Welcome to the Umoja Greenlands Effective Altruism (EA) Orientation Page
Umoja Greenlands is committed to building a just, compassionate, and sustainable world. To do so effectively, we are guided by the principles of Effective Altruism — a global movement that asks: “How can we do the most good?”
This page introduces what Effective Altruism is, why it matters to Umoja Greenlands, how we are building a regional EA community in East Africa, and how you can get involved.
What is Effective Altruism?
Effective Altruism (EA) is a global movement and intellectual project that uses evidence and careful reasoning to figure out how to help others as much as possible, and takes action on that basis. It’s not just about doing good — it’s about doing the most good with the resources we have. Whether through donations, career choices, or community work, EA helps us focus on problems that are neglected, tractable, and high in scale, where our impact can be greatest.
According to EffectiveAltruism.org, EA brings together a diverse community of people who are united by a shared commitment to making the world better through smart, ethical decision-making. It emphasizes openness to updating our beliefs, relying on data and logic, and recognizing the global, long-term consequences of our actions. EA also deeply values collaboration and humility, recognizing that doing good is complex, and that we learn best when we learn together.
The organization 80,000 Hours, named after the average number of hours in a career, focuses on how to make career choices that truly matter. It helps people find paths that tackle the world’s most pressing problems—like extreme poverty, factory farming, existential risks, and climate change—by applying EA’s analytical tools. For many, EA has become a practical guide for turning compassion into strategy, enabling people to act with both heart and impact.
Who Founded Effective Altruism?
One of the most influential figures behind the Effective Altruism movement is Peter Singer, an Australian moral philosopher best known for his work on ethics, animal rights, and global poverty. While EA emerged from many thinkers and communities, Singer’s work laid much of the moral groundwork.
In his famous thought experiment, Singer asks: If you saw a child drowning in a shallow pond, would you ruin your expensive suit to save them? Most people say yes, of course. But then he asks: If we would do that for a child we can see, why don’t we act the same way when we know children are dying from preventable causes in other parts of the world? This idea — that distance and visibility shouldn’t matter ethically — helped inspire the idea that we have strong moral reasons to help others, even far away, and to do so as effectively as possible.
Singer is also a pioneer of the animal liberation and anti-speciesism movements. In his book Animal Liberation (1975), he argued that the suffering of nonhuman animals matters morally just as much as human suffering — a radical idea at the time, and still a cornerstone of Effective Altruism’s focus on animal welfare today. His concept of expanding the circle of moral concern — from self, to family, to nation, to all humans, to all sentient beings — aligns closely with Umoja Greenlands’ own vision of compassion without borders.
Learn more about Peter Singer:
Why Umoja Greenlands is Effective Altruism-Aligned
At Umoja Greenlands, our ethos and orientations already reflect EA principles:
We center suffering reduction (human, animal, environmental).
We value evidence-based, systemic approaches to complex challenges.
We support plant-based transitions to reduce ecological and ethical harm.
We believe in resilient, long-term thinking for community empowerment.
We aim to build a community that is both compassionate and effective.
We see EA not as a foreign ideology, but as a natural extension of our vision for a better world in East Africa and beyond.
Join Our Community: Effective Altruism East Africa
To build a regional hub for these conversations and collaborations, we created a Facebook group:
🌏 Effective Altruism East Africa A space for East African changemakers to learn, connect, and act together.
Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2506036336403878
Our EA Roles within Umoja Greenlands
To coordinate our EA efforts, we established an Effective Altruism Circle within our Ethos Circle.
📊 Effective Altruism Circle
Purpose: Align Umoja Greenlands’ strategy and action with EA principles and foster EA literacy within the organization and community.
Roles within the Circle:
🔎 EA Regional Developer
Builds and nurtures the EA community in East Africa. Designs and facilitates outreach, partnerships, and EA-aligned initiatives. Serves as the main link between Umoja Greenlands and the wider EA community.🏫 EA Coach
Organizes internal education around EA principles. Facilitates reading groups, mentorship, and accessible training for Umoja Greenlands members.🎭 EA Apprentice
A learning role for those exploring EA ideas. Supports EA projects, attends trainings, and develops a personal pathway to effective impact.
to Get Involved
Attend an orientation session or reading circle.
Explore EA ideas through our Coach or as an Apprentice.
Propose a high-impact project aligned with EA principles.
We welcome everyone—whether you’re EA-curious or experienced. Together, let’s explore how East Africa can lead the way in ethical, effective change.
Questions? Ideas? Want to collaborate? Reach out via our Facebook group or contact one of the Circle roles through Glassfrog.
Let’s do the most good, together.
