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Doing Better

2021-02-12 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:58 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, fundraising ask, civic or action cta, heavy topic

Hank argues that unequal access to water, health care and other basics is unacceptable, names three excuses our brains make to explain it away, praises people who build lasting systems to fix it, recalls saying yes to John's request to commit his money to that work, and announces that the 2021 Project for Awesome starts today.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — John's big pitch; the world's unacceptable unfairness in access to water, health care and education

  • ★★ Hank recalls that a couple of years ago John called him to pitch an idea, unusually since Hank is usually the one pitching; it was big, uncomfortable and really good. — 00:00:03 · John Green
  • ★★ Hank says the world is unfair in many unacceptable ways, yet he must accept them because he cannot change everything. — 00:00:13
  • ★★★ Hank says access to food, water, health care, housing and education should be fair, and it is not. — 00:00:28 · health equity
  • ★★ Hank grew up, as John likely did, knowing tap water is safe, but for many people it isn't, and many have no place at home where water comes out. — 00:00:31

00:00:59 — Three excuses brains make about global inequity; people who build systems to fix it

  • ★★★ Because lack of access isn't news, seems unacceptable, and we have few resources and our own problems, Hank says our brains make excuses, in at least three ways. — 00:00:59
  • ★★ First excuse: the thought that these people did something wrong; Hank doubts viewers believe it, saying such thoughts arise as brains try to explain an unexplainable world. — 00:01:01 · just-world hypothesis
  • ★★ Second excuse, one Hank's own brain makes: these people never had those things, so lacking them is less bad; he calls it a terrible, nasty thought. — 00:01:28
  • ★★★ Third and most accurate excuse: the systems are complicated and broken, with many stakeholders, and individuals have little power; Hank finds global health intimidating. — 00:01:50 · global health
  • ★★★ Hank says some people saw these problems and systems, judged them not good enough, and have worked for decades on systems that make them sustainably better. — 00:02:15

00:02:27 — Hank's yes to John's request to commit his money; P4A 2021 starts today for Save the Children and Partners In Health

  • ★★★ When John asked him a few years ago to give a significant share of his current money and promise much of his future earnings to people seeking the best solutions, Hank swallowed hard and said yes. — 00:02:35 · John Green
  • ★★★ The 2021 Project for Awesome starts today, Friday the 12th at noon, and runs through the 14th; the first half raises money for Save the Children and Partners In Health. — 00:02:52 · Project for Awesome, Save the Children, Partners In Health

00:03:07 — P4A livestream, donations, perks, charity voting and Tiltify

  • ★★ The P4A livestream runs for 48 hours on the Vlogbrothers channel. — 00:03:07 · Vlogbrothers, Project for Awesome
  • ★★ P4A perks include Hanklerfish art Hank made with friends (already selling out), shirts, coins, socks, posters and Hank's short story about April May going to VidCon. — 00:03:14 · Hanklerfish, VidCon, Project for Awesome
  • ★★ Hank will host a trivia night as a $100 perk with very good prizes. — 00:03:25
  • ★★★ Hank invites viewers to vote at projectforawesome.com on charities that might get some of the money. — 00:03:33 · Project for Awesome
  • ★★★ Hank says projectforawesome.com/donate is the place to donate and get perks. — 00:03:40 · Project for Awesome
  • ★ P4A uses Tiltify this year (2021), made for charity livestreams: perks may be a bit harder to browse but it is far easier for the team. — 00:03:45 · Project for Awesome

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description says things are this way but didn't have to be: the US government did the world an extreme disservice by putting tiny debts before infrastructure and children's education. — video description
  • ★★ The description strongly recommends watching Bending the Arc on Netflix to learn more. — video description

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: global health · health equity · Project for Awesome

Also: Projects: VidCon

Works: Bonker Doesn't Die · Hanklerfish

Organizations: Partners In Health · Save the Children · Tiltify

Concepts: just-world hypothesis · systems thinking · water scarcity

Characters: April May

Only in the description or credits: Bending the Arc · Federal government of the United States · Netflix

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