Scenery - last decades• Economic liberalization + globalization• New technologies • Environmental emergency (1992)• Governments (regardless their ideological

nuances) are both losing power & dominated by economic interests.

• The market “mood” is more important than society’s interests

• consumer protection is NOT among the most successful governmental policies in most countries

Scenery - last decades• The way corporations operates changed

radically– Concentration >> less competition – Operation looking for both cheaper labor (~ slave

conditions) and resources– damaging the environment

• Mass advertising is affecting lifestyle and values

"Today, by the age of ten a child can on average recall 300 to 400 brands..

that`s twenty times the number of birds in the wild they can name.

70% of three year olds recognize the McDonalds symbol but only half of them know their own surname.”

The Commercialization of Childhood, Compass, 12/06

rudd.center@yale.eduSept, 2007

Study Shows Most TV Commercials Targeting Kids Are For Junk Food

97.8 percent and 89.4 percent of all food advertisements viewed by children (ages 2 to 11) and adolescents (12 to 17), respectively, were for products high in sugar, products high in sugar, fat or sodiumfat or sodium

more than 170 top-rated programs (US)

Obesity

• many millions of children are exploited as cheap labor in developing and poor countries

• 1,3 billion people survive with less than U$1.00 per day, not satisfying their basic human needs

Challenges to the consumer movement

• Barriers & difficulties to fight for the effectiveness of consumer rights

• Play at the backfield - threats to reduce rights already conquered

•Become more effective and influential at global levelglobal level

Efforts• Introduction of new issues at the agenda &

global campaigning • 2004 - new structure and operation at CI

– Global campaigns to demand equity and respect for consumers rights

– Empower consumer organizations at national level

– Transparency and consultation with members

• Implementation of the new structure is still in process and much has still to be done

Efforts

• Build trust and solidarity amongst CO’s

• Challenges for Consumer Organizations

• ISSUES - focus & priorities & members consultation

ISSUES - members consultation

• 1st campaign on corporations accountability – farmaceutical industry

• Sustainable consumption• Obesity• Endebtness

Future• Holding corporations to account

– Governments as well... • Acting towards change consumer

behaviour• Market or society?• Networking with other social

movements