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NYEN strives and works for a socially-informed, equitable and just consumer society through consumer empowerment initiatives, promotion of ethical practices among businesses and engagement of policy makers to enact pro-people policies for the present and future generations.  The Consumer Empowerment for Active Citizenship project is designed to empower rural and urban consumers in Uganda at individual, community and national levels. We inform them so that they know, promote and assert their rights and responsibilities, speak-out and take action, make informed decisions and effectively participate in policy and socio-economic (market) issues that affect them. We aim to eliminate obstacles in order for all to have access to justice, transparency, good governance, quality production and service delivery. The anticipated end result is a socially-informed, equitable and just society that works toward sustainable development and reducing poverty. Studies carried out locally indicate that consumers are not aware that they are the largest socio-economic group in the economy whose voices, needs and concerns are seldom heard. Nevertheless, their socio-economic and political power is affected and influenced by most socio-economic and political policies and decisions. Hence there is the need to create a desirable balance between policy formulation and consumer participation in an effort to foster active citizenship. Ignorant and inactive consumers are a liability to themselves, to society and to national development because they can neither assert nor protect their rights. They fail to take appropriate action when faced with unfair, corrupt practices and/or exercise their responsibilities. The outcome from this state of affairs is undermining and makes it a complete defeat of goals and principles for national development including programs and strategies like the poverty reduction plans, health targets, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other initiatives to make trade work for the resource poor.  NYEN members Caroline and Nanteza leading a Consumer Emmpowerment workshop Experience shows that given appropriate tools and resources through empowerment, consumers and communities could be effective advocates for change, be in a position to assert their rights, demand quality goods and service delivery, take action, influence policy, make responsible preferences, behave responsibly and effectively use limited resources. Ultimately, this participation should lead to social justice, promotion of comprehensive and sustainable development and enhance living standards as well as result in a gradual reduction of individual, household, community and national poverty. Empowered consumers and communities are of socio-economic and political value to society, to business concerns and to the country at large, as they are in position to assert their rights, make informed decisions, question actions and make positive criticism. Additionally, they are in position to demand quality production and service delivery, to demand good governance, to effect behavioral change, to empower others and advocate for positive social change in the project areas and beyond. The project’s participatory, action and result-oriented approach will make it relevant to consumers as they become beneficiaries through asserting their rights and active citizenship.  NYEN member Hadijah leading a consumer empowerment workship at school State of Affairs in Uganda Consumers in Uganda are faced with a grave and unfortunate consumer environment where their rights are grossly abused by unscrupulous business entities and public corporations due to ignorance; failure to organize; lack of choice and alternatives; weak policy, legal and regulatory framework; and limited access to information and knowledge about where to file complaints and seek advice. Consumer troubles are broad, including buying and consuming goods and services that are expired, hazardous, substandard, underweight, shoddy and fake. All these conditions can cause ill health, deformation, death and financial losses. The grave status quo deprives consumers of good living standards, value for money and savings, and increases consumer and community poverty. Limited consumer awareness and failure to organize justifies the appreciated notion and reality that ignorant and inactive consumers are a liability to themselves, to society and to national development because they cannot assert nor promote and protect their rights, take appropriate action when faced with unfair, corrupt practices nor exercise their responsibilities. The outcome from this state of affairs is the undermining of goals and principles of human rights, social justice, poverty reduction, economic empowerment and national development. It is justifiable to empower consumers as the largest socio-economic group in the economy whose voices, needs and concerns are seldom heard. We aim to empower them to assert their rights and champion social policy change and market trends through their socio-economic and political power for positive change. Empowered consumers can effectively advocate for positive change and be in a position to assert and champion their rights, thus enhancing living standards and gradually reducing individual, household, community and national poverty. As a result, consumers become socio-economic and political value to society, to business concerns and to the country at large. Objectives * Empower consumers to assert their rights, make informed decisions and effectively participate in decision-making at all levels of society * Generate information resources for advocacy, awareness and training programs accessible to stakeholders; * Network with likeminded organizations and individuals in promotion of consumer welfare and a more just marketplace Target Groups Consumers, especially youths and women; civil society organizations; policy makers; public and private sector support institutions in Uganda. Project drive Consumers globally in their respective classes cannot access justice, quality and quantitative products (goods and services) and effective social policies if they do not know, understand and participate in the formulation, decision-making and implementation of policies and legal framework that affect them.
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