Thank you for putting this together Stephen. I am a facilitator for the Virtual Program and have been giving some thought to additional reading/discussion groups to propose. It’s been my experience that the most impactful virtual groups provide access to good data along with opportunities to make personal/emotional connections. I know very little about Malawi other than what I learned reading the youth edition of William Kamkwamba’s The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind with my children. Without other expertise, I can’t speak with authority about its value as an authentic representation of the true events, but I believe the book accessibly described some of the topics you illustrate here and I know of several universities that adopted it as required reading for all incoming students, so I would guess its an accurate telling. What are your thoughts about a group that reads the original book and supplemental content as a way of engaging with the growth and development situation in Malawi?
If there are others who would like to offer their thoughts for or against this idea, I would be happy to hear them. If this seems promising and anyone has ideas for helpful additional content, I would be happy to try to think some more about a proposal.
I want to begin by expressing my gratitude to Stefan for what I consider an act of altruistic bravery through writing. I feel you address a core problem that, in my experience, has been a difficult and crucial piece of the EA journey. I believe it has been close to three years since I was last on the EA forum and I don’t think I could have asked for a more relevant article for return reading. Rationalization, discipline, and moral philosophy are all extremely valuable in and of themselves- the meteoric rise of EA for a brief time demonstrated that they have an important place in our functional equations for personal/social health. They are pieces of a complex puzzle, but my personal experience also echos that there are many more pieces we need to identify and give careful attention to as well.
Just as drinking too much water can eventually turn fatal when done to excess; self-reflection, moderation, and wholistic wellness are utterly essential for Effective Altruists and all individuals who strive to optimize their impact. The “oxygen mask” analogy is a great one in this context. In an airline emergency, we are clearly instructed to put on our own oxygen mask first before assisting others with theirs. No person can safely help others to breathe if they are incapacitated by lack of oxygen themselves.
I know this is not a new concept in the EA community. It was a relevant, not infrequently discussed topic even during the boom years when I was previously most involved. I would like to reaffirm that I feel this is an area of crucial importance for EAs and everyone else, regardless of personal priorities, goals, and aspirations. It certainly feels like a necessary EA re-entry point for myself and, I would suspect, many others as well. Thats the work that calls to me these days and I would feel highly motivated to work with others of similar orientation and beliefs.
I will be giving this more thought in days and weeks to come and would love to connect with anyone who also feels called to this work.