Events
Upcoming Events
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All EA DC event attendees are required to follow the code of conduct.
Giving Season "Giving Game"
Note: this event has been rescheduled for next month due to a low expected turnout.
As the end of the year approaches, many of us are reflecting on how to give as effectively as possible. Should we donate to improve global public health? Animal welfare? Mitigating long-term risks? Something else?
In this event, we engage in a structured activity known as a "giving game" to help get a handle on these questions. Participants will vote for their favorite donation opportunity from a pre-selected list, contribute to structured conversations about their reasoning, and then vote again to see if their minds have changed. At the end, real money will be given to the winning charities.
End-of-Year Social
NOTE: The location of this event has been changed, and it will now be held at Boardwalk Bar & Arcade, 715 Wharf St SW. The time and date have not been changed.
EA DC has run the numbers, and holiday fun is surprisingly tractable.
We will have a reserved space on the second floor of Boardwalk Bar & Arcade where we can gather to celebrate our community and reflect on another year of trying to make the world better. Your first drink is on us, and Boardwalk's arcade games will provide plenty of entertainment.
Feel free to drop in anytime during the event. Whether you stay for one quick game of Skee-Ball or the whole evening, we'd love to see you there!
Note: While our space is reserved for up to 60 people, please RSVP so we can ensure everyone has a great experience.
Democracy Preservation Cause Area Group - Presentation by iCivics on Funding Civics Education
Join the democracy preservation cause area group for a presentation by iCivics on effective ways of funding American civics education. David Ritter from the board of iCivics will discuss the arguments for funding civics education as an especially effective lever for preserving American democratic institutions longterm. Find a full description of the presentation here! Dinner will be provided.
Community Hike around Roosevelt Island
Join EA DC for a relaxed community social and hike around Roosevelt Island. This will be one of our last big events of the year and we’re excited to spend more time with you before the holidays. All are welcome!
Global Health & Development Meetup at Franklin Beer Hall
Join the global health & development meetup group for a social at Franklin Beer Hall! Come meet other EA DC members working on and thinking about global health and development from an EA perspective. All are welcome!
Biosecurity Cause Area Meetup: Happy Hour at The Admiral
Join the biosecurity cause area meetup for a happy hour at The Admiral in Dupont Circle. Join others thinking about and working on biosecurity from an EA perspective for a fun and professional evening of conversation. All are welcome!
New to EA DC Dinner
Description
Are you curious about effective altruism? Would you like to learn more about what EAs in DC are doing with their careers, time, and donations? Then come by DC Vegan to chat and ask any questions about the group or EA in general!
This is our quarterly event for new members. If you're new and want to meet other new members and more established members, this is a great opportunity. The event will be a relaxed but professional meetup led by one of the EA DC organizers. Dinner will be provided.
(Note: we will be meeting in the upstairs area of DC Vegan, labeled "Coffee & Deli.")
Contact
If you have any questions about the event, please send an email to:
Arthur Wright (Head of Community for EA DC), arthur@effectivealtruismdc.org
Climate Change Cause Area Group: Conversation with Dr. Dan Stein, Founder and Director of Giving Green
Join the EA DC Climate Change Cause Area Group for discussion with Dr. Dan Stein, Founder and Director of Giving Green, around their latest research on high-impact opportunities for addressing climate change. Giving Green identifies high-leverage philanthropic strategies that reshape policies, advance green technologies, and foster new markets, so your donations - no matter how small - can have an outsized impact. Giving Green's research has directed nearly $32 million to highly-effective climate nonprofits. There will be a brief presentation, then ample time for Q&A with Dr. Stein. Learn more about Giving Green: https://www.givinggreen.earth/ .
The event will be hosted on Zoom. Please register below to receive the Zoom link!
Democracies in Peril: Discussion & Social in Georgetown
In this event, we aim to explore how EA principles can contribute to the ongoing debate on democracy's future. This discussion seeks to apply EA’s tools to diagnose the roots of polarization and propose initiatives and reforms that are inclusive, fact-based, and resistant to sensationalism, ultimately protecting the democratic fabric of societies.
The evening will consist of three short presentations by expert analysts (TBD) at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library, followed by food and drinks at YELLOW nearby.
Details
November 14, 2024, at 6:15 PM
Georgetown Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room 1
3260 R St NW
Washington, DC 20007
Followed by food and drinks at:
YELLOW Georgetown
1524 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007
Background
"In a democracy, citizens pass judgment on their government, and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing, they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions."
Peter Singer (2012)
Over the past decade, liberal representative democracy has faced escalating global challenges. Election results have been contested, democratic institutions weakened, and minority representation questioned. Reactionary movements have surged worldwide, affecting both nascent and established democracies once regarded as models of governance.
2024 marks a pivotal year for democracy, with crucial elections across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, where populist leaders and liberal forces vie for power. The upcoming U.S. presidential election has substantial implications for both domestic rights and international alliances. The outcome will influence U.S. citizens’ rights, the structure of the political system, and the global ideological balance between populism and liberalism.
In this increasingly polarized climate, the line between factual analysis and sensationalism is blurred, with political factions using media and academic institutions to push their agendas. Amid this uncertainty, there is a pressing need to use rational frameworks that prioritize evidence over ideology.
Effective altruism (EA), a movement advocating data-driven decision-making to maximize global good, offers a new approach to analyzing and responding to these challenges.
Contact
If you have any questions about the event, please send an email to:
Arthur Wright (Head of Community for EA DC), arthur@effectivealtruismdc.org
Amine Ben Naceur (event organizer - Operations Manager @ Civil Renewables Inc.), amine.bnaceur@gmail.com
AI Cause Area Meetup: Lunch at DC Vegan
Join the AI Cause Area Meetup Group for lunch at DC Vegan! Discuss AI governance and technical safety with other EA DC members interested in and working in the field.
AI Cause Area Meetup: Lunch at DC Vegan
Join the AI cause area group for lunch at DC Vegan! Discuss all things AI governance and technical alignment with other people approaching both from an EA perspective. We'd be excited to have you join whether you're working in AI or just have an interest in it.
Global Health and Development Meetup: Study/Work/Act Hall at the MLK Library
Join the global health and development cause area group for a study/work/act hall session. Bring a project you’d like to work on and talk about with the global health and development crew (either for motivation or to receive help or advice). All are welcome!
Effective Giving Meetup & Dinner
Join EA DC members for a discussion of effective giving over dinner at DC Vegan!
EA Parents Picnic
Join other parents or people interested in becoming parents for a meetup with others interested in EA. All welcome including those "testing their fit" for parenthood. The location will be shared with everyone who registers below:
Democracy Preservation Cause Area Group Meeting: Zoom Discussion of Congressional Reform and AI
Join the democracy preservation cause area group for a discussion on Congressional reform and AI.
For years, the United States Congress has lagged behind the private sector and other branches of government in terms of its technological capabilities. This digital gap–which impacts everything from basic constituent communication to situational awareness about national security– has disrupted the balance of power among the three branches of the US government, contributing to the growing concentration of authority in the executive and judicial branches, at Congress's expense.
Public access is crucial for restoring trust and legitimacy in democracy, so modernization is a necessary investment in the success of the American experiment. Democracy is at risk both in the US and globally. When institutions like today’s Congress seem ineffective, the appeal of authoritarianism as a means of restoring order grows. We must do everything we can to prevent this outcome. The First Branch LLM is just one idea, and it should spark a broader national conversation about democracy, technology, and how we do the work to protect a shared and prosperous future.
An article will be shared soon that you can read before the meeting for more context on the issue.
The Zoom link for the event will be emailed to everyone who registers below:
AI Cause Area Meetup: Drinks at The Square
Join the AI cause area group meetup for drinks and networking at The Square Food Hall in DC. All are welcome regardless of your background familiarity with AI!
Climate Change Cause Area Group: Meetup at Meridian Hill Park
Join the EA DC climate change cause area group for our monthly meetup!
Biosecurity Cause Area Meetup: Happy Hour at Dacha Navy Yard
Join the biosecurity cause area group for drinks and conversation at Dacha in Navy Yard! All are welcome regardless of your background experience with biosecurity.
Global Health and Development Social at Franklin Beer Hall
Join the global health and development meetup for a social at Franklin Beer Hall! Come talk and learn about global health and development from people working in the field or who are just excited about it!
All EA DC event attendees are required to follow the code of conduct.
Co-working at Tryst Cafe
Join EA DC for a co-working session at Tryst Cafe in Adams Morgan. Bring your work or a personal project and check in with other EAs about what they're focused on.
Animal Welfare Meetup: Discussion of 2 Vox Articles on How Factory Farming Ends
Join us for a facilitated discussion on the role of institutions in animal welfare reform. We’ll be discussing two Vox articles from the “How Factory Farming Ends” series: American government built the meat industry. Now can it build a better food system? and How the most powerful environmental groups help greenwash Big Meat’s climate impact.