A lifetime of involvement with youth and church groups spurred engineer Ricardo Bertolino on to use his experience promoting democratic responsibility for the numerous environmental challenges facing his municipality in Argentina, in particular, the lack of sustainable waste management. A vision and tireless effort have resulted in the foundation of Ecoclubes, models of democracy in action, whereby groups of young people participate in programmes promoting responsible environmental behaviour. ‘Ecoclub’ activities ranging from tree planting, to neighbourhood clean-ups, to sharing knowledge on a myriad of topics, such as composting and protecting local flora and fauna. Today, Ricardo’s vision has become a reality; thousands of young people between the ages of 10 and 18+ deal with a very real environmental problem by promoting their knowledge in a practical manner. They also engage in advertising and raising money for their endeavours. Local businesses, schools, universities, groups and NGOs also help support and promote their message.
