When thinking about all the injustices in the world, the famine, the conflicts, the poverty, the growing gap between the developed nations and the underdeveloped nations, it can be so overwhelming that many will feel paralysed and say: “I cannot possibly solve all these problems!”. Maybe you have selected a charity or two and donate regularly here and there whilst still feeling unsure this is the best you could do.
This was the case for me until in July 2016 I stumbled onto the website of Giving What We Can which in turn led me to the concept of Effective Altruism.
To me it was the best stumble I could wish for. First of all, it helped me to clearly see how fortunate I really am. It cured me from the notion that you need to be a Bill Gates to make a real impact in helping the less fortunate. Secondly, it provided me with a tool to better organise my donations and be more effective in my attempt to do my part in making the world a better place. Indeed, I have taken the pledge and am donating 10% of my annual income since.
People often tell me though “wow, I could never donate 10% of my income!” Reasons like “I have a family” or “I do not earn that much” or “that would be a huge sacrifice”. Well, it actually is not such a sacrifice, especially when you realise what you can do with that 10%. This article might be an eye-opener.
Bottom line is, if we all give what we can the world will definitely become a better place.
If you want to know more about the Effective Altruism movement, here are some read worthy websites:
Giving What We Can – Scroll down on the Home Page to How Rich Are You? and see how you compare with the rest of the world. It is also on this website that you can take the pledge and find a list with top charities you could donate to.
The Life You Can Save – The website of Peter Singer, one of the world’s leading moral philosophers and a founder of the effective altruism movement. He is also the author of the book with the same title.
Centre For Effective Altruism – A centre set up to help grow and maintain the effective altruism movement
Give Well – A non-profit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities through in-depth analysis. Thousands of hours of research have gone into finding top-rated charities. They’re evidence-backed, thoroughly vetted, and underfunded.