Looking back on ten years of porter activism

Its my pleasure to be asked to re-invigorate this blog on news and stories from mountain porters around the world on behalf of the mountain Fund. Lets be hearing your news and views please.
My interest in these matters started in 1997 when a young Nepali porter died on the trail has he was being brought down to our rescue post in Manang. This sad and avoidable event goaded us to form the International Porter Protection Group. What alarmed me then, as a doctor and Himalayan expeditioner over many years, was just how long it had taken me to awaken to the exploitation and vulnerability of porters employed to service tourist needs in the mountains (and by 'tourist' I include expedition members!).
Ten years later there is a much better understanding of these issues confronting the tough, proud yet oh so vulnerable men and women who earn much needed cash by carrying loads for us. Several NGOs (Community Action Nepal, International Explorers Club, Porters Progress, Tourism Concern and many more) are involved in activities ranging from educating porters, tourists and travel companies through to clothing banks and porter shelters. Many trek and travel companies have adopted best practice for the treatment of their porters and many local employers and their staff (where most of the wilful exploitation and neglect takes place) have raised their game.
Lets just pause to remember that there were always good people like Mike Cheney of Mountain Travel and later Sherpa co-op, who made sure their porters were looked after right from the beginnings of mass mountain tourism in the fifties. The difference now is that there is an unstoppable and widespread change taking place in the way mountain porters are treated worldwide.
That these changes have not filtered through to remote areas such as Irian Jiya and Papua New Guinea is just a matter of time.
Everyone who travels and treks or adventures to kyak or climb in the mountains and uses local porters needs to be aware of their needs and to complain long and loud, on the spot, at the time it is happening. Then we all become part of the movement and not a part of the problem.
Dr Jim Duff (coordinator IPPG)