Amardeep Singh: 30-Second Q&A

Amardeep Singh is Vice President of Programs at Proteus Fund.

What are you reading?
A Promised Land by Barack Obama, who is convinced America can be an inclusive, multi-racial democracy — and I need that optimism right now.

Share a thought-provoking article?
I just read “I Got Obama’d,” an article about how conflict-resolution guru Gary Friedman was sucked into — and found a way out of — the modern-day polarization, anger, and zero-sum thinking that characterizes today’s divisive politics in America.

Favorite podcast and why?
Words to Win By, by Anat Shekhar Osario — six episodes that delve into six political and social-change campaigns, explaining how setting a narrative frame can make a tangible difference. I also love the long-form social-issue stories on Reveal, by the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Social media account to follow?
If you want to learn about Sikhs in the United States (we’ve been in this country since the mid-1800s and played a significant role in the American West), follow my friends and social-justice activists extraordinaire Simran Jeet Singh and Valarie Kaur.

Interesting idea that has struck you recently?
I am so relieved to be vaccinated, but I’m horrified by the events in India. I can only hope the pandemic helps the world recognize that we all depend on each other — not only for prosperity, but in matters of life and death. Critical public goods like vaccine development should be stripped of all intellectual property rights. During worldwide public health emergencies, profiteering must be off the table as part of our collective social compact. The Atlantic article “Indian Americans Don’t Know What to Feel Right Now” prompted many of those thoughts.

What are you optimistic about?
The possibility that all of us will be working outside of our homes again. I’ve used the time I would’ve spent commuting every day to master my mother’s authentic Indian recipes and to restain old wood furniture. I can’t wait to return to my hot yoga classes again, which stopped after ten years of practice — it’s just not something you can replicate in your home. And I look forward to traveling to Hilton Head, South Carolina, with my family — one of our favorite places.

For more inspiration from the world of social-impact strategy and graphic design, subscribe to Friday’s monthly newsletter.