Alaa Ismail

Looking back, what saddens me the most, to this day, is my inability to participate in many activities because I wasn't Libyan. Then I started feeling like I didn't belong and was excluded, kept out, and marginalized.

My name is Alaa Ismail, and I am a student of engineering at Tripoli University.

I was born to an Iraqi father and a Libyan mother and grew up in Libya. Growing up, I faced many obstacles and difficulties that prevented me from participating in competitions, activities, and work opportunities. I wondered how I would ever blend in and contribute as I'm not considered Libyan enough?

I remember my first attempt at volunteering and being part of a clean-up campaign. The idea came from some of my friends. We wanted to remove waste from some of Tripoli's streets, hoping to spread awareness and encourage solidarity between Libyans. That was the first time I experienced the feeling of contribution and belonging, and by extension, the community.

My desire to participate and engage with volunteer work started to grow, and with it, my journey to summit one peak of difficulty after another began. Each time the inspiration and the goal of the work were different. But, there was one thing that has always stayed with me, that is to say, to be involved as much as I can in Libya, as a conscious and precise expression of my love, gratitude, and gratefulness, and a tangible, effective as well as immediate action towards achieving that goal.

For example, at the "International Peace Day" event, I could not participate because I wasn't a Libyan citizen. However, that being said, I had the opportunity to be part of the organizers and management for the event's artistic and technical components, and I contributed to the success of this event. At the end of the day, we launched the peace balloon together, and it meant a lot to me.

This wasn't my only participation. My social network has gradually but surely expanded. I was part of several charity works, accomplishing many tasks, reaching and helping hundreds and thousands of people, and elevating their agony. The concept of teamwork and the idea of contributing to volunteer work solidified the principle of my identity and deepened my sense of belonging and active citizenship. With that, I get to positively impact the community, a purpose worth fighting for.