--- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, Michael Everson <everson@...> wrote:

> At 22:49 -0400 2005-08-31, Peter T. Daniels wrote:

> > > >Who _are_ your Vai contacts?
> >>
> >> They are named in the Vai proposal document which you have

refused to read.

> >>
> >> >If they're not associated with the power elite, how did they

get out

> >> >of the country?
> >>
> >> None of your damn business, I am sure.
> >
> >If you won't identify your consultants (not merely by name, of

course),

> >there is no way to evaluate how legitimately they represent the

people

> >you claim they represent.
>
> I have identified them. They are identified in
> http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2948.pdf
>
> If you were to read that document, you might learn something about

Vai.

I presume Michael is referring to the the following answers in the
proposal:

2a. Has contact been made to members of the user community (for
example: National Body, user groups of the script or
characters, other experts, etc.)?

Yes.

2b. If YES, with whom?

S. Jabaru Carlon (formerly University of Liberia), Mohamed B. Nyei
(New York University), John V. Singler (New York
University), Tombekai Sherman (Liberia), Jim Laesch (Lutheran Bible
Translators), Miata Jessica Metzger (Cape Mount), Jumah
Jennifer Gray Brumskine (Cape Mount), Lorna Priest (SIL), Peter
Martin (SIL)

Unfortunately, I don't know how common English surnames are amongst
the Vai. There is a prominent Vai lawyer and politician Counsellor
Varney Sherman. It's difficult to extrapolate on this one - one
can't assume that all Howards are rich simply because England's
premier earl is a Howard. Similarly, one can't make much of the
name 'Brumskine' - presidential contender (and lawyer) Counsellor
Charles Brumskine is *not* Vai. Again, what can I deduce from the
fact that the presiding judge of the Liberian Probate Court is one
William Metzger? Simply giving the names of contacts does not answer
the question about how representative they are.

Richard.