On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 5:11 AM, Robin Gross <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I'm sure the consumer groups who are members of NCSG would want to weigh in > on this proposal to create a consumer constituency. Too bad none have been > included in this staff initiative so far. > Best, > Robin > Thanks Robin, You are right and one hopes that ICANN's does not end up "users"- heavy as opposed to "consumers"-centric. Although "users" and "consumers" sound similar, they are very different. Baudouin SCHOMBE and I are currently developing a bottom-up "Equatorial Africa" consumer protection workshop scheduled for August 2010 - involving Cameroon, DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Pleased to have the support of various NCUC members such as Bill Drake and others. At this point soliciting Baudouin's travel funding to ICANN@Nairobi "Study Tour" to come read what ICANN is doing in regard to Africa's consumer protection to feed that into our August event planning. As our Chair (protocol-wise), could I kindly request you to put our case forward? We're already inside the GNSO infrastructure--why don't they involve us from the onset? Regulators in our region are taking CP seriously. Last week attended a five-day course with regulators from Botswana, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya. http://www.cto.int/Portals/0/docs/courses/2009/consumer%20protection%20brochure%20for%20web.pdf Sincerely, Alex