[GTranslate]PALERMO – Italians and Canadians together for “peace, security and prosperity”, as stated in the title of the 1st forum held – in webinar – in recent days in Sicily (Italy) to preserve the memory of the fallen of all parties in conflict during Operation “Husky” in July 1943, which saw the First Canadian Division engaged in Sicily – together with the Allies.

“Post-conflict governance: from the Second World War to the 21st century” was the topic of the event organized by the Canadian Defense Academy and the Military Command of the Sicily Army of Palermo, which on the occasion also held a competition dedicated to young people involving some high schools and Scholastic Institutes of the island, with the aim of making the history known to the new generations.

Winning the competition was the work produced by the Liceo ‘Bonaventura Secusio’ of Caltagirone – branch of Vizzini, coordinated by Professor Simona Riggio and chaired by the manager Concetta Mancuso: a video made by the students of the IV AV and V AV classes (in the pic, some students), entitled ” Walking the path from war to peace ”. The ‘Michelangelo Bartolo’ Institute in Pachino finished second and the ‘Pietro Branchina’ Institute in Adrano finished third.

The input of the entire project came from a student, the son of honorary colonel Steve Gregory of the Canadian Army – creator of the event together with Professor Emanuele Sica of the History Department of the Royal Military College of Canada -. “He had been assigned a theme related to the Canadian landing in Sicily on 10 July 1943 – said Major General Maurizio Angelo Scardino who leads the Sicilian Army Military Command – but he had not found material in Canada and so his father has brought to Italy, but even here they discovered that there was no news on those events: hence the father’s decision to create a series of initiatives and commemorative events, involving the various municipalities”.

During the forum, which lasted two days, contributions were interspersed that highlighted the importance of peace operations, from the postwar period to today, which have accompanied the initiatives of the Canadian and Italian governments. Hundreds of people connected online, from twelve different countries.

Among the speakers, in addition to General Scardino, Colonel Gregory and Professor Sica, also the Canadian ambassador to the UN Bob Rae and the Canadian ambassador to Rome Alexandra Bugailiskis, who recalled the great sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in Italy during the World War II: “Over 6 thousand did not return home – recalled the ambassador – and the Italians remember the Canadians with affection and warmth, for having freed their cities and for having protected their women and their children”.

In the pic below, some followers of the webinar between Italy and Canada