Just wanted to share this news with the membership.

a.


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Alex Gakuru <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 5 March 2010 16:56:26 GMT+03:00
> To: Avri Doria <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: "Consumer Interest Group" - Expression of Interest
> 
> Expression of Interest to form “Consumer Interest Group” in the
> Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group
> 
> To the Chair, Executive Committee
> Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG)
> 
> Dear Avri Doria,
> 
> Our group seeks to champion for the embedding of consumer interests in
> ICANN policy. Consumers differentiate themselves from “users” because
> a) anyone that uses the internet is a “user” and b) a consumer is that end
> user that does not have/pursue commercial interests or dealings with
> business stakeholders groups in ICANN nor represent governmental voices
> otherwise represented through GAC.
> 
> We are consumer public interest advocates and therefore are
> rights-based. Therefore, we find Civil Society in ICANN our best home
> within the ICANN structure. Additionally, consumer rights advocacy is
> best served and reinforced by other individual rights advocates within
> NCUC whom have for years pursued core Public Interest objective of
> ICANN. Our group is regionally diverse and will speak for consumers in
> all parts of the world.
> 
> Kindly convey our request to the Executive Committee–NCSG for their
> kind consideration. Richer documentation of the “Consumer Interest
> Group” are being
> drafted which we shall submit to the EC in due course.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> 
> Alex Gakuru
> CIG "In-Formation" Lead
> 
> ---
> Initial Members
> 
> Africa
> 
> 1.Rafik Dammak – Tunisia
> 2.Dorothy K. Gordon – Director General, Kofi Annan Centre of
> Excellence in ICT (Ghana)
> 3.Bernard Yameogo – Burkina Faso
> 4.Liliane Ruvakubusa – Burundi
> 5.Alex Gakuru – ICT Consumers Association - Kenya
> (interest was also expressed from Zambia regulator representative -
> to be followed up)
> 
> North America
> 
> 6.Zain Khan – Canadian Telecommunications Consultants
> Association(CTCA) and Canadian Association of Management Consultants
> 7.United States: Contacts and probes were made with American Consumers
> Organisations  and this will be followed up after the Nairobi meeting
> 
> Europe
> 
> 8.Rudi Vansnic  - TIK (Telco and Internet Customers association -
> +12000 members)
> 9.Switzerland: Contacts and probes were made with (3) Swiss Consumers
> Organisations  and this will be followed up after the Nairobi meeting
> 
> Asia-Pacific
> 
> 10. Poomjit Sirawongprasert - Thailand
> 11.Japan:  Contact with Aizu Izumi will be followed-up during the
> Nairobi meeting
> 12.Australia: Outreach to consumers advocates was made this will be
> followed up after the Nairobi meeting
> 
> South America:
> 
> 13.Flávia Lefèvre Guimarães - ProTeste http://www.proteste.org.br/
> 14.Guilherme Varella http://www.idec.org.br
>