What we’re about
This group is for anyone in the Brisbane area who is interested in making the world a better place. Effective altruism is a growing social movement using evidence and reason to answer one simple question: how can we use our resources to help others the most?
"Trying to maximize the good I accomplish with both my hours and my dollars is an intellectually engaging challenge. It makes my life feel more meaningful and more important. It’s a way of trying to have an impact and significance beyond my daily experience." — Holden Karnofsky
We think that:
(1) We are in a unique position to do good, and it's important that we care.
(2) Through rational decision making, we can make a much larger difference.
(3) We can, and do, enjoy doing it!
If this sounds interesting to you, why not come along for an event? Newcomers are always welcome - we'd love to meet you! You can also connect with us via Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/EffectiveAltruismBrisbane
If you'd like to learn more about effective altruism before a meetup, you can check out the information available online (https://www.effectivealtruism.org/resources/), or you could try asking yourself these questions:
Is it possible to do more good than I'm already doing?
- Here's a short (6:13 min) video explaining why and how we can all do better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtWINl3C_7s
When I donate money, which charities will enable me to have the biggest possible impact on the world?
- Interested in helping humans as much as possible? GiveWell has done the research for you: http://www.givewell.org/
- Interested in helping animals as much as possible? Animal Charity Evaluators have done the research for you: https://animalcharityevaluators.org/
- Interested in helping the environment? Giving What We Can have done the research for you: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/report/cool-earth/
What causes are most worthy of my time and attention?
- For ideas, try this cause selection quiz: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/cause-prioritization-tool/
Is it possible to connect with a global community of people who've decided to commit to donating a portion of their income to effective charities throughout their working lives?
- Yes! You can join with other like-minded people by taking the Giving What We Can pledge (https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/about-us/), or by taking the Try pledge (https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/try-giving/)
How can I stay motivated to help others?
- Come to an event and meet people who share your goals!
- Want to be reminded of the significant work being done by others? The Open Philanthropy Project frequently distributes large grants to the causes and projects with the biggest positive impacts; so, to get some good news delivered to your inbox, you can sign up for updates on their work here: http://www.openphilanthropy.org/get-involved
- You can also sign up for the Effective Altruism newsletter through the effectivealtruism.org/ site, or the Effective Altruism Australia newsletter through their website: https://effectivealtruism.org.au/
How can I maximise the good I do with my career?
- 80,000 Hours is an organisation dedicated to answering exactly that question: https://80000hours.org/
There’s lots more we could discuss, but that’s what the meetups are for. Looking forward to meeting you! :)
