The Pacific Youth and Sports Conference is divided into three important parts – before, during and after.

Right now the participants are just one day away from spending a week immersed in seminars, workshops and thinking groups.

“Before our Solomon Islands delegation arrived we went through the themes that will be covered during the conference – health, sport, social inclusion and education,” Mutukera says.

“One of the main problems we face in the Solomon Islands is non-communicable diseases. I’m looking forward to learning about different things, but especially those diseases that affect the Pacific Islands and more specifically the Solomon Islands.

Mutukera is aware of the importance of sport as a tool for social development and says he tries to stay active through athletics and running.

He believes sport is the perfect avenue for change and one he would like to see spread widely though the Pacific – and he’s confident of PYASC’s role in making that possible.

“My view is that sport can change people’s lives. It’s a way of educating and reducing the chances of developing health problems including non-communicable diseases like diabetes and obesity.”

The Pacific Youth and Sports Conference will gather up to 800 youths at Arene du Sud in Paita, New Caledonia from 2-6 December, 2013 for a week of seminars, conferences and workshops.

PYASC offers an opportunity for the participants to learn from industry experts while also developing projects to tackle the social issues affecting their communities at home.