Ecoclubs (or “Ecoclubes” in Spanish) are democratic civil society

G L O B A L
SOUTH-SOUTH
DEVELOPMENT
ECOCLUBS
Friendship building between young girls at a Water and Youth Workshop along the U.S./Mexico border, 2007.
Ecoclub Kids group planting flowers in their community, 2012.
Photo: © courtesy of PAHO/WHO
Young boy painting EcoClub poster for National Youth Week in
Mexico, 2012.
Photo: © courtesy of PAHO/WHO
Photo: © courtesy of PAHO/WHO
Young girl picks up trash during a Community CleanUp Day,
March 2012.
Photo: © courtesy of PAHO/WHO
Ecoclubs began in Argentina in 1992, when groups
of students decided to improve local solid waste
management in their communities. The model grew
first within Argentina and as of 1997, representatives
from Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador and
Ecuador had traveled to Argentina to learn more
about the Ecoclub model. Through a partnership with
the Pan-American Health Organization, the Ecoclub
experience has been shared with municipal authorities
and non-governmental organizations throughout Latin
America. Today, Ecoclubs are now a global network
with more 15,000 youth participants in over 500 active
Ecoclubs throughout 30 countries in the Americas,
Europe and Africa.
Photo: © courtesy of PAHO/WHO
Ecoclubs (or “Ecoclubes” in Spanish) are democratic
civil society organizations, constituted almost entirely
by children and young people that are dedicated to
improving quality of life in their communities through
environmental action. Ecoclubs provide leadership
opportunities for young people and give them firsthand experience in using collective action as a means
to build healthier environments. Their main objective is
to promote youth participation in community health and
environmental programs by allowing young people to
organize themselves in order to collectively analyze the
environmental problems that affect their communities
and then create and implement practical solutions to
solve them.
Ecoclubs cultivate leadership and advocacy skills for a cleaner
and healthier environment from a young age, like this young boy
speaking to the press at a Water and Health Workshop in March
2012.
For more information about Ecoclubs, visit www.ecoclubes.org.ar or
contact Ricardo Bertolino (Ecoclub Founder) - rbertolino@placc.org