CEA could be more accountable and allow for more ‘voice’ from the community, even without reforming its structures. One simple thing would be for the CEO(s) to have ‘townhall’ meeting at EAGs where people could (anonymously) ask them difficult questions.
I (Interim Managing Director of CEA) have been wondering if I should do a AMA. I would appreciate agree votes on this comment to indicate that you have questions you would ask me in an AMA. (And it would be even more useful if you actually asked the question in a comment here, but that’s extra credit.)
(We do, in fact, have office hours at EAG’s, and usually no one shows up. But maybe people are more interested in asking me questions on the Internet, I’m not sure.)
(there could be many reasons why this is the case—people at EAG have a high opportunity cost of attending office hours as there are always other lectures and 1-on-1s happening; also, it takes a certain level of affluence to attend an EAG—any that I would want to attend requires me to go through a one-to-two month visa process during which my passport is not with me, and which costs up to 50% of average salary in my country, not counting the airplane tickets and housing in some of the most expensive cities in the world where EAGs happen)
For extra credit:
How important is to you pushing to open EA groups in countries where a lot of aid is going?
What kind of research is CEA doing into the counterfactual value of people doing community building?
Hi Dušan I work with Ben, as head of groups at CEA. If I could answer
How important is to you pushing to open EA groups in countries where a lot of aid is going?
In general we’ve found it very difficult to “push” for opening an EA group. Running an impactful EA group requires a pretty high level of EA knowledge (alongside other skills) and trying to find an EA organizer, with that level of skill, in a country without an EA Group has historically proved difficult.
Instead we have prioritized having global platforms (e.g., Virtual Programs, EA Anywhere, and professional/affiliation based groups). Additionally when someone does wish to start a group we have support (e.g., resource centre, welcomer calls)
Thanks Michael!
I (Interim Managing Director of CEA) have been wondering if I should do a AMA. I would appreciate agree votes on this comment to indicate that you have questions you would ask me in an AMA. (And it would be even more useful if you actually asked the question in a comment here, but that’s extra credit.)
(We do, in fact, have office hours at EAG’s, and usually no one shows up. But maybe people are more interested in asking me questions on the Internet, I’m not sure.)
(there could be many reasons why this is the case—people at EAG have a high opportunity cost of attending office hours as there are always other lectures and 1-on-1s happening; also, it takes a certain level of affluence to attend an EAG—any that I would want to attend requires me to go through a one-to-two month visa process during which my passport is not with me, and which costs up to 50% of average salary in my country, not counting the airplane tickets and housing in some of the most expensive cities in the world where EAGs happen)
For extra credit:
How important is to you pushing to open EA groups in countries where a lot of aid is going?
What kind of research is CEA doing into the counterfactual value of people doing community building?
What are you (personally) proudest of about CEA?
Hi Dušan
I work with Ben, as head of groups at CEA. If I could answer
In general we’ve found it very difficult to “push” for opening an EA group. Running an impactful EA group requires a pretty high level of EA knowledge (alongside other skills) and trying to find an EA organizer, with that level of skill, in a country without an EA Group has historically proved difficult.
Instead we have prioritized having global platforms (e.g., Virtual Programs, EA Anywhere, and professional/affiliation based groups). Additionally when someone does wish to start a group we have support (e.g., resource centre, welcomer calls)
Not the main point of what you said, but there’s a bit of a difference between the dynamic of one-on-ones discussion and a public forum.