As an Economics concentration, I was very excited for us to discuss Game Theory. What was even more compelling for me was the practicality of Game Theory which Fisher explains in Rock, Paper, Scissors. Ultimately, Fisher seeks to explain various social dilemmas using Game Theory and in the subsequent chapters, he makes an attempt to challenge many of the dilemmas posed in the various games. The various social dilemmas are the result of lack of cooperation and trust among the participants. One of the essential components of the games is the existence of only two players who have zero information about the intent of the other player.

Through the simplistic example of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Fisher is able to portray the added complexity of adding a third participant in a game. By adding a third player, the dilemma that the game poses is completely changed; “the introduction of a third player totally changes the nature of the game.”. What I find most interesting about this introduction is the shift from a targeted strategy of the players to a completely randomized approach as in Rock,  Paper, Scissors. The social dilemmas, much like many other economic principles are based upon a series of assumptions which are believed to be true in theory but are not always true in practice. His focus on communication and trust in Chapter 5 are key components which would minimize social dilemmas. However, as he discusses near the end, communication is not always accurate and people are not always rational decision makers which reinforces the necessity of individuals to act in their own best interest.

Evidence Action was created in 2013 as a start up spawning from Innovations for Poverty Action(IPA). It’s goals are the reduction of global poverty as well as economic growth. It oversees two main initiatives; Dispensers for Safe Water and Deworm the World Initiative. These two initiatives are vital to the development of those in extreme poverty who lack access to clean water and medical care. Currently Dispensers for Safe Water provides clean water to over 4 million in Kenya, Uganda and Malawi. The second initiative has treated over 160 million children in 2014-2015.

Evidence Action has a third component which I would argue give it incredible potential; Evidence Action Beta. This is basically an intensive investigation into new ideas which would allow this charity to have an even greater impact in the future. Given the youth of this charity, its eye towards the future is especially remarkable and is a very strong indicator of growth of the charity in the future. Another strength of Evidence Action is its transparency. It lists its financial documents on the website from 2013-2015, in addition to the compensation of its board and staff. Additionally, the website is very easy to navigate and clear, meaning that those who wish to donate will clearly know what they are donating to and where it goes.

Initially, I am very glad we choose this charity since I proposed it to the group. I became intimidated because it has three large components and I believed it would be difficult to focus on the overall effectiveness of the charity. However, I think that this charity, given its causes, youth and transparency made this a clear choice among our group. Additionally, I think its constant investigation in how to grow the charity and expand its impact set this charity apart from many of those that I have come into contact thus far.

Although its youth is a strength, it could also be a weakness. It has only existed for around 3 years which could suggest inexperience and there is a greater risk of the charity failing as opposed to a more established charity. Also, they fail to include statistics from 2015-2016. This could present a potential challenge because we cannot determine the exact impact of the charity if we don’t have recent numbers. Despite these challenges, I think that Evidence Action looks very promising and that it is definitely worthy of receiving donations as of now.