Yes, you're right— most of the examples are more in the absolute advantage camp. Would be keen to hear suggestions for NZ's comparative advantage in the technical/economic sense too though 🙂

2^ Also a line in my recent EA-themed rap track

Keen for the latest NickLaing album!

Understood!

Yes, I'm a big fan of New Incentives too— even if your numbers were spot on, 13000+ lives saved is still an incredible result. And they're amazing to work with. (Shout-out to Liz Hixson if she happens to be reading this 💙)

Thanks for sharing— always good to have a sanity check!

I'm currently doing EA NZ's annual review of our partner charities. Is it okay if I include a note about your calculations in our review of New Incentives?

Thanks for sharing! Australia and NZ have a lot of similarities, so there's probably some overlap.

That's an interesting point re: the west/China. Both having a colonial background and being in Asia-Pacific opens up some interesting sets of relationships.

Awww. Yes!

Fascinating! I didn't know that wasn't standard

Loving all the kidney donation posts lately! I've been considering it for a while, and hearing people's experiences is really helpful.

The point about pre-eclampsia was new to me. I wonder if there's a case for delaying donation until after childbearing? Though maybe the risks of donating at a later age outweigh the risks of a single-kidney pregnancy...

Agreed that idolatry is unhelpful. *And* I don't think having role models is inherently/always harmful, as long as we remember that everyone is fallible.

Both posts are great, especially in conversation with each other.

Love this question! Some role models for me:

• @Julia_Wise🔸 — both in terms of bridge-building and personal sacrifice. Julia's writing was pivotal in making me feel welcome in EA. Seeing many of my own interests/concerns/ways of being reflected in her work reassured me there was a place for me in the community. I also greatly admire + aspire to her (and Jeff's) level of giving.
• @Catherine Low🔸 —  a local mentor/role-model for me, though many outside NZ know her too! She's an amazingly warm and welcoming super-connector/bridge-builder. As my predecessor at EA NZ, I often think about whether I'm living up to her example. I also love her story as a reminder that life (and impact) doesn't end at 30. Given how young the community skews, there can be a sense that you've failed if you haven't achieved something amazing by age 25. Catherine is a great counter to this: she didn't discover EA until well after 25, and is having a fantastic impact regardless.
• @GraceAdams🔸— another local-ish mentor/role model. I really appreciate her example of balancing a high-impact career alongside ongoing health issues. (Not sure which theme this fits under. Maybe we need one for sustainable engagement with EA?) I also really admire what she's achieved at GWWC. She was the one who ultimately persuaded me to take the pledge, as someone who'd already been giving 10% for many years, and didn't feel the need for an external commitment device.

There are many others in/around the community who I greatly admire and respect, but don't think of as personal role models. E.g. Paul Farmer did incredible work, but I don't especially see myself reflected in him, or aspire to live like him in the particulars. I guess I tend to gravitate towards role models who are in some sense "me-but-better".

There are also many people who exemplify particular virtues/principles, but who I wouldn't call "EA role-models" per-se. E.g. I consider Darwin a role model in terms of intellectual humility and truth seeking, but he wasn't exactly EA.