ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Singer - Philosopher, ethicist
Sometimes controversial, always practical ethicist Peter Singer stirs public debate about morality, from animal welfare to global poverty.

Why you should listen

Peter Singer may be, as The New Yorker calls him, the planet’s “most influential living philosopher.” The Australian academic specializes in applied ethics, to which he takes a secular, utilitarian approach -- minimize suffering, maximize well-being. He gained recognition in the 1970s with his groundbreaking book Animal Liberation: A New Ethics for Our Treatment of Animals, which questions society’s tendency to put human needs above those of members of other species. And he draws fire from critics who object to his fascinating argument in favor of an obligation to help the global poor that sets the bar so high that it means we are almost all living unethically. His defense of euthanasia and infanticide, in some circumstances, has led to protests against his lectures and to teaching position at Princeton.

But Singer’s collective body of work is more acclaimed than controversial. He has written the classic text Practical Ethics and many other books, with more in progress. He lectures at Princeton, where he is professor of bioethics, and the University of Melbourne, where he is a laureate professor. You can find dozens of brief, brilliant essays at Project Syndicate, where Singer examines the philosophical questions surrounding current topics like Obamacare, computer piracy and obesity.

More profile about the speaker
Peter Singer | Speaker | TED.com
TED2013

Peter Singer: The why and how of effective altruism

Peter Singer: Sababtee iyo sidee loo samayn karaa deeqsimada waxtarka leh.

Filmed:
1,880,611 views

Hadaad nasiib u leedahay inaad noolaato doonis la'aan, waa hibo dabiiciya inaad u noqoto deeqsi dadka kale. Laakiin filosofarka Peter Singer, wuxuu suaalayaa, waa sidee sida ugu wanaagsan ee wax loo bixiyaa? wuxuu ka hadlayaa tijaabooyin badan oo fikir ah oo layaab leh oo kaa caawinaysa inaad isu dheeli tirto shucuurta iyo ficil-gelinta -- aadna u yeesho saamaynta ugu wayn wax kastood aad wadaagi kartid.
- Philosopher, ethicist
Sometimes controversial, always practical ethicist Peter Singer stirs public debate about morality, from animal welfare to global poverty. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
There's something that I'd like you to see.
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Waxaa jira wax aan rabo inaad aragtaan.
00:16
(Video) Reporter: It's a story that's deeply unsettled
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(Fiidyow) Weriye: waa sheeko si qoto dheer u arbushtay
00:18
millions in China:
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malaayiin Shiine ah:
00:21
footage of a two-year-old girl
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muuqaalka inan yar oo labo jir ah
00:22
hit by a van and left bleeding in the street by passersby,
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waxa jiidhay gaadhi kadibna ka tegay iyadoo dhiigaysa wado la maro
00:27
footage too graphic to be shown.
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muuqaalku aad ayay u adagtay in la muujiyo.
00:30
The entire accident is caught on camera.
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dhacdada gebi ahaanteedba waxa qabatay kamara.
00:33
The driver pauses after hitting the child,
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Derewalku wuu istaagay ka dib markuu jiidhay cunuga,
00:36
his back wheels seen resting on her for over a second.
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waxaa la arkayey taayirkiisa oo ku taagan cunugta ilbidhiqsiyo.
00:40
Within two minutes, three people pass two-year-old Wang Yue by.
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laba daqiiqo gudahood, sadex qof ayaa dhaafay cunugta laba jirka ah Wang Yue.
00:44
The first walks around the badly injured toddler completely.
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Ka ugu horeeyaa wuxuu gebi ahaanba iska ag maray cunugta dhaawacan.
00:47
Others look at her before moving off.
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kuwa kale waxay eegeen iyada intaysan joogsan.
00:53
Peter Singer: There were other people
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Peter Singer: waxaa jiray dad kale
00:54
who walked past Wang Yue,
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oo ag marayeyey Wang Yue,
00:57
and a second van ran over her legs
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iyo gaadhi labaad oo cagaheeda dul maray
00:58
before a street cleaner raised the alarm.
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ka hor intaan qof wadooyinka nadiifiyaa uusan ridin jeliska
01:02
She was rushed to hospital, but it was too late. She died.
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waxaa loola cararay cusbitaalka, laakiin xili aad u danbaysay ayay ahayd. way dhimatay.
01:07
I wonder how many of you, looking at that,
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Waxaan jeclaan lahaa intiina idinka mida, ee eegaysay taas
01:11
said to yourselves just now, "I would not have done that.
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ee nafohooda ku tidhi iminka, "taas maan sameeyeen
01:14
I would have stopped to help."
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waan joogsan lahaa si aan u caawiyo."
01:16
Raise your hands if that thought occurred to you.
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Gacmihiina taaga intiina taasi ku soo dhacday.
01:20
As I thought, that's most of you.
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Saan filayey, waa intiina bada.
01:23
And I believe you. I'm sure you're right.
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waanan aaminsanahay, waan hubaa inaad saxantihiin.
01:25
But before you give yourself too much credit,
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laakiin intaydaan wax badan u nafihiina u ku qancin,
01:28
look at this.
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tan eega.
01:30
UNICEF reports that in 2011,
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UNICEF warbixin ay soo saartay 2011,
01:34
6.9 million children under five
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6.9 milyan oo caruurta da'doodu ka yartahay shan
01:38
died from preventable, poverty-related diseases.
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ayaa u dhintay xanuuno laga hortegi karo, xanuuno ay keenaan faqrigu.
01:44
UNICEF thinks that that's good news
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UNICEF waxay ku fekeraysaa in tani tahay war wanaagsan
01:46
because the figure has been steadily coming down
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sababtoo ah tiradu aad ayay hoos ugu soo dhacday
01:49
from 12 million in 1990. That is good.
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waxay ahayd 12 milyan sanadii 1990kii. taas waa war wanaagsan.
01:53
But still, 6.9 million
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laakiin ilaa hada, 6.9 milyan
01:56
is 19,000 children dying every day.
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waa 19,000 oo caruura ayaa maalin walba dhinta.
02:02
Does it really matter
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miyaan tan dhab ahaantii saamayn lahayn
02:04
that we're not walking past them in the street?
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inagoo marayna istaraytkii aan soo dhaafnay?
02:07
Does it really matter that they're far away?
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miyay dhabtii saamayn leedahay inay inaga fog yihiin?
02:13
I don't think it does make a morally relevant difference.
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ma filayo, waxay saamayn kala duwanaansho ku leedahay damiirka
02:16
The fact that they're not right in front of us,
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xaqiiqdii ma joogaan horteena,
02:18
the fact, of course, that they're of a different nationality
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laakiin dhabtii, dabcan, waxay aad ugu kala duwanyihiin qoomiyadaha
02:21
or race, none of that seems morally relevant to me.
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ama jinsiyadaha, midkoodna aniga iilama muuqdo inuu ila taxaluqo
02:24
What is really important is,
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waxaa dhab ahaantii muhiimka ahi waxay tahay,
02:26
can we reduce that death toll? Can we save
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inaad hoos u dhigi karto tirada dhimashada? inagu ma badbaadin karnaa
02:30
some of those 19,000 children dying every day?
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qaar ka mida caruurtaas 19,000 ah ee maalin kasta dhimanaysa?
02:35
And the answer is, yes we can.
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jawaabtu waxay tahay, haa waan awoodnaa.
02:39
Each of us spends money
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midkastoo inaga mida wuxuu ku kharash gareeyaa lacag
02:41
on things that we do not really need.
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waxyaabo aynaan runtii u baahnayn.
02:44
You can think what your own habit is,
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waxaad ka fekertaa waxaa kuu dhaqan ah,
02:46
whether it's a new car, a vacation
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haday ahaan lahayd gaadhi cusub, dalxiis
02:48
or just something like buying bottled water
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ama waxyaabo kale sida inaad iibsato caagad biyo ah
02:51
when the water that comes out of the tap
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iyadoo biyaha qaabada ka imanaya
02:53
is perfectly safe to drink.
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ay ilaa xad u caafimaad wanaagsanyihiin cabitaanka
02:55
You could take the money you're spending
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waxaan u qaadi kartaa lacagta aad kharash garaynayso
02:57
on those unnecessary things
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waxyaabahaas aadan u baahnayn
02:59
and give it to this organization,
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inaad siiso ururkan,
03:01
the Against Malaria Foundation,
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ururka Against Malaria Foundation,
03:04
which would take the money you had given
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kaas oo qaadi doona lacagta aad siisay
03:07
and use it to buy nets like this one
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una isticmaali doona maro-kaneeyoinka sida tan
03:10
to protect children like this one,
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si ay u ilaaliso caruuta sida kan oo kale,
03:14
and we know reliably that if we provide nets,
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waxaan ognahay runtii hadaynu siiyo maro-kaneecooyinkaas,
03:18
they're used, and they reduce the number of children
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way isticmaalyaa, waxayna yaraynaysaa tirada dhimashada
03:22
dying from malaria,
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u dhimanaysa kaneecada,
03:24
just one of the many preventable diseases
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waa mid ka mida cudurada laga hor tegi karo
03:27
that are responsible for some of those 19,000 children
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ee galaafta in ka badan 19,000 caruura
03:31
dying every day.
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inay dhintaan maalin walba.
03:35
Fortunately, more and more people
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nasiib daro, dab badan oo badan
03:37
are understanding this idea,
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ayaa fahmaya fikradan,
03:39
and the result is a growing movement:
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maxsuulkuna kacdoon koroya:
03:43
effective altruism.
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deeqsinimo waxtar leh
03:45
It's important because it combines both the heart and the head.
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waa muhiim sababtoo ah waxay isku xidhaa qalbiga iyo maanka
03:50
The heart, of course, you felt.
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niyada, dabcan waad ka dareemi.
03:51
You felt the empathy for that child.
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waxaad dareentay u calool boholyowga cunugaas
03:54
But it's really important to use the head as well
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laakiin runtii waa muhiim inaan isticmaalno maanka sidoo kale
03:58
to make sure that what you do is effective and well-directed,
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si aan hubaal uga dhigno waxaad samaysid inay tayo leeyihiin yihiina mid la agaasimay
04:03
and not only that, but also I think reason helps us
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taasoo qudha maah, waxaanse ka fekeraa caqliyada na caawinaysa
04:08
to understand that other people, wherever they are,
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inaan fahano in dadka kale, meel kasta ay joogaanba,
04:11
are like us, that they can suffer as we can,
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ay yihiin inaga oo kale, ay u dhibtoodaan sideena oo kale,
04:15
that parents grieve for the deaths of their children,
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in ay u murugada waalidka caruurtoodu dhimatay,
04:18
as we do,
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sida inaga oo kale,
04:19
and that just as our lives and our well-being matter to us,
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iyo sida nafaheeda iyo wanaageenuba inoo saameeyaan.
04:24
it matters just as much to all of these people.
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ayay u saamaysaa sida dadkaas intooda bada.
04:27
So I think reason is not just some neutral tool
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hadaba waxaan ka fekeray caqliyad maaha oo qudha mid dhexdhexaada
04:30
to help you get whatever you want.
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oo kaa caawinaysa wax kastood doonaysid.
04:31
It does help us to put perspective on our situation.
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waxay inaga caawinaysaa inaan aragtideena ku qotomino xaaladeena
04:36
And I think that's why
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waxaana ka fekeray taas sababteeda
04:38
many of the most significant people in effective altruism
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dad badan oo intooda badan yihiin deeqsiyiin tayo badan
04:43
have been people who have had backgrounds
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waxay ahaayeed dad ka soo jeeda
04:45
in philosophy or economics or math.
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filsafadaha dhaqaalaha ama xisaabta
04:50
And that might seem surprising,
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taasoo u muuqan kartan mid lala yaabo
04:52
because a lot of people think,
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maxaa yeelay dad badan ayaa ku fekera,
04:53
"Philosophy is remote from the real world;
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"falsafadu inay tahay mid ka baxsan dunida dhabta ah:
04:57
economics, we're told, just makes us more selfish,
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dhaqaalaha, waxaa la noo sheegay, inuu kaa dhigo mid kibir badan,
05:01
and we know that math is for nerds."
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waxaynuna ognahay in xisaabtu tahay mid aan xiiso badnayn oo danbaysa
05:04
But in fact it does make a difference,
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laakiin xaqiiqdii waxay samaysaa kala duwanaansho,
05:07
and in fact there's one particular nerd
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xaqiiqdii waxaa jirta hal arin oon ku cajab gelinayn
05:09
who has been a particularly effective altruist
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taasoo ahayd arin keensatay deeqsinimada tayada leh
05:13
because he got this.
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sababtoo ah tan ayuu helay
05:15
This is the website of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
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kan waa websaydka Bill iyo Mellinda Gates
05:18
and if you look at the words on the top right-hand side,
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oo hadaad eegto kelmada xaga sare ee midig ku qoran
05:22
it says, "All lives have equal value."
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waxay leedahay "noolaha oo dhami waa isku qiime."
05:26
That's the understanding,
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taas waa fahaamka,
05:28
the rational understanding of our situation in the world
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fahamka caadiga ee xaaladeena aduunka
05:31
that has led to these people
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taasoo sabab u noqotay dadkaas
05:34
being the most effective altruists in history,
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inay noqday kuwa ugu deeqsisan taariikhda,
05:38
Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
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Bill iyo Melinda Gates iyo Warren Buffett.
05:41
(Applause)
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(Applause)
05:47
No one, not Andrew Carnegie, not John D. Rockefeller,
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Midkoodna, Adrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller,
05:51
has ever given as much to charity
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weligood may siinin sadaqadan oo kale
05:54
as each one of these three,
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sida mid ka mida sadexdaa,
05:57
and they have used their intelligence
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waxayna u isticmaaleen garaadkooda
06:00
to make sure that it is highly effective.
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ina ka dhigaan inay si dhaba u tarto.
06:04
According to one estimate, the Gates Foundation
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Marka la eego qiyaas, Gates Foundation
06:07
has already saved 5.8 million lives
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wuxuu durba badbaadiyey nolosha 5.8 milyan
06:11
and many millions more, people, getting diseases
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malaayiin kale, dad ah, ayaa cuduro helayaan
06:14
that would have made them very sick,
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taasoo ka dhigaysaan inay aad u xanuunsadaa,
06:16
even if eventually they survived.
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xitaa hadii mark danbe ay badbaadaan
06:19
Over the coming years, undoubtably the Gates Foundation
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sanadada soo socda, waxaan shaki ku jirin in Gates Foundation
06:22
is going to give a lot more,
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inuu siin doono in kaloo badan,
06:24
is going to save a lot more lives.
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si uu u badbaadiyo nofo aad u badan.
06:28
Well, you might say, that's fine if you're a billionaire,
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Hagaag. waxaa laga yaabaa inaad tiraahdo, taasi way fiicantahay hadaad tahay bilyaneer,
06:32
you can have that kind of impact.
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saamayntaasoo kale ayaad lahaan kartaa.
06:35
But if I'm not, what can I do?
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laakiin hadaanan ahayn, maxaan samayn karaa?
06:38
So I'm going to look at four questions that people ask
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markaa waxaan eegayaa afar suaalood oo dadku is waydiiyaan
06:41
that maybe stand in the way of them giving.
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taasoo laga yaabo inay ugu taagnaato habkay u bixin lahaayeen.
06:45
They worry how much of a difference they can make.
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waxay ka werweraan xajmiga isbedel ayay samay karayaan.
06:47
But you don't have to be a billionaire.
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laakiin maaha inaad ahaatid bilyaneer.
06:50
This is Toby Ord. He's a research fellow in philosophy
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Kan waa Toby Ord. Waa cilmi baadhe filsafadeed
06:54
at the University of Oxford.
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ka ah jaamacada Oxford.
06:56
He became an effective altruist when he calculated
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wuxuu noqday deeqsi tayo leh markuu xisaabtamay
06:59
that with the money that he was likely to earn
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lacagta ay tahay inuu ka helo
07:02
throughout his career, an academic career,
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shaqadiisa, shaqada climi-aqooneed,
07:04
he could give enough to cure 80,000 people of blindness
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wuxuu ku dawayn karaa in ku filan 80,000 oo dad indho la'
07:11
in developing countries
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oo ah wadamada soo koraya
07:13
and still have enough left
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ee ay wax badani u dhimanyihiin
07:15
for a perfectly adequate standard of living.
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si ay u gaadhaan nolol ilaa xad gaadhsan qaab nololeed ku filan.
07:20
So Toby founded an organization
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Tody wuxuu hadaba assaasay urur
07:22
called Giving What We Can to spread this information,
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la yidhaahdo Giving What We Can si uu u fidiyo warbixinta,
07:26
to unite people who want to share some of their income,
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uuna u mideeyo dadka doonaya inay wadaagaan qaar ka mida dakhligooda
07:30
and to ask people to pledge to give 10 percent
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uuna u waydiiyo dadku inay u bixiyaan qaadhaan 10 boqolkiiba
07:33
of what they earn over their lifetime
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dakhliga soo gala noloshooda oo dhan
07:35
to fighting global poverty.
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si loola dagaalamo fakhriga
07:38
Toby himself does better than that.
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Toby laftirkiisu si fiican buu taas ka yeelay.
07:40
He's pledged to live on 18,000 pounds a year --
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Wuxuu dalbay qaadhaan gaadhaya 18,000 oo ginin sanad --
07:45
that's less than 30,000 dollars --
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taasi waxay ka yartahay 30,000 oo dollar--
07:48
and to give the rest to those organizations.
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wuxuuna siiyey intii kale ururadaas kale.
07:51
And yes, Toby is married and he does have a mortgage.
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haa, Toby waa xaas wuxuuna bangiga kaga jiraa guri dayntiis
07:57
This is a couple at a later stage of life,
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kuwan waa labaamo noloshoodu dabayaaqo tahay,
08:00
Charlie Bresler and Diana Schott,
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Charlie Bresler and Diana Schott,
08:03
who, when they were young, when they met,
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kuwaasoo kulmay markay dhalinyaro ahaayee, markay kulmeen
08:05
were activists against the Vietnam War,
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waxay ahaayeen aktifiis ka so hor jeeda dagaalkii Vietnam,
08:08
fought for social justice,
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u dagaalamay cadaalada bulshada,
08:10
and then moved into careers, as most people do,
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ka dibna u wareegay shaqo, sida dad badani sameeyaan,
08:13
didn't really do anything very active about those values,
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aanay runtii waxbadan uga qaban qiimaheeda,
08:16
although they didn't abandon them.
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inkastoo aysan ka tegin iyagu
08:19
And then, as they got to the age at which many people
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ka dibna, markay gaadheen da'dii dadka inta badani
08:22
start to think of retirement, they returned to them,
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bilaabaan inay ka fekeraan hawl-gabka, ayay ku laabteen,
08:25
and they've decided to cut back on their spending,
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waxayna go'aansadeen inay jaraan kharashka ku baxa
08:28
to live modestly, and to give both money and time
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una noolaadeen si caadi ah, waxayna siiyeen lacagtoodi iyo wakhtigoodiba
08:33
to helping to fight global poverty.
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si ay ugu caawiyaan inay kula dagaalamaan faqriga.
08:38
Now, mentioning time might lead you to think,
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iminka, wakhtiganaan sheegayo waxa laga yaabaa inuu kuu horseedo inaad fekerto,
08:41
"Well, should I abandon my career and put all of my time
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"hagaag, miyey tahay inaan ka tago shaqadadyda oo aan geliyo wakhtigayga
08:45
into saving some of these 19,000 lives
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si aan u badbaadiyo nafahaas 19,000 ah
08:48
that are lost every day?"
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ee maalin walba la waayayo?"`
08:50
One person who's thought quite a bit about this issue
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hal shakhsi oo ka fekeray arintan hal cabaara
08:52
of how you can have a career that will have
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sidaad u heli lahayd sahqo kuu lahaan karta
08:55
the biggest impact for good in the world is Will Crouch.
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saamaynta ugu wayn ee u wanaagsan adduunkan waa Will Crouch.
08:59
He's a graduate student in philosophy,
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waa arday ka qalin jebiyey filsafada,
09:02
and he's set up a website called 80,000 Hours,
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wuxuuna aasaasay website layidhaahdo 80,000 hours,
09:06
the number of hours he estimates
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tirada saacadha uu qiyaasay
09:08
most people spend on their career,
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dadka intooda badan waxay ku bixiyaan sahqadooda,
09:10
to advise people on how to have the best,
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si uu ula taliyo dadka sida ugu wacan yeelan lahaayeen
09:12
most effective career.
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shaqada ugu tayada badan.
09:14
But you might be surprised to know
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waxaa laga yaabaa inaad la yaabto inaad ogaato
09:16
that one of the careers that he encourages people to consider,
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mid ka mida shaqooyinka uu dadka ku dhiiri geliyo inay tixgeliyaan,
09:19
if they have the right abilities and character,
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haday leeyihiih tayooyinka ku haboon iyo adaabka,
09:22
is to go into banking or finance.
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inay tagaan bangiyada iyo dhaqaalaha.
09:26
Why? Because if you earn a lot of money,
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sabab? maxaa yeelay hadaad hesho lacag badan,
09:30
you can give away a lot of money,
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waxaad bixin kartaa lacag badan,
09:33
and if you're successful in that career,
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hadaad ku guulaysato shaqadaad,
09:35
you could give enough to an aid organization
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waxaad siin kartaa in ku filan hayadaha gargaarka
09:37
so that it could employ, let's say, five aid workers
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markaa waxay shaqaalayn kartaa, aan nidhaahno shan qof oo shaqaale gargaar ah
09:42
in developing countries, and each one of them
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oo ah wadamada soo koraya, mid kastoo ka mid ahina
09:45
would probably do about as much good
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wuxuu runtii samayn karaa wanaag ka badan
09:47
as you would have done.
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intaad samayn kari lahayd.
09:49
So you can quintuple the impact
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markaa saamayntaasi waa shan meelood
09:52
by leading that kind of career.
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ay kugu hogaaminayso shaqadaasi.
09:56
Here's one young man who's taken this advice.
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Halkan waxaa jira nin dhalinyaro ah oo qaatay taladaas.
09:58
His name is Matt Weiger.
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Magaciisu waa Matt Weiger.
10:00
He was a student at Princeton in philosophy and math,
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wuxuu ahaa arday filsafada iyo xisaabta ka barta jaamacada Princeton,
10:04
actually won the prize for the best undergraduate philosophy thesis
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wuxuu runtii ku guulaystay abaalmarinta buuga jaamacadeedka uu ka qoray filsafada
10:07
last year when he graduated.
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sanadkii la soo dhaafay markuu qalin jebiyey.
10:10
But he's gone into finance in New York.
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wuxuu shaqo dhaqaalaha ka helay New York.
10:13
He's already earning enough
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wuxuu durba helaa in ku filan
10:14
so that he's giving a six-figure sum to effective charities
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wuxuu siinayaa lacag lix xaradh dhan ururada deeqaha
10:19
and still leaving himself with enough to live on.
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wuxuuna weli helaa lacag ku filn oo uu ku noolaado.
10:22
Matt has also helped me to set up an organization
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Matt wuxuu sidoo kale iga caawiyey inaan sameeyo urur
10:26
that I'm working with that has the name taken
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kaas oon ka shaqaynayo lehna magaca aan ka soo qaatay
10:29
from the title of a book I wrote,
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ciwaanka buug aan qoray,
10:31
"The Life You Can Save,"
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"Nolosha aad badbaadin kartied,"
10:33
which is trying to change our culture
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kaasoo isku dayaya inuu bedelo dhaqankeena
10:36
so that more people think that
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markaa dad badan waxay ka fekeraan in
10:39
if we're going to live an ethical life,
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haday tahay inay ku noolaano nolol akhlaaqiyaad leh,
10:41
it's not enough just to follow the thou-shalt-nots
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ma ku filna inaan raacno iska nolosha dahsoon
10:45
and not cheat, steal, maim, kill,
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inaynaan khiyaamin, dhaawicin, dilin
10:47
but that if we have enough, we have to share some of that
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laakiin hadaan haysano in nagu filan, waa inaan bixinaa in ka mida
10:50
with people who have so little.
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dadka haysta inta yar
10:54
And the organization draws together people
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iyo ururadka isu keena dadka
10:56
of different generations,
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kala faca a,
10:58
like Holly Morgan, who's an undergraduate,
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sida Holly Morgan, oo ah arday aan dhamayn jaamacada,
11:00
who's pledged to give 10 percent
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oo dalabtay inay bixiso 10 boqolkiiba
11:01
of the little amount that she has,
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lacagta yar ee ay haysato,
11:03
and on the right, Ada Wan,
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iyo midigta, Ada Wan,
11:05
who has worked directly for the poor, but has now
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kaasoo si toosa ugu shaqeeyey faqiirk, laakiin iminka
11:08
gone to Yale to do an MBA to have more to give.
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ka wada jaamacad aYale Mastar digriigiisa si uu u helo in ka badan uu bixiyo'
11:13
Many people will think, though,
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dad badan ayaa ka fekeri doona, fekeray,
11:14
that charities aren't really all that effective.
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in sadaqadu ayaysan saas runtii u saamayn badnayn.
11:18
So let's talk about effectiveness.
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balaan ka hadalno, tayaday leeyihiin.
11:20
Toby Ord is very concerned about this,
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Toby ORd wuxuu aad ugu taxaluqaa tan,
11:22
and he's calculated that some charities
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wuxuu xisaabiyey kuwo ka mida ururuda sadaqada
11:25
are hundreds or even thousands of times
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ilaa boqolaal, xitaa kumanaan goor
11:28
more effective than others,
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ay ka tayo badan yihiin kuwa kale,
11:30
so it's very important to find the effective ones.
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makra waa muhiim in la helo kuwo tayo leh.
11:32
Take, for example, providing a guide dog for a blind person.
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u soo qaado tusaale, in ey uu hago qof indho la'
11:37
That's a good thing to do, right?
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waa mid wanaagsan inuu sameey, sax?
11:40
Well, right, it is a good thing to do,
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hagaag, sax, waa mid saxa in la sameeyo,
11:42
but you have to think what else you could do with the resources.
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laakiin waa inaad ku fikirtaa waxa kale eed ku samayn kari lahayd khayraadka
11:45
It costs about 40,000 dollars to train a guide dog
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waxay ku kacaysaa ilaa 40,000 inaad ku tabo barto ey
11:49
and train the recipient so that the guide dog
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iyo inaad tabobarto isaga si agyu u hagidiisu
11:52
can be an effective help to a blind person.
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u noqon karto mid caawimo tayo leh u fidin karta qofka indhaha la'
11:55
It costs somewhere between 20 and 50 dollars
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waxay ku kacdaa in lagu daweeyo inta u dhexaysa 20 ilaa 50 dollar
12:00
to cure a blind person in a developing country
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in lagu daweeyo qof indha la' wadamada horumaray
12:03
if they have trachoma.
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haday ku dhacdo tarajooma
12:05
So you do the sums, and you get something like that.
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markaa waad isu gayn kartaa, waxaadna heli kartaa wax lamida taas
12:08
You could provide one guide dog
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waxaad u fidn kari lahayd ey haga ah
12:09
for one blind American,
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qof maraykan ah oo indha la'
12:12
or you could cure between 400
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ama waxaad ku dawayn kartaa 400
12:15
and 2,000 people of blindness.
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ilaa 2,000 oo dad indho la' ah
12:18
I think it's clear what's the better thing to do.
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waxaan fili inay cadahay ta wanaagsan ay tahay in la sameeyo.
12:22
But if you want to look for effective charities,
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laakiin hadaad eegayso ururada deeqa ee tayada leh
12:26
this is a good website to go to.
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kan waa websayd wanaagsan oo ay tahay in la eego.
12:28
GiveWell exists to really assess the impact of charities,
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GiveWell exist si aad runtii u qiimayso saamaynta ururadaas,
12:33
not just whether they're well-run,
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maaha qudha in si wanaagsan loo wado,
12:35
and it's screened hundreds of charities
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waxayse eegeen boqolaal urur
12:37
and currently is recommending only three,
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iminka waxay ku taliyeen sadex urur qudha,
12:40
of which the Against Malaria Foundation is number one.
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kaaso Against Maraia Foundation uu ka kow yahay.
12:44
So it's very tough. If you want to look for other recommendations,
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hadaba aad ayay u adagtahay, hadaad eegto la talin kale oo wanaagsan,
12:47
thelifeyoucansave.com and Giving What We Can
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thelifeyourcansave.com iyo bixi wixii aad karto
12:50
both have a somewhat broader list,
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labaduba waxay leeyihiin liis dheer
12:52
but you can find effective organizations,
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laakiin waad heli kartaa ururo tayo leh,
12:56
and not just in the area of saving lives from the poor.
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oon ahayn qudha kuwo badbaadiya nolosha faqiirka.
13:00
I'm pleased to say that there is now also a website
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Waxaan aad ugu faraxsanahay inaan idhaahdo waxaa jira sidoo kale websayd
13:03
looking at effective animal organizations.
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eegaya ururada xayawaanka ee tayada leh.
13:06
That's another cause that I've been concerned about
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taasi waa arin kale oo aan ka walaacsanaa
13:08
all my life, the immense amount of suffering
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noloshayda oo dhan, dhibta baaxada weyn
13:11
that humans inflict
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ee biniaadamka haleesha
13:12
on literally tens of billions of animals every year.
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marka la turjumo tobanaan bilyan oo xayawaana sanad kasta
13:16
So if you want to look for effective organizations
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markaa hadaad rabtid inaad eegto urur xayawaan oo tayo leh
13:19
to reduce that suffering,
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si hoos loogu dhigo dhibka,
13:21
you can go to Effective Animal Activism.
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waxaad tegi kartaa Effective Animal Actism.
13:24
And some effective altruists think it's very important
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sidoo kale deeqsinomo tayo leh ood filay inay aad u muhiim tahay
13:27
to make sure that our species survives at all.
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si loo looga dhigo nooluhu inay badbaadaa dhamaantood.
13:31
So they're looking at ways to reduce the risk of extinction.
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markaa waxay eegayaa hababka hoos loogu dhigi karo khatarta inay dabar go'aan.
13:34
Here's one risk of extinction that we all became aware of
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halkan waxaa ah hal khatar oo dabar go' ah oo aynu dhamaanteen ka war hayno
13:37
recently, when an asteroid passed close to our planet.
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dhawaanahan, markii asteriyoodh uu maray meel u dhaw aduunkeena
13:41
Possibly research could help us not only to predict
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waxaa suuro gal ahayd in cilmi baadhis ay inaga caawin lahayd inaan uun saadaalin
13:44
the path of asteroids that might collide with us,
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jidka astiriyoodhada inagu dhici kara,
13:46
but actually to deflect them.
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laakiin runtii ka hortagi karno inaysan dhicin.
13:49
So some people think that would be a good thing to give to.
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dadka qaar ayaa ka fekera inay ahaan lahayd arin fiican inaynu bixino.
13:51
There's many possibilities.
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waxa jirta suurtagalnimooyin badan,
13:53
My final question is,
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suaashayda u danbaysaa waxay tahay,
13:55
some people will think it's a burden to give.
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dadka qaar waxay ka fekeraan inay culustahay in la bixyo.
13:58
I don't really believe it is.
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anigu ma aaminsani inay tahay
14:00
I've enjoyed giving all of my life
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waxaan ku raaxaysanayey inaan bixiyo noloshaydi oo dhan
14:02
since I was a graduate student.
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ilaa markaan qalin jebiyey.
14:03
It's been something fulfilling to me.
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waxay ii ahayd wax i farxad gelinayey.
14:06
Charlie Bresler said to me that he's not an altruist.
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Charle Bresler wuxuu igu yidhi inuusan ahayn deeqsi.
14:09
He thinks that the life he's saving is his own.
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wuxuu ka fekeraa noloshii kaga baxday dhigaalkiisa.
14:12
And Holly Morgan told me that she used to battle depression
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Holly Morgana wuxuu ii sheegay waxay u isticmaashay inay kula tacaasho niyad jabka
14:16
until she got involved with effective altruism,
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ilaa hada waxay ku taxaluqday deeqsinada tayada leh,
14:18
and now is one of the happiest people she knows.
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iminkana waa dadka ugu farxada badan een arkay.
14:22
I think one of the reasons for this
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waxaan filayaa mid ka mida sababta arintan
14:23
is that being an effective altruist helps to overcome
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in faxalnimada tayada lihi ay caawiso inaan ka gudbo
14:27
what I call the Sisyphus problem.
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waxa aan ugu yeedho dhibta Sisphus.
14:30
Here's Sisyphus as portrayed by Titian,
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halkan waxa ah Sisphus sida uu sawirkiisa soo dhigay Titian,
14:33
condemned by the gods to push a huge boulder
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ku cambaareeyey in sanamadoodu ay ku soo riixeen dhagxaanti
14:36
up to the top of the hill.
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korka ka saarnaa buurta.
14:38
Just as he gets there, the effort becomes too much,
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marka uu minka halkan galay, dedaalku aad buu u sii batay.
14:41
the boulder escapes, rolls all the way down the hill,
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dhagaxii wuu ka baxsaday, ku soo socday hoosta buurta,
14:44
he has to trudge back down to push it up again,
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waa inuu dib u riixaa oo kor celiyaa mar kale
14:47
and the same thing happens again and again
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si lamid ayaa dhacd oo dhacda
14:50
for all eternity.
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ilaa dhamaadka dunida.
14:52
Does that remind you of a consumer lifestyle,
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taas ma ku xasuusisaa qaab nololeedka macmiilka,
14:55
where you work hard to get money,
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inaad aad u shaqayso si aad lacag u hesho,
14:58
you spend that money on consumer goods
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waxaad ku bixisaa lacagtaas si aad ugu isticmaasho alaab
15:00
which you hope you'll enjoy using?
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taasoo aad rajaynaysid inaad la dhici doontid isticmaalkooda?
15:03
But then the money's gone, you have to work hard
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laakiin lacagtii way tagtay, waxaad u shaqaysay aad
15:06
to get more, spend more, and to maintain
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si aad u helo in badan, waxaad kharash garaysay in badan, si aad u hesho
15:09
the same level of happiness, it's kind of a hedonic treadmill.
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in la mida farxadaas, farxad raadinteedu dhamaanayn.
15:12
You never get off, and you never really feel satisfied.
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ka dhamaan masid, runtiina weligaa ku qancin mayso.
15:15
Becoming an effective altruist gives you
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inaad deeqsi wanaagsan nooqoto ayaa ku siin karta
15:18
that meaning and fulfillment.
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macnaha faraxadaas gaadhideeda.
15:20
It enables you to have a solid basis for self-esteem
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waxay kaa dhigaysaa inaad lahaato aasaaska dareenka niyadeed oo sareeya
15:24
on which you can feel your life was really worth living.
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kaasoo aad ku dareemi karto inay noloshaadu tahay mid mudan in la noolaado
15:28
I'm going to conclude by telling you
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waxaan ku soo gebogebaynayaa inaan idiin sheego
15:31
about an email that I received
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emayl aan helay
15:33
while I was writing this talk just a month or so ago.
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maraan qorayey hadalkan bil ka hor.
15:38
It's from a man named Chris Croy, who I'd never heard of.
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waxay ka timid nin la dhaho Chris Croy, aanan weligay maqal
15:41
This is a picture of him showing him recovering from surgery.
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kan waa sawirkiisa oo tusaya isagoo ka soo bogsoonaya qalin
15:45
Why was he recovering from surgery?
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muxuu uga soo bogsoonayaa qaliinka?
15:48
The email began, "Last Tuesday,
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emaylkii u danbeeyey wuxuu ku bilaabmay "salaasadii u danbaysay,
15:51
I anonymously donated my right kidney to a stranger.
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waxaan si qarsoodiya ugu deeqay kelidayda midig qof aanan garanayn
15:55
That started a kidney chain
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taas waxay bilowday silsilada kelida
15:57
which enabled four people to receive kidneys."
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taasoo awood u siisay afar qof inay helaan kelyo."
16:02
There's about 100 people each year in the U.S.
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waxaa jira ilaa 100 sanadkii maraykanka
16:04
and more in other countries who do that.
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iyo kuwo kaloo wadamada kale oo sidaas sameeya.
16:07
I was pleased to read it. Chris went on to say
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waxaa i farxad gelisay inaan akhriyo. Chris wuxuu yidhi
16:09
that he'd been influenced by my writings in what he did.
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inay saamayn ku yeelatay qoraaladayda waxa uu sameeyey
16:13
Well, I have to admit, I'm also somewhat embarrassed by that,
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hagaag. waa inaan qirtaa, intaasi iga yaabisay,
16:16
because I still have two kidneys.
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maxaa yeelay, ilaa hada waxaan leeyahay laba kelyood.
16:22
But Chris went on to say that he didn't think
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laakiin Chris wuxuu yihdi inuusan ka fekerin
16:25
that what he'd done was all that amazing,
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inuu sameeyey wax saas loola yaabo.
16:27
because he calculated that the number of life-years
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maxaa yeelay wuxuu xisaabiyey tirada sanadada
16:31
that he had added to people, the extension of life,
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uu ugu daray dad, kordhinta nololeed,
16:33
was about the same that you could achieve
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ay tahay mid la mida midaad gaadhi kari lahayd
16:36
if you gave 5,000 dollars to the Against Malaria Foundation.
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hadaad siiso 5,000 dollar ururuka Against Malaria Foundation
16:42
And that did make me feel a little bit better,
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aad ka dibna aad xoogaa dareerto wanaag,
16:46
because I have given more than 5,000 dollars
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maxaa yeelay waxaad bixisay in ka badan 5,000 oo doolar
16:50
to the Against Malaria Foundation
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ururka Against Malaria Foundation
16:52
and to various other effective charities.
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iyo ururo kaloo deeqaha wax ku qabta.
16:57
So if you're feeling bad
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Markaa hadaanad fiicnaan dareemayn
16:59
because you still have two kidneys as well,
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maxaa yeelay weli laba kelyood ayaad leedahay,
17:03
there's a way for you to get off the hook.
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waxaa jira qaabad aad uga bixi kartid.
17:06
Thank you.
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Mahadsanidiin.
17:07
(Applause)
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(Sacab)
Translated by Abdinasser Ahmed
Reviewed by Abdikani Hassan

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Peter Singer - Philosopher, ethicist
Sometimes controversial, always practical ethicist Peter Singer stirs public debate about morality, from animal welfare to global poverty.

Why you should listen

Peter Singer may be, as The New Yorker calls him, the planet’s “most influential living philosopher.” The Australian academic specializes in applied ethics, to which he takes a secular, utilitarian approach -- minimize suffering, maximize well-being. He gained recognition in the 1970s with his groundbreaking book Animal Liberation: A New Ethics for Our Treatment of Animals, which questions society’s tendency to put human needs above those of members of other species. And he draws fire from critics who object to his fascinating argument in favor of an obligation to help the global poor that sets the bar so high that it means we are almost all living unethically. His defense of euthanasia and infanticide, in some circumstances, has led to protests against his lectures and to teaching position at Princeton.

But Singer’s collective body of work is more acclaimed than controversial. He has written the classic text Practical Ethics and many other books, with more in progress. He lectures at Princeton, where he is professor of bioethics, and the University of Melbourne, where he is a laureate professor. You can find dozens of brief, brilliant essays at Project Syndicate, where Singer examines the philosophical questions surrounding current topics like Obamacare, computer piracy and obesity.

More profile about the speaker
Peter Singer | Speaker | TED.com