AI Use Note: Main body text entirely human written. Claude (Opus 4.8) helped develop models of animal life histories in the appendix.
Cross-posted from Good Structures.
Executive Summary
* Animal advocates sometimes make claims like “there are X of this animal...
“How long have you been v*g*n?”
This is one of the most common icebreakers at animal protection events. It’s a baseline assumption, and it mostly holds true: if you’re out advocating for animals not to be tortured or abused, realistically these days you are v**n, or close. And it makes for good conversation. It seems fairly safe to assume when you meet strangers.
But this assumption is hurting the movement in a way which we don’t always notice: someone new comes into the sp...
Summary
Back in November 2023 I posted here to launch Spiro and raise our first $198k. Two and a half years later this is an update and a fundraiser for the next step.
The short version: we've now reached over-5,900 people with TB preventive medicine, including over 3,000 children under five years old. Our early results have held up well an...
TL;DR: EAGxVirtual 2024 (15–17 November) is coming up in less than 2 weeks! This free, online conference is an opportunity to learn from and meet with EAs in 75+ different countries. Applications are open until 14 Nov!
In our announcement post, we explained why we are hosting EAGxVirtual on 15–17 November – to connect the global EA community. We’ll do this by providing access to EA content, the ability to meet others through Swapcard 1-on-1s and cause area/affinity group meetups, giving visibility to high-impact opportunities, and other unique programming.
Updates on content and programs
The full schedule will be released soon to registrants. Here’s a preview of the programming:
Speaker sessions: We have a full lineup of speakers, of which some include:
James Snowden (Senior Program Officer at Open Philanthropy) on Working with governments to eliminate lead exposure
Hayley Clatterbuck (Philosophy Researcher at Rethink Priorities) on How to Handle Worldview Uncertainty
Beatrice Eckers (Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute) on The Role of Existential Hope in Shaping Our Future
Li-Lian Ang (Product Manager at BlueDot Impact) on Opportunities for Southeast Asians in AI safety and biosecurity
Sarah Pomeranz (Executive Director at Consultants for Impact) on Developing Your Personal Theory of Change
EA Barcelona watching a live session at EAGxVirtual 2023
Organization Fair: This was the most-attended event at last year’s EAGxVirtual!
Will take place on Friday 15 November at 16:30-18:00 UTC in Gather Town.
If you cannot make it, many of the organizations will be available during the weekend either at Office Hours or by booking a 1-on-1 meeting in Swapcard.
If your organization is interested in participating, please submit this form.
Meetups: We are planning 20+ cause area and affinity group meetups
Last year, our most popular ones were AI Safety, Global Healthy & Development, Farmed Animal Welfare, Mental Health, and Mid-late career professionals.
The majority of them will be meeting in Gatheround, with a couple trial meetups in Gather Town.
Lightning talk: We are currently accepting pitches for this year's session
It will take place on Sunday 17 November at 19:00 UTC.
Mentorship program: This year’s program is more robust than before, with the aim of connecting accepted mentees with experienced community members.
We're particularly welcoming potential mentees from underrepresented groups and all ages. Apply to be a mentee here.
Join the global EA community
We’ve received 900+ applications from 75+ countries. There is traditionally an uptick in applications submitted in the last 2 weeks, so we expect over 1,000 people to join.
And we’d be excited to see even more applications. Virtual conferences have the ability to scale, so your accepted application will not be taking the place of anyone else. The deadline to apply is Thursday 14 November at 11:59 pm.
Distribution of registrants that provided their location, as of last week
EAGx events are often associated with local events that cater to an audience that is younger or newer to EA. We will have content and meetups applicable for them, but we are also excited to see a higher number of attendees that are mid-career professionals and have been engaged in EA for several years.
What to expect
Timing
You do not need to be available the entire weekend, though it may be helpful to have a flexible schedule to accommodate meetings that are compatible with people in different time zones.
Friday will feature introductory-level content for participants who are relatively new to EA and the organization fair.
The weekend will include full-day schedules, starting at 9 am UTC on Saturday and 7am UTC on Sunday.
There will be a break in the program on Sunday between 2 am and 7 am UTC.
Ways to connect
Swapcard app will display all event sessions and attendee profiles. You'll be able to book virtual 1-on-1 meetings directly in the app.
Virtual meeting space on Gather Town will host the organization fair and serve as a space for spontaneous and serendipitous conversations.
Interactive Gatheround sessions will be created for the meetups to facilitate small group conversations with relevant prompts.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable with digital platforms, we will provide more information in the upcoming EAGxVirtual 2024 Attendee Guide. You can also reach out to us at [email protected] with specific questions.
Are you still feeling unsure? Maybe that you aren’t experienced enough in EA or don’t have enough time?
