peter Kurti and author Rachel Botsman on ABC website.