INITIATIVE

Supporting Peacebuilding

In 2024, Itzik Yahav, Yuval Noah Harari, and Sapienship supported initiatives and organizations focused on rehumanizing the tragic Palestinian–Israeli conflict. This conflict has generated a discourse filled with hate, vilification, dehumanization, racism, and extreme one-sided views from all sides of the political landscape. We support local organizations that work to rehumanize the individuals involved in this conflict, that do not shy away from complexity, and that strive not for a one-sided ‘ultimate justice’ or ‘total victory’ in the distant future, but for practical coexistence that will safeguard the present and near-future of the people in the region. These individuals—Palestinians and Israeli Jews—who have the resilience to stay away from the divisive discourse surrounding them, deserve our admiration and support.

Animal Welfare

In 2024, we supported organizations dedicated to animal welfare. We share this planet with animals, our companions on this long and amazing evolutionary journey. Since animals can experience suffering, they deserve our care and compassion.

2% More for climate change

Sapienship’s research led us to call on politicians to invest an additional 2% of Global GDP in preventing catastrophic climate change.

• If humanity invests just an extra 2% of Global GDP in clean energy, that would be enough to prevent the worst climate change scenarios
• Shifting 2% of the budget from here to there is what politicians do all the time. So we should pressure them to just do their job
• It’s a clear and feasible target that leaves room for optimism – 2% more to save our future

Responsible Development of AI

The year 2023 saw unprecedented breakthroughs in AI (artificial intelligence), which exploded into the public’s consciousness with generative models like ChatGPT, Dalle-E and Midjourney. In response to these dramatic developments, Sapienship and its founders closely supported multiple initiatives to raise awareness of the risk posed by AI and the need to conduct its development and regulation responsibly. In a campaign fronted Sapienship’s co-founder Prof. Yuval Noah Harari, we partnered with leading AI scientists like Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, and organizations that include the Center for Humane Technology, Frontiers Forumthe UN, and Future of Life Institute – to facilitate public conversations, lectures, articles and position papers, highlighting the threat from advanced AI systems and proposing urgent priorities for AI R&D and governance.

United24

In late 2022, Sapienship and its founders donated to campaign to help protect Ukraine’s electricity grid – and its heating system – in the dead of winter. Unfortunately this infrastructure has been under Russian attack, as the appalling war continues in Eastern Europe. The fundraising campaign was initiated by Prof. Timothy Snyder, for United24.

To donate to this campaign, visit u24.gov.ua/shahedhunter.

UNICEF Ukraine

In 2022, Sapienship and its founders, Itzik Yahav and Yuval Noah Harari, donated $310,000 to UNICEF Ukraine – to support humanitarian relief during the sad and senseless war in the country.

We strongly believe in joining forces globally to support people and the environment, and we do not take for granted that international institutions like UNICEF exist. After all, these organizations came into being as a result of the lessons learned from previous devastating wars.

To donate to this cause, visit unicef.org/ukraineconflict.

Sustainable Investments

In 2021, Sapienship made financial investments related to tackling the biggest global challenges — with an emphasis on ecological collapse.

A third of the investment sum has been dedicated to innovations in animal-free food products, including cultured meat and lab-grown milk.