July 2006 - Porters’ Progress, Nepal Elects New Board Porters’ Progress, Nepal has elected a new seven-member board of directors to lead the organization over the coming two years. This election signifies a great step towards sustainable management of the organization by, and for porters themselves. The current board members each currently work as porters and have proven themselves to be outspoken advocates for the porters they represent. July 2006 - Peace in Nepal? As of this writing, the civil conflict in Nepal is lurching towards a permanent and peaceful solution. After nearly a month of curfews and violent protests in Nepal, King Gyanendra gave in to the overwhelming popular demand for democracy and peace. The re-instated democratic government stripped King Gyanendra of all of his once questionable legal authority, and the signboards in Kathmandu have been changed from ‘His Magesty’s Government’ to ‘The Nepal Government.’ The Maoist rebels have also come to the table for peace talks with the United Nations mediating a cease-fire between the rebel forces and the government.  For more information, check out www.insn.org or www.nepalnews.com July 2006 - Andy Kirkpatrick to speak for PPUK again: Porters’ Progress, UK is kicking off their 2006 fundraising drive with a lecture entitled “Fly or Die – Amazing stories from El Capitan” by famed alpinist Andy Kirkpatrick. The lecture will be held at The Royal Geographic Society in London, on November 29th, 2006 at 7pm.  Andy is known for both his riveting (and hilarious) presentations and his tenacity as a climber. This event is not to be missed. For more information, please email info@portersprogress.org or enquiries@worldexpeditions.co.uk. Tickets go on sale on August 30th.