A conference on definitions of progress in Ethiopia is planned from September 29— 30 at the new Goethe Institute in Addis Ababa. Organiser and communications expert, Dr. Ulrich Mueller Schoell has invited anthropologist Shauna  LaTosky and several local representatives from South Omo to talk about how they define progress. One visual example of what progress means to the Mursi will be provided in a photo exhibit on the lip-plate with which Mursi women adorn themselves. “The notion of progress is connected to the lip-plate in a rather paradoxical way,” says LaTosky. “This aesthetic form of expression has become both a stigma and a source of self-esteem for the Mursi” (and their neighbours the Surma) sending mixed messages about the meaning of progress as viewed by outsiders. On the one hand, many non-Mursi view it as a sign of backwardness, yet others see it as a sign of progress insofar as it attracts tourists, which, in turn, can increase your herd of cattle. The exhibit is also a fundraiser for the newly established Mursi Women’s Research Fund. Cards, posters and a Christmas calendar (sponsored by SORC) will be for sale