Marketing was so much simpler when there was a limited number of TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and movies. Marketers scheduled advertising in one or more mediums, waited, and watched for product sales as a result. Today there are myriad channels to utilize—and compete against—for customers’ attention. It’s no longer enough to create an exciting advertisement, let alone to expect a captive audience.
Marketers today must reach customers wherever they are through a variety of new tools, technologies, and platforms. Added to this, marketers need to sew in a genuine, personal, hands-on touch, and partner with customers. It sounds frightening, but the core concepts of marketing haven’t changed.
In this webinar, our panelists stitch together marketing fundamentals with the latest strategies. Specifically you will learn:
-Principles and practices of modern marketing.
-The mix of old and new skills marketers must balance.
-Analytical skills needed to succeed in modern marketing.
-Inbound marketing, web development, and design techniques for marketers.
STUDVEL - is the service-oriented system that helps educational institutions, teachers and students in the organization of educational process. Using our service, they receive the following advantages:
Educational institution:
- monitoring the loading of audiences;
- planning the timetable of classes;
- operative notification of teachers and students;
Teacher:
- providing and receiving the topical information about changes in the curriculum;
- timely notification of students and colleagues;
- the topical timetable of classes;
- planning the transfer of classes;
- search of free audiences;
Student:
- comfortable (easy) exchange of educational materials;
- rapid changes in case permutation of classes;
- the news about student life of the university and the city;
- receiving the information about the work for students;
- rapid search of the teacher in real time;
- and many more ...
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Marketing was so much simpler when there was a limited number of TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and movies. Marketers scheduled advertising in one or more mediums, waited, and watched for product sales as a result. Today there are myriad channels to utilize—and compete against—for customers’ attention. It’s no longer enough to create an exciting advertisement, let alone to expect a captive audience.
Marketers today must reach customers wherever they are through a variety of new tools, technologies, and platforms. Added to this, marketers need to sew in a genuine, personal, hands-on touch, and partner with customers. It sounds frightening, but the core concepts of marketing haven’t changed.
In this webinar, our panelists stitch together marketing fundamentals with the latest strategies. Specifically you will learn:
-Principles and practices of modern marketing.
-The mix of old and new skills marketers must balance.
-Analytical skills needed to succeed in modern marketing.
-Inbound marketing, web development, and design techniques for marketers.
STUDVEL - is the service-oriented system that helps educational institutions, teachers and students in the organization of educational process. Using our service, they receive the following advantages:
Educational institution:
- monitoring the loading of audiences;
- planning the timetable of classes;
- operative notification of teachers and students;
Teacher:
- providing and receiving the topical information about changes in the curriculum;
- timely notification of students and colleagues;
- the topical timetable of classes;
- planning the transfer of classes;
- search of free audiences;
Student:
- comfortable (easy) exchange of educational materials;
- rapid changes in case permutation of classes;
- the news about student life of the university and the city;
- receiving the information about the work for students;
- rapid search of the teacher in real time;
- and many more ...
2024 State of Marketing Report – by HubspotMarius Sescu
https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
· Scaling relationships and proving ROI
· Social media is the place for search, sales, and service
· Authentic influencer partnerships fuel brand growth
· The strongest connections happen via call, click, chat, and camera.
· Time saved with AI leads to more creative work
· Seeking: A single source of truth
· TLDR; Get on social, try AI, and align your systems.
· More human marketing, powered by robots
ChatGPT is a revolutionary addition to the world since its introduction in 2022. A big shift in the sector of information gathering and processing happened because of this chatbot. What is the story of ChatGPT? How is the bot responding to prompts and generating contents? Swipe through these slides prepared by Expeed Software, a web development company regarding the development and technical intricacies of ChatGPT!
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...Applitools
During this webinar, Anand Bagmar demonstrates how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be applied to various stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC) using an eCommerce application case study. Find the on-demand recording and more info at https://applitools.info/b59
Key takeaways:
• Learn how to use ChatGPT to add AI power to your testing and test automation
• Understand the limitations of the technology and where human expertise is crucial
• Gain insight into different AI-based tools
• Adopt AI-based tools to stay relevant and optimize work for developers and testers
* ChatGPT and OpenAI belong to OpenAI, L.L.C.
Product Design Trends in 2024 | Teenage EngineeringsPixeldarts
The realm of product design is a constantly changing environment where technology and style intersect. Every year introduces fresh challenges and exciting trends that mold the future of this captivating art form. In this piece, we delve into the significant trends set to influence the look and functionality of product design in the year 2024.
How Race, Age and Gender Shape Attitudes Towards Mental HealthThinkNow
Mental health has been in the news quite a bit lately. Dozens of U.S. states are currently suing Meta for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by inserting addictive features into their products, while the U.S. Surgeon General is touring the nation to bring awareness to the growing epidemic of loneliness and isolation. The country has endured periods of low national morale, such as in the 1970s when high inflation and the energy crisis worsened public sentiment following the Vietnam War. The current mood, however, feels different. Gallup recently reported that national mental health is at an all-time low, with few bright spots to lift spirits.
To better understand how Americans are feeling and their attitudes towards mental health in general, ThinkNow conducted a nationally representative quantitative survey of 1,500 respondents and found some interesting differences among ethnic, age and gender groups.
Technology
For example, 52% agree that technology and social media have a negative impact on mental health, but when broken out by race, 61% of Whites felt technology had a negative effect, and only 48% of Hispanics thought it did.
While technology has helped us keep in touch with friends and family in faraway places, it appears to have degraded our ability to connect in person. Staying connected online is a double-edged sword since the same news feed that brings us pictures of the grandkids and fluffy kittens also feeds us news about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the dysfunction in Washington, the latest mass shooting and the climate crisis.
Hispanics may have a built-in defense against the isolation technology breeds, owing to their large, multigenerational households, strong social support systems, and tendency to use social media to stay connected with relatives abroad.
Age and Gender
When asked how individuals rate their mental health, men rate it higher than women by 11 percentage points, and Baby Boomers rank it highest at 83%, saying it’s good or excellent vs. 57% of Gen Z saying the same.
Gen Z spends the most amount of time on social media, so the notion that social media negatively affects mental health appears to be correlated. Unfortunately, Gen Z is also the generation that’s least comfortable discussing mental health concerns with healthcare professionals. Only 40% of them state they’re comfortable discussing their issues with a professional compared to 60% of Millennials and 65% of Boomers.
Race Affects Attitudes
As seen in previous research conducted by ThinkNow, Asian Americans lag other groups when it comes to awareness of mental health issues. Twenty-four percent of Asian Americans believe that having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness compared to the 16% average for all groups. Asians are also considerably less likely to be aware of mental health services in their communities (42% vs. 55%) and most likely to seek out information on social media (51% vs. 35%).
AI Trends in Creative Operations 2024 by Artwork Flow.pdfmarketingartwork
This article is all about what AI trends will emerge in the field of creative operations in 2024. All the marketers and brand builders should be aware of these trends for their further use and save themselves some time!
A report by thenetworkone and Kurio.
The contributing experts and agencies are (in an alphabetical order): Sylwia Rytel, Social Media Supervisor, 180heartbeats + JUNG v MATT (PL), Sharlene Jenner, Vice President - Director of Engagement Strategy, Abelson Taylor (USA), Alex Casanovas, Digital Director, Atrevia (ES), Dora Beilin, Senior Social Strategist, Barrett Hoffher (USA), Min Seo, Campaign Director, Brand New Agency (KR), Deshé M. Gully, Associate Strategist, Day One Agency (USA), Francesca Trevisan, Strategist, Different (IT), Trevor Crossman, CX and Digital Transformation Director; Olivia Hussey, Strategic Planner; Simi Srinarula, Social Media Manager, The Hallway (AUS), James Hebbert, Managing Director, Hylink (CN / UK), Mundy Álvarez, Planning Director; Pedro Rojas, Social Media Manager; Pancho González, CCO, Inbrax (CH), Oana Oprea, Head of Digital Planning, Jam Session Agency (RO), Amy Bottrill, Social Account Director, Launch (UK), Gaby Arriaga, Founder, Leonardo1452 (MX), Shantesh S Row, Creative Director, Liwa (UAE), Rajesh Mehta, Chief Strategy Officer; Dhruv Gaur, Digital Planning Lead; Leonie Mergulhao, Account Supervisor - Social Media & PR, Medulla (IN), Aurelija Plioplytė, Head of Digital & Social, Not Perfect (LI), Daiana Khaidargaliyeva, Account Manager, Osaka Labs (UK / USA), Stefanie Söhnchen, Vice President Digital, PIABO Communications (DE), Elisabeth Winiartati, Managing Consultant, Head of Global Integrated Communications; Lydia Aprina, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Nita Prabowo, Account Manager, Integrated Marketing and Communications; Okhi, Web Developer, PNTR Group (ID), Kei Obusan, Insights Director; Daffi Ranandi, Insights Manager, Radarr (SG), Gautam Reghunath, Co-founder & CEO, Talented (IN), Donagh Humphreys, Head of Social and Digital Innovation, THINKHOUSE (IRE), Sarah Yim, Strategy Director, Zulu Alpha Kilo (CA).
Trends In Paid Search: Navigating The Digital Landscape In 2024Search Engine Journal
The search marketing landscape is evolving rapidly with new technologies, and professionals, like you, rely on innovative paid search strategies to meet changing demands.
It’s important that you’re ready to implement new strategies in 2024.
Check this out and learn the top trends in paid search advertising that are expected to gain traction, so you can drive higher ROI more efficiently in 2024.
You’ll learn:
- The latest trends in AI and automation, and what this means for an evolving paid search ecosystem.
- New developments in privacy and data regulation.
- Emerging ad formats that are expected to make an impact next year.
Watch Sreekant Lanka from iQuanti and Irina Klein from OneMain Financial as they dive into the future of paid search and explore the trends, strategies, and technologies that will shape the search marketing landscape.
If you’re looking to assess your paid search strategy and design an industry-aligned plan for 2024, then this webinar is for you.
5 Public speaking tips from TED - Visualized summarySpeakerHub
From their humble beginnings in 1984, TED has grown into the world’s most powerful amplifier for speakers and thought-leaders to share their ideas. They have over 2,400 filmed talks (not including the 30,000+ TEDx videos) freely available online, and have hosted over 17,500 events around the world.
With over one billion views in a year, it’s no wonder that so many speakers are looking to TED for ideas on how to share their message more effectively.
The article “5 Public-Speaking Tips TED Gives Its Speakers”, by Carmine Gallo for Forbes, gives speakers five practical ways to connect with their audience, and effectively share their ideas on stage.
Whether you are gearing up to get on a TED stage yourself, or just want to master the skills that so many of their speakers possess, these tips and quotes from Chris Anderson, the TED Talks Curator, will encourage you to make the most impactful impression on your audience.
See the full article and more summaries like this on SpeakerHub here: https://speakerhub.com/blog/5-presentation-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers
See the original article on Forbes here:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2016/05/06/5-public-speaking-tips-ted-gives-its-speakers/&refURL=&referrer=#5c07a8221d9b
ChatGPT and the Future of Work - Clark Boyd Clark Boyd
Everyone is in agreement that ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) will shape the future of work. Yet there is little consensus on exactly how, when, and to what extent this technology will change our world.
Businesses that extract maximum value from ChatGPT will use it as a collaborative tool for everything from brainstorming to technical maintenance.
For individuals, now is the time to pinpoint the skills the future professional will need to thrive in the AI age.
Check out this presentation to understand what ChatGPT is, how it will shape the future of work, and how you can prepare to take advantage.
A brief introduction to DataScience with explaining of the concepts, algorithms, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, clustering, statistics, data preprocessing, real-world applications etc.
It's part of a Data Science Corner Campaign where I will be discussing the fundamentals of DataScience, AIML, Statistics etc.
Time Management & Productivity - Best PracticesVit Horky
Here's my presentation on by proven best practices how to manage your work time effectively and how to improve your productivity. It includes practical tips and how to use tools such as Slack, Google Apps, Hubspot, Google Calendar, Gmail and others.
The six step guide to practical project managementMindGenius
The six step guide to practical project management
If you think managing projects is too difficult, think again.
We’ve stripped back project management processes to the
basics – to make it quicker and easier, without sacrificing
the vital ingredients for success.
“If you’re looking for some real-world guidance, then The Six Step Guide to Practical Project Management will help.”
Dr Andrew Makar, Tactical Project Management
Unlocking the Power of ChatGPT and AI in Testing - A Real-World Look, present...Applitools
During this webinar, Anand Bagmar demonstrates how AI tools such as ChatGPT can be applied to various stages of the software development life cycle (SDLC) using an eCommerce application case study. Find the on-demand recording and more info at https://applitools.info/b59
Key takeaways:
• Learn how to use ChatGPT to add AI power to your testing and test automation
• Understand the limitations of the technology and where human expertise is crucial
• Gain insight into different AI-based tools
• Adopt AI-based tools to stay relevant and optimize work for developers and testers
* ChatGPT and OpenAI belong to OpenAI, L.L.C.
1. Groeten uit Angola
In Angola dient het nieuwe Afrika zich heel voorzichtig aan. De elite gaat weer naar het
strand, snelle jongens kopen grond aan de kust en het vliegveld van Ondjiva wordt
opgeknapt....
Door Hans Moleman
Volkskrant 20 januari 2004
Is het een luchtspiegeling? Strak zwart asfalt, tientallen kilometer achter elkaar. Een vers
getrokken witte middenstreep. Glanzend nieuwe verkeersborden. Na de barre tocht vanaf de
grens is de etappe van Lubango naar Moedes een verademing. De weg naar het strand is beter,
was ons verteld. Wat heet beter: de Estrada Nacional 280 is een droom.
Je moet jezelf even in je arm knijpen: is dit hetzelfde Angola als gisteren? Het Angola van de
gaten en kuilen waarin de assen kapot slaan als je harder gaat dan een slakkengang? Waar je
tien uur moet uittrekken voor vierhonderd kilometer, de afstand van de Namibische grens naar
Lubango, over een weg die allang geen weg meer is omdat er sinds het vertrek van de
Portugese kolonialen bijna geen onderhoud meer aan is gepleegd?
De route vanaf de grens is het vertrouwde Angola: hobbelen en manoeuvreren over
zandpaden langs een ex-weg, enorme vrachtwagens met containers vol spullen uit Zuid-
Afrika ontwijken die in gordijnen van stof opduiken. Jongetjes die proberen wat bij te
verdienen door snel zand in gaten te gooien als er een auto langskomt. Gestrande Angolezen
die je reserveband willen lenen.
Het nieuwe Angola ontmoet je voortzoevend op de EN 280. Hier is even het onvoorstelbare
potentieel van Afrika zichtbaar: hoe een land dat bijna een kwart eeuw is geteisterd door
burgeroorlog terugveert, weer een plek kan worden waar mensen de kans krijgen een normaal
bestaan te herbouwen. Waar je zelfs, met wat geluk, weer gewoon een dagje naar het strand
kunt. De happy few van Angola doen het al, in het weekeinde, in grote glimmende auto's.
Ik wilde voor mijn vertrek uit Afrika nog keer naar Angola. Niet om de bekende mis op te
tekenen, maar als vakantieganger. Korte broek aan, zonnecr op de huid, een bandje met
lekkere Angolese muziek in de cassettespeler - weet Ry Cooder al dat oude Angolezen bijna
net zulke mooie muziek maken als oude Cubanen? Toerist in een vreemd gebied, op zoek
naar een gedroomde toekomst.
Het lijken twee begrippen die niets bij elkaar te zoeken hebben, toerisme en Angola. Het land
staat in het geheugen gegrift als synoniem voor ellende. Meer dan een kwart eeuw was het een
van die vele hopeloze landen op het Afrikaanse continent. Maar het is aan het veranderen,
sinds vorig jaar.
Rebellenleider Jonas Savimbi is dood, er is een vredesakkoord gesloten. De regerende
Volksbeweging voor de Bevrijding van Angola (MPLA) van president Josduardo dos Santos
is weliswaar nog steeds een tamelijk treurig gezelschap dat vooral gespecialiseerd is in
zelfverrijking, maar ze belooft beterschap. Het perspectief voor de dertien miljoen Angolezen
ziet er eindelijk eens wat vrolijker uit.
2. Ze verdienen het. Angola is in aanleg een van de rijkste landen van Afrika: op de vruchtbare
landbouwgronden kan bijna alles worden verbouwd, de olievelden voor de kust leveren een
inkomstenstroom van miljoenen dollars, er zijn riante diamantmijnen.
Het is een rijkdom die paradoxaal genoeg een bekend recept is voor armoede. Goed bestuur
kan er een bron van vooruitgang van maken. Het is nu nog niet meer dan een fantasie voor de
toekomst, maar ook Angola kan een welvarend en gelukkig land worden. Mits er eens
verantwoordelijke politici opstaan.
En dan is er de mooie, natuurlijke kant van Angola. De kust met eindeloze zandstranden, het
groene, subtropische binnenland, de steden met restanten van gracieuze Portugese
architectuur, de uitgestrekte natuurparken, de bergen en savannes, de woestijn zelfs.
Het is wel even doorbijten, naar het paradijs. We waren gewaarschuwd voor de gruwelweg
naar Lubango, en het klopt helemaal. Angola onthaalt zijn bezoekers vanaf de grens op een
survivaltocht vol verrassingen. Tot Ondjiva gaat het nog. Het stadje, waar een
kapotgebombardeerd gebouw aan het centrale park nog scherp aan de oorlog herinnert,
fungeert als tussenstation in de drukke grenshandel. Omdat Angola nog amper zelf
produceert, worden de meeste consumentenproducten, van waspoeder tot auto's, uit Namibin
vooral Zuid-Afrika georteerd. Ondernemende Chinese zakenlui hebben aan de grens
warenhuizen opgezet vol goedkope Aziatische spullen.
De eerste verrassing is het vliegveld van Ondjiva. Er staat een imposante bouwplaats vol
modern materieel, want het veldje wordt geheel vernieuwd. Er komt een landingsbaan waar
de grootste vrachtvliegtuigen kunnen landen. Waarom, vraag je je af. Waarom wordt hier niet
eerst de weg aangepakt? Nota bene de enige hoofdweg door Angola.
Een eind verderop staat midden op de weg een uitgebrande vrachtwagencombinatie. De
lading ligt in de berm: glaswerk voor de Ngola-brouwerij. Het is de enige grote fabriek van
Lubango die altijd heeft doorgedraaid. Oorlog of geen oorlog, bier zal er zijn. Langs de weg
staan prachtige dikke baobab-bomen. In een afgetrapt dorp halverwege komt de geur van vers
brood uit een blinkend wit geschilderd gebouw. Paderia Confian Bakkerij Het Vertrouwen,
mooie naam voor een bakker in Angola.
We wilden naar Lubango omdat het de naam heeft een aangename stad te zijn, op de rand van
het centrale hoogland. Koel en groen is het er, een verademing na de hete savanne van de
grensstreek. Eens moet de tweede stad van het land ook mooi zijn geweest. Brede straten,
sierlijke gebouwen, parkjes die herinneren aan Portugal.
Nu ligt Lubango er versleten bij. De pensions die in een ver verleden gasten herbergden die de
hitte wilden ontvluchten zijn gesloten of zo vuil, dat je er alleen in hoge nood wilt
overnachten. De sloppenwijken met hun lemen huisjes, al jaren onderdak voor de vele
tienduizenden vluchtelingen uit het centrale hoogland, zijn opgerukt tot in het centrum.
Hier en daar zie je dat de stad aan een nieuwe start werkt. Het Grande Hotel da Hu wordt
gerenoveerd. Op het terras zijn zakenlui - Portugezen, Zuid-Afrikanen en hun Angolese
partners - druk doende met zakjapanners en laptops. Op de Tafelberg, de platte berg die
uittorent boven de oostrand van Lubango, wordt de sokkel van een immens Christusbeeld van
een nieuwe stuclaag voorzien. Er is een restaurant in aanbouw naast de radar- en
luchtafweerbasis van het Angolese leger.
Zoek JoMarques op als je in Lubango bent, was ons verteld. Hij is een Angolees die al hardop
durft te dromen.
3. Marques woont op een oude boerderij twintig kilometer buiten de stad, bij het dorp Humpata.
Hij behoort tot het handjevol Portugezen dat niet wegvluchtte toen de onafhankelijkheid
kwam. Op het moment dat de MPLA-strijders blanken begonnen te executeren, in de bange
dagen van de overgang halverwege de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw, dook hij onder.
Hij vertelt het laconiek, alsof het een natuurverschijnsel was. 'Mijn familie woont al honderd
jaar op dit landgoed. Ik hoor hier, niet in Portugal. De dorpelingen hebben me verstopt. Toen
de onrust voorbij was heb ik de draad voorzichtig weer opgepakt.'
De boerderij heeft boomgaarden vol appels en peren, velden met aardappels en aardbeien. Nu
de vrede is gekomen, wil Marques het allemaal verkopen. Dat was altijd makkelijk, want de
generaals van de MPLA kochten altijd graag landerijen van waarde. Maar de laatste tijd, sinds
de oorlog voorbij is, is de belangstelling minder geworden.
JoMarques wil het toerisme in. Een mooi pension met restaurant, daar droomt hij van. En een
reisbureau om gasten naar de inheemse stammen te brengen, naar de watervallen, naar het
panorama bovenop de hoge rotsen, waar je een adembenemend uitzicht hebt op de kustvlakte.
Het was vroeger voor Portugese gezinnen een geliefde plek om de zondagmiddag picknickend
door te brengen.
Marques is ervan overtuigd dat Angola het in zich heeft een toeristische bestemming te
worden. Het zuiden kan toeristen trekken die vanuit Kaapstad of Johannesburg een rondrit
maken door de regio. Die gaan nu naar het Etosha-park in het noorden van NamibiVandaar
gaat het rechtsaf, via de Caprivistrook naar de Victoria-watervallen op de grens van Zambia
en Zimbabwe. Ze moeten straks rechtdoor, de vierhonderd kilometer naar Lubango.
Natuurlijk, die weg is een obstakel. Er wordt al zo lang gepraat over het herstel, en er gebeurt
niets, klaagt Marques.
De snelle jongens slaan nu al toe. 'Ik ken mensen die aan de kust een huis met eigen strand
hebben. Een heeft zelfs een strand van vijf kilometer. Gekocht van de Capitaneria Marma.
Aan het Flamingostrand heeft een Zuid-Afrikaan bungalows gebouwd.' De kustautoriteit doet
niet moeilijk, als je de goede contacten hebt. Zelf hoeft hij geen privrand, alleen een
familiepension annex reisbureau, zodat zijn vier dochters een toekomst kunnen opbouwen.
W
e moeten blijven voor de middagmaaltijd. Eerst een toost met zelfgemaakte likeur. Ao futuro
do turismo! Op de grote tafel wordt het eten geserveerd: gemarineerde koedoe, een enorme
schotel aardappelpuree, kleine, dieprode aardbeien toe. Alles van eigen grond, ook de koedoe,
een forse antilope, is er geschoten. De gastheer geniet nog van de jachtpartij. 'Die vrijheid, de
ruimte, dat is waarom ik van dit land houd. Ik ben een Angolees.'
Op naar het strand. Na een spectaculaire afdaling van de hoogvlakte, met eindeloze
haarspeldbochten, begint beneden tropisch bos. En dan verspert een hefboom de weg.
Politiecontrole.
'We kunnen u niet doorlaten', constateert de sergeant na intensieve bestudering van de
papieren. 'Uw bestemming is Lubango. Omdraaien.' Hij beent weg. Niks dagje naar het
strand. Hij is niet van plan zich te laten vermurwen. 'Commandante, we zijn toeristen. Die
gaan vaak naar een bepaalde plaats om van daaruit uitstapjes te maken.'
4. Vergeet het maar, zonder het correcte stempel. Aangeslagen willen we bijna opgeven, als een
collega van de douane wat tegen de commandante prevelt. 'Zo doen toeristen inderdaad, ze
maken uitstapjes, zonder aparte vergunning. Dat mag tegenwoordig.'
Het werkt. Namen, geboortedata, namen van vaders en moeders en de gegevens van de auto
worden zorgvuldig opgetekend in een groot, beduimeld boek. Dan gaat de hefboom omhoog,
na de plechtige belofte dat we in Moedes meteen bij de dichtstbijzijnde politiepost
rapporteren.
En het strand? Heerlijk verlaten.
Over tien jaar gaan we de tocht nog eens overdoen. Kijken of JoMarques zijn droom heeft
kunnen waarmaken. Of je al ansichtkaarten kunt kopen, met 'Groeten uit Angola'.
Dit is de laatste reportage van Hans Moleman uit zuidelijk Afrika. Deze maand begint hij als
de nieuwe correspondent van de Volkskrant in Shanghai, China.