Page 89 - The Wish Stream Year of 2022

International Forum on Peace, Security and Prosperity, Agira, Sicily 2022
The International Forum on Peace, Security and Prosperity was held from the 7th – 8th April 2022 in Agira, Sicily. The theme of the conference was ‘WINNING THE PEACE’ and focused on allowing us to reflect on post-conflict activities that lead to the restoration of positive peace. The forum was attended, both in person and online, by 15 different military academies with roughly 75 OCdts in total and over 2,000 high school students watching online.
On day one of the forum, we started off with a beautiful hike through the quaint town of Agira and headed towards Castello Medievale, which is set on top of a hill, giving it a vantage point of the surrounding areas. Once there, we stopped and had a brief on the movements of allied forces against the Germans and Italians during OPERATION HUSKEY. Standing there and being able to see the exact routes taken by all forces was simply remarkable and put the efforts of all those involved into perspective. From there we headed towards the Agira Canadian War Cem- etery. The cemetery is the final resting place for 490 Commonwealth soldiers and officers of the Second World War. The cemetery is set atop a hill overlooking Lake Pozzillo. The cemetery, although very beautiful, has a stillness that lin- gers over it. It serves as a reminder of what the price of peace can be.
We then had numerous guest speakers through- out the afternoon who spoke about two main topics: positive peace and historical perspec- tive of Sicily. The speakers were from a variety of countries, and each had their own perspec- tive on the topics. What was highlighted was the need for “positive peace” after a conflict. Positive peace is defined as “the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peace- ful societies” (Positive Peace Report 2022). This really was thought-provoking, considering recent events in Ukraine. The first day ended off with pasta and wine in true Sicilian style.
The second day of the conference started bright and early with a Walk for Remembrance start-
OCdt Van Rooyen
ing at Nissoria and ending at Cemetery Hill. The views along the way were breathtaking, and at strategic points we stopped and had briefs about the movements and intentions of the allied forces during OPERATION HUSKEY. Walking the exact routes taken by the allied forces dur- ing that time and seeing the terrain they had to overcome, makes all the stories we know about OPERATION HUSKEY that much more compel- ling. After the Remembrance walk, we had some more guest speakers, this time discussing UN/ NATO Coalition Operations. After that we had the award ceremony for the best high school presentation and video. The level of understand- ing and detail in the high school presentations, all centred around peace and security topics, was impressive. Forums such as this, that give the opportunity to younger generations to reflect on the past, not only allows them to understand the mistakes that were made but gives the chance to better the future by building on what Is already known.
This was a valuable trip that explored OPERA- TION HUSKEY, and the key lessons learnt from it. It provided an invaluable learning experience for everyone involved and gave us the chance to develop international relations by having the chance to interact with people from so many different countries. The friendships and lessons learnt from this trip will undoubtedly stay with each of us for a long time to come.
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