Balazas Simon, Mischief Soul Searching Officer, LifeCampus
I worked on war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the framework of the UN peace keeping mission.
Podcast
Overview
“I realized that what I want in life is really up to me. And it really has a lot to do with how much we allow external expectations to define our path and who we are and how much we can take control of it.”
In the humdrum of our technologically driven hectic lives, very few of us actually slow down and rethink our life choices. Very few of us actually stop and consider whether our work contributes to greater welfare. Working your dream job is definitely one of the most exciting things in life. But how often do we pursue our passion?
How often do we take up adventure for ourselves and the world?
Do we ever risk ourselves going out there and face the realities the world poses?
We definitely know someone who does!
The Brand Called You is back with a fresh episode with our guest Balaz Simon from Thailand. Simon is the Mischief Soul Searching Officer at LifeCampus. He has been employed by the United Nations from the age of 25! He has worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo on war crimes, in Northern Thailand with children facing trauma and in Bangladesh with Rohingya refugees. His work is humanity-focused and is headed towards the overall welfare of people.
In his own words, Simon is a Mischief Soul Searching Officer. A very unique title that it is, Simon gives a very beautiful explanation of how we are constantly surrounded and defined by titles. According to him, fun and mischief represent him best.
Technology and hundreds of other things linked to it have made our lives very entangled which wasn’t the case some decades ago. At LifeCampus, using the right tools, methods, and wisdom Simon helps individuals deal with early adult life. Simon strongly believes that schools do not really prepare us for life. Hence with LifeCampus, he tries to bridge this gap and help individuals prepare for early adult life. LifeCamous has received overwhelming results which in turn motivates them to expand their vision.
Being the adventurer that he is, Simon was always in search of new and exciting projects. However, working with people from all over the world made him realize that there is a lot to the world other than what meets the eye.
Simon talks about his work in Congo and how this naturally rich country has been exploited over the decades. He describes the people of Congo as resilient and talks about the biggest man-made death casualties in the country, post World War II. Living in that environment and working with these people totally changed his perspective.
His journey is extraordinary and his experiences are abundant. Simon has worked effortlessly to help people from all walks of life.
Tune in to learn more about Simon and the incredible work that he does!
Profile
- My greatest accomplishment to date is to burst my (safety) bubble and follow my heart wherever it took me, mostly to the unknown and working with some of the most underprivileged people.
- That includes embarking upon a journey to Africa at the age of 24, where I worked with communities impacted by deep poverty and food aid projects assisting families with chronically ill household members.
- I am fortunate to have been employed by the United Nations since the age of 25, an institution I have worked with over the past 15 years with some small sidesteps along the way.
- I worked on war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the framework of the UN peace keeping mission.
- I joined as a volunteer to a grassroot NGO in Northern Thailand to help children at risk and children with traumas such as rape, trafficking and abuse as well as assisting some hilltribe communities with their livelihoods.
- I experienced life in perhaps one of the most miserable places on Earth, the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, where I worked with the UN Refuge Agency running the camps.
- I most recently work on projects related to animal health and transboundary animal diseases in Asia, including Covid-19.
- Although being very far from accomplishment (as a matter of fact, we are just launching it), I have founded a programme together with Yash called LifeCampus to help young adults navigating their early adult lives in this complex maze we call our world. We want to do our bit with this updating our outdated education system while offering and doing something meaningful and fun along the way.
