RCNY Breakfast at the UN - November 19, 2026, 8:30am
UN Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, 11th floor
Guest presenter: Peter Singer is an Australian moral philosopher best known for his influential work in applied ethics,
particularly animal rights, global poverty, and effective altruism.
Recently retired from his position as professor of bioethics at Princeton University, he has authored numerous landmark books, including Practical Ethics, The Most Good You Can Do, Ethics in the Real World, Animal Liberation, and The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty. Singer’s rigorous, accessible arguments have shaped contemporary debates on our moral responsibilities and continue to inspire discussion on ethics worldwide.
Presentation description
Peter Singer, Professor Emeritus of Bioethics at Princeton University, is one of the world's most influential contemporary moral philosophers. For decades, he has challenged conventional thinking about our ethical responsibilities to others, particularly those living in extreme poverty.
His presentation will focus on The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty, his influential book that inspired the founding of The Life You Can Save, an organization dedicated to identifying and promoting highly effective charities working to alleviate global poverty. He will also discuss his more recent initiative, Profit for Good, which explores how businesses can use their commercial success to advance humanitarian goals.
For the first time in history, ending extreme poverty is arguably within humanity's reach. Singer's work challenges us to consider not only whether we have the means to achieve this goal, but also whether we have a moral obligation to act—and how we can make our efforts most effective.
