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The International Forum on Peace, Security and Prosperity
Sicily is an island with a complex, troubled history. Strategically located 1.9 miles from the South of Italy, in the centre of the Medi- terranean Sea, it has been victim to invasions by many nations from Carthage to the Vikings. In more recent times, inconsistent and poor leader- ship combined with poverty and a challenging landscape led to the island falling into the hands of the mafia. At the start of the 20th
OCdt Fleming
placed heavily under the spotlight during the forum. How can we control and reduce its spread, while also ensuring freedom and access to information - one of the eight pillars of peace? Further to that, as Operation Mincemeat showed in a spectacular display of British eccentricity, how can we use dis- information to our advantage and recognise that of our adversaries? To help establish and develop
century, the strength of the mafia waned under Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship, but the Second World War and the fallout from Operation Husky brought opportunities which were quickly seized by old and new syndicates.
An important part of our rapidly developing world is the management of disinformation
these ideas, we were invited to panel discussions and played the game “Liz- ards and Lies” in international groups.
Stability and security are essential to the sustainment of peace and they can be improved by increasing quality of life and winning hearts and minds. Using the eight pillars of peace as a platform for discussion, we expanded our understanding of cause and effect
This was the setting for the third
International Forum on Peace,
Security and Prosperity. The forum established how we future officers could ensure lasting posi- tive peace, mitigate security risks in the information and military domains, and ensure those countries in which we live and operate can prosper and thrive.
and how reliant stability is on the needs and eco- nomic durability of a population.
Apart from the academic aspects of the forum, it was an amazing opportunity to meet OCdts from a range of countries and armed forces. We had huge fun watching incredible performances by numer- ous drum and brass bands, visiting an ancient Roman villa with remarkable mosaics and eat- ing Sicilian specialities like panelle and pasta alla Norma. It really was a fantastic experience and a brilliant taste of defence engagement.
The importance of such goals was impressed upon us in the battlefield studies and the March for Peace. Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, saw a horrific number of casualties over the course of 38 days. We found the terrain both brutally steep and advantageous to the enemy. In scorching heat and with little support from armour, which struggled to manoeuvre along the nar- row and insufficient roads, soldiers faced relent- less assaults up near-vertical hills. The mountain towns posed an even greater challenge with their mazes of streets and impossible approach routes. We discussed the achievements and shortcom- ings of the operation, reaching a conclusion that the international effort would have been a greater strategic success and platform to launch the Italian Campaign had there been less in-fighting amongst the leadership.
An important part of our rapidly developing world is the management of disinformation, which was
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