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The life you can save

By Peter Singer

How to do you part to end world poverty

  • We can eliminate extreme poverty, but we haven't
  • Yes it's ethically wrong to keep extra cash for yourself
  • Our charitable decisions aren't always based on sound arguments
    • Giving money to specific person is better than more anonymous persons
    • Giving money for saving 500 out of 1000 is better than saving 500 out of 10000 people in refugee camp
  • We can increase charitable giving by creating a culture of giving
    • Reference group - if we want individuals to give more money to good causes, a great stategy is to make altruism a community effort
    • Promote the idea that giving is already a common practice
    • Making giving the default option. Some people may opt-in to voluntary pledge programs, very few people will make an effort to opt-out of programs that are already in place
  • Effective aid programs aim to save as many people as possible
    • GiveWell - a nonprofit dedicated to finding and funding the most effective charities on Earth
    • Metric - examine a foundation's work in terms of cost per person helped
    • thelifeyoucansave.org, Helen Keller International, Fistula Foundation
  • Your children are important, but so are everyone else's
    • All people are equally valuable
  • When others won't sacrifice for the greater good, we must sacrifice more
  • We should aim to donate a reasonable amount of money each year
    • 5% of annual income, but if you earn more, you pay more
  • Actionable advice - Start by giving small
    • save.org