TL;DR: I'm working on a project to translate English content, especially related to EA X-risks, into Spanish, making it more accessible for Spanish speakers. If you have any EA or X-risk content that needs translating, feel free to message me. Let's make this valuable information more widely available!
Why?
A significant portion, if not all, of the content pertaining to EA and XGCR is primarily produced and shared in English. This poses a considerable barrier for those individuals and communities whose primary language is not English, thereby limiting their access to important information, discussions, and developments in these fields.
The goal of this initiative is to broaden the audience for EA and XGCR content by translating it into Spanish. By doing so, I aim to overcome the language barrier and make this valuable information more accessible to the sizable and diverse Spanish-speaking community.
The translation of such content is more than a mere linguistic conversion; it's a crucial step in fostering inclusivity and diversity in these important conversations. It facilitates the active participation of non-English speakers and allows them to contribute their unique perspectives and insights.
By making EA and XGCR content more accessible, we increase the likelihood of these ideas spreading more broadly and influencing a larger audience. This could lead to a greater number of individuals and groups adopting these concepts, and ultimately, contributing towards minimizing existential risks and promoting effective altruism globally.
English Workshops
For those who might be interested, I also host biweekly English workshops designed to help individuals refine their English language skills at no cost through Gather Town (at this moment), usually at 7 p.m., Bogotá time. These sessions, which last approximately an hour and a half, follow a structured format to foster skill enhancement and facilitate meaningful discussions.
The first 45-50 minutes of each workshop are dedicated to structured teaching, where we concentrate on various aspects of the English language, including speaking skills, grammar rules, and comprehension strategies. The aim is not merely to help attendees better understand English but also to empower them to express their thoughts and ideas effectively and confidently.
Following the structured teaching segment, we transition into a more interactive discussion phase that lasts for the remainder of the session. During this portion, our focus shifts towards the exploration of topics related to Effective Altruism (EA). The goal is to stimulate thoughtful conversation and debate about various EA concepts, thereby promoting a better understanding of these crucial subjects.
For instance, in our most recent session, we delved into the topic of the impact of AI and how it's perceived in our society. These discussions provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to apply their improving English skills in a meaningful context, all while getting them involved in critical EA topics.
In essence, these workshops serve a dual purpose. They provide a platform for individuals to practice and improve their English, and they introduce and engage attendees with important EA topics, encouraging active participation and contribution in these crucial conversations, ultimately growing our community here in LatAm. All are welcome, and I look forward to seeing more faces in our future sessions!
I am half Colombian half American, for the past three years I have been based out of Bogotá, Colombia.
Link to Tuesday's workshop where we talked about AI and nuclear weapons: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_EC9gM_rIkc7Fwj-Qu38P4t9IOWv8EWs/view?usp=sharing
Impact
In a nutshell, the big picture for these initiatives - translating content and running English workshops - is all about closing the language gap within the EA community and building a community. I know there's loads of important EA and XGCR stuff primarily in English, and I want to make sure Spanish speakers can dive into these critical conversations, regardless of their English language abilities.
By translating key EA materials into Spanish, and helping folks brush up on their English skills with workshops, we're opening doors and making it easier for everyone to join in.
But, this isn't just about making things understandable - it's about getting more people from the Spanish-speaking community actively involved in EA. I believe that the more diverse voices we have in the conversation, the richer that conversation will be!
So, whether it's through language translation or English classes, the mission is simple: I want to turn language from a barrier into a bridge, connecting minds from around the world in the EA and XGCR space.
If you've got a project that you're looking to share with more folks, especially those the amazing people here Latin America, just give me a shout! I'd be super excited to help translate your content/project and spread the word.