(Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel in Sri Lanka, solicitor in England and Wales, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel President Ambassador’s Forum in UK/SL)

Consumer and Consumerism

The consumer day 2024 will be organized worldover by the network of consumer organizations and the network of world consumer organization formed in 1962 initiated by John Kennedy with the famous statement that the most neglected group in the society are consumer who are not properly protected and organized. Celebrations take place world over addressing the consumer (citizen) on their rights duties and how he faces the mounting cost of living the trader, industrialists, and the regulators are responsible for. This is an issue every citizen faces worldover trying to find solutions with the pressure of cost of living, living conditions and the health issues followed by the mismanagement of consumerism that is otherwise known as consumer activism. Consumer is defined in various ways in various countries in the backdrop of trade and legal explanations the society was educated in Europe since 1800’ s and even in Sri Lanka since 4th century more fully developed by Tams such as ‘’Badualla Tam’’ published during the king ‘’Udaya’’ who gave instructions and directions to the  consumer and the traders in Sri Lanka and visiting traders. Consumer is one who purchases for consumption on a consideration  with is the dictionary meaning giving different definition in legislation including the act no9 of 2003 in Sri Lanka that covers the future consumer /too, protected adequately by legislation in UK India EU and many other parts.

World Consumer day to be celebrated on 15th of march every year world over

The basic theme of the consumer education and organization today is the world consumer day when all consumer organizations and activists groups unite  together with a selected them for the current year as a promotional activity education show strength to the errant traders governance and the citizens to enhance the power of organization in order to protect and enhance the rights and privileges they are entitled to. The organizers select the current topis on food, environment, machinery or daily needs and the current topic Artificial Intelligence it’s the most relevant topic when we are on the doorsteps of AI age also with digitalisation that has the capacity to change the entire formats of systems to a short compact easily transferable modes for development an convenience. Education  technology health and many other areas quiet successfully and effectively, and it is the main reason why it was chosen as the theme of 2024 promoting application and research on AI and the world consumer day worldwide promoting and formulating educational programmes to the consumer to be armed with knowledge, process on consumerism and use it for a better  day for a life aspiring a  for consumer items and services at a reasonable and of required quality at a reasonable prise. Inscription of the Tam shown in the image below shows even in Sri Lanka during King Udaya in 1857 engaged in consumerism guiding the local and foreign trader on consumerism and a developed commercial transections whilst looking after the consumer and and the governance. Similarly during 1800 UK developed the commercial transections and consumerism due to the naval power and worldwide tirade linked to our historical events that had an impact of our history and governance. World consumer day is also a improved development of the process that has spread worldwide also due to the improvements of trade and transport vis ship and aeroplanes.

( Inscription of Badulla Tam in 1857. Advising instructing and guiding the traders and the public on consumerism and trade local and foreign)

Why Artificial Intelligence

Arterial Intelligence is the future of today and extensively used in many areas such as health, technology,education and many more. Distant  operations online in health sector , space travel, unmanned vehicles, and even the traditional NHS in UK is fully or partly AI which is fast developing with modern technology, the new platforms, and digitalisation which is the form of compression of the systems vis date and technology are some adopted and made use of,showing unlimited applications developments and progress fast improving. Artificial intelligences conversion of human intelligence to material form mainly vis digitalisation by compressing the data and other material yet unable to compete the human brain and intelligence. Of course AI is chosen as the theme of year 2024 and yet the Consumer International has not chosen the theme and we suggest the best theme for year 2025 would be the topic ‘’Consumer Ombudsman’’ which an excellent proposition to follow worldwide to be used to act as an umpire, arbitrator, advisor and guide the necessary parties such as the consumer, trader and the regulator that is the governance. Sarathdw28@gmail.com