Progress involves change that is objectively real, not merely ideal intention. Planned progress requires a combination of evidence, vision, and action. Progress implies definition of milestones and criteria for assessing when those milestones have been reached. Comparative biology amplifies understanding of populations and individuals through a variety of measures and comparisons of structure and function. An appreciation for adaptation and evolution depends on understanding derived from comparison of various life forms.
Chimpanzees are wonderful in their own right and deserve to be respected and protected by humans.
We have much to learn from chimpanzees, and much of what can be learned, can be learned in the context of programs of conservation and care. Progress with regard to relationships among humans and other animals can best be achieved by constructive engagement and proactive and humane scientific study. Ignorance of the biology and behavior and health of our fellow creatures is antithetical to progress. In a general sense, progress occurs when we reduce the gap between our vision of a future we'd like to create and our assessment of our current situation. In a social or organization setting, progress is most usefully determined when we can set specific objectives, achored in time, that set the necessary conditions for the achievement of our vision.