PYASC aims to address the significant social issues facing young Pacific Islanders with this second edition having been organised by the Oceania Football Confederation in conjunction with the Government of New Caledonia and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
PYASC CEO Franck Castillo says there are two key objectives for the conference – to have a better understanding of the social issues affecting our communities and a better understanding of how to use sport as a development tool.
“Sport for Development is a recognition of the positive influence that sport can have on people’s behaviour,” Castillo says.
“This conference is an opportunity for youth from around the region to come together and learn from some of the industries best, share ideas and come up with solutions to tackle the social issues affecting our region.”
The three themes of PYASC 2013 are Health, covering non-communicable disease, sexual health; Education including employment; and Social Inclusion, which encompasses people with disabilities and gender equity.
All the participants, who come from sport and youth organisations, government and international institutions from around the Pacific region, will be equipped with a greater level of knowledge for addressing these issues using sport as a development tool. But it is the projects they will be developing which will prove the value of this event.
“Each project will be presented on the final day of the conference to the Ministers of Youth and Sport from each of the participating countries,” Castillo says.
“The best ones, as chosen by the judging panel, will be awarded prizes which will go towards the implementation of the winning projects in their respective countries.
“We are fortunate to have the support of a number of partners who have made these prizes possible,” Castillo added.
Castillo says the discussions and sharing of ideas that will stem from the seminars and workshops during PYASC are an important part of the event, however so is the level of enjoyment.
“This is an environment that supports learning and sharing but we also want to encourage all the participants to have fun and take in the experience for what it is – a chance to share different cultures and experiences with new people,” he says.
“This is an opportunity to make connections and networks through shared experiences which will last a lifetime, while doing the best that you can to improve the outcomes for the future.
“We would like to thank all of our partners for their support, and especially the Government of New Caledonia without whom this entire event would not be possible.”
The Pacific Youth and Sports Conference is being held from 2-6 December at Arene du Sud in Paita, New Caledonia with participants from 19 different Pacific countries taking part.