TED Community » Syed "Onik" Kamal

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About Me

Syed Mafiz Kamal (fondly know as Onik) is a graduate student at New York University's Center for Global Affairs. Prior to graduate studies he was the Youth Assembly at United Nations & Global Logistics Fellow at Friendship Ambassadors Foundation. He also acted as the Team Support for the first TEDxUNPlaza event. Syed is a Bangladeshi citizen. Syed completed his under-graduation in International Relations from Earlham College in Indiana. While in college he founded Arts For Peace, an organization aimed to integrate war-affected youth, in Sierra Leone, through art-making. In addition to his education in the US, Syed completed his earlier education in United World College in Hong Kong, Mayo College in India and primary education in Bangladesh. Syed has worked and volunteered in various projects in countries including Vietnam, China, Jordan, Thailand and Spain. Syed is a Davis Foundation Fellow, a FEAST Fellow & a soon-to-be StartingBlog Fellow. Syed speaks 6 languages. In his spare time Syed likes to paint and play soccer.

Please visit Syed's profile page for an explicit Profile: www.syedmafizkamal.com/profile-2

Location:
United States, New York, NY
Current organization:
New York University - Center for Global Affairs
Past organizations:
TEDxUNPlaza
Gender:
Male
Areas of expertise:
Foreign Affairs, Public Policy, Social Media, Youth & Leadership, International Political Economy, International law, Visual Arts - Painting, Fundraising, Report Drafting, Event & Project Management
I am:
Activist, Blogger, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Policy maker, Student, World traveler
Associations:
International Youth Council, LIons Club International, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), United World Colleges, Council for American Students in International Negotiations, United Nations Association, StartingBloc Fellows, Global Engagement Summit, Microfinance, Foundation for the Future
Languages:
English, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Arabic
My website links:
Personal Website of Syed Mafiz Kamal
Universities:
Earlham Colllege, Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, New York Univeristy
Member Picture

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Putting Bangladesh on the Map. SocialMedia Activism. Youth Empowerment. Cultural Bridging. Fostering Diversity, of all sorts - walks of like, interests, careers, background, nationality...- via Dialog

An idea worth spreading

I believe that the world can be a better place if EACH ONE OF US APPROACH AT LEAST ONE NEW PERSON EACH DAY & SHARE AN AT LEAST A ONE-MIN NOTE ABOUT AN ISSUE WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT. It can be about politics, technology, sports, family, a research, a TED talk, a person, a business idea, a photograph or a new ice-cream you tried yesterday; really anything that you can articulate well! Everyone has a hidden or a discovered passion. And rest of us can benefit from each other passion and perspective. So, much personal, cultural, societal, political and philosophical differences can be bridged through simple communication. So my idea is nothing new. It's just an idea which gives a focal structure to the age old notion of outreaching and talking!

Talk to me about

Better governance & development in Bangladesh. International Current Affairs. Liverpool FC. Being as member of Global Village.

People don't know that I'm good at

Soccer (I prefer calling it football!) - I played Nationals level in India. Painting. HIV/AIDS & Safe Sex Mentoring. Grew-up around Entrepreneurs - my father being one. Model United Nations freak

My TED Story

I was serenaded by TED spirit in 2008 when my politics teacher at Earlham College showed our class TED documentary "The Future We will Create" in our "Politics & Films" class. Thereafter, I was not only inspired and motivated by this awesomeness, but I was also adamant to be somehow part of the TED community. The brain thereon become hungry for more TED. In 2009 I had applied for TED fellowship, even though I knew it was a huge over-reach. I even forced a friend, Rida, to apply. Idealist we were(/are), we thought we have nothing to loose if we try & gave our best. Ah well, neither of us were accepted. However, coolness to the TED Talks continued to amaze me. In 2011 a senior friend asked me if I wanted to help out with a TEDx being organized at the UN. Yes! Loved it: TEDxUNPlaza. Then in my grad school at NYU, I got involved with TEDxNYU marketing team. I will be part of TED community however I can. I want to be a a TEDx Host. I am sure the TED bug & spirit will be with me for a while

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