June: Moral Ambition, Supercomputers & Global Connectionsđ
June took EA Barcelona global. With several of us at EA Global London, book clubs back home, and new local collaborations forming, itâs been a month of ideas in motion. Whether you joined a session, hosted a meetup, or just lurked in the group chat, thanks for being part of it!
Community Spotlight đŚ
This month weâre featuring Gina Haubner, a long-time member of EA Barcelona. Gina recently defended her PhD in political science at UPF, where sheâs been researching the ethics and strategy behind disruptive climate protest.
Before diving into academia full-time, Gina spent over 13 years working across journalism, campaigning, and climate policy, parallel to studying! In her thesis, Radical Climate Disobedience: An Analysis and Defence in Times of the Socio-Ecological Emergency, she explores how protest tactics like roadblocks or infrastructure occupations can be legitimate tools for change when theyâre targeted, non-harmful, and aimed at systemic transformation.
The board recognised the value of her research by grading her thesis with an âexcellentâ (A), a reflection of the clarity and nuance she brings to such a complex topic. Her work helps distinguish civil disobedience from violence and offers practical insights for activists, policymakers, and anyone thinking about how to drive meaningful change under time pressure.
âAs a political theorist, I like that EA is a community built on philosophical principles, aiming for real-world changes and seeking impactful solutions to improve everyday and future life for animals, humans, and the planet.â
đ Congratulations, Gina, and thank you for bringing such thoughtful research into the public conversation!
EA Global London: Where Big Ideas Meet Real-World Action âď¸
This month, several of us from EA Barcelona attended EA Global London (EAG), the flagship conference of the global EA community. Organized by the Centre for Effective Altruism, EAG brings together people working on todayâs most urgent challenges (from AI safety to global health) for a weekend of talks, workshops, and one-on-one conversations.
The scale, focus, and depth of EAG is hard to overstate. With over 1,500 attendees, itâs where research meets action, and where many new collaborations begin. We shared some personal reflections, and if youâre still wondering whether to apply to a future EAG: just do it!
đ Learn more about upcoming EAGâs
Book Club: Moral Ambition đÂ
This month we gathered twice to discuss Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman, a bold book about redefining success, aiming higher, and doing good with courage and clarity.
We debated moral compromise, ambition as a force for good, and how all this fits (or doesnât!) with effective altruism. Great ideas, new faces, and nice snacks. Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation!
Supercomputing + AI Safety đ§ Â
Clara, Cheng and Mel visited the Barcelona Supercomputing Center to meet with researchers and explore potential collaborations on AI Safety. This was a first step toward building bridges between the local tech/research scene and this crucial EA cause area.