On my third day in Benghazi my colleagues took me out on a short hike in the country. While being an incredibly windy day, it was also very beautiful. The hills were a bright green because of the amount of rain they had received during the winter. Immediately I knew what I wanted to do on this walk - look for wild flowers! In drier climates wild flowers can look amazing, especially in the spring!

I saw maybe a dozen different varieties. Some looked like cousins to flowers I know back home and others were completely new to me! The diversity both surprised and inspired me.

The inspiration comes from my knowledge that diversity is a strength. In my experience ecosystems that have diverse flora and fauna also tend to be the healthiest. I hope the people of Libya can learn the lesson I learnt from the hills outside Benghazi. As they build a new country for themselves, their strength lies in the many views and opinions they have - they should cherish and guard these just like a field of wild flowers. 

Written by Ethan Ohs, Frontrunner Director

Ethan recently spent five days in Libya working at the Attawasul Youth Conference. Over three days he worked with a group from across the Arab world to explore leadership, governance and democracy. Most of his group were from Libya though he also worked with participants from the UK, US and Yemen.