Ya Ali Madad,
Welcome to our new and improved Newsletter format. You will notice that starting this month we are publishing in Portuguese and English. We have also worked on the content hoping to present the Jamat with the high quality, relevant content.
We kick off with an article about Navroz. Read and discover the origins of this millenary tradition, how Navroz was adopted as a Shia celebration and how Ismailis and other Shia Muslims celebrate it around the world.
We begin this issue covering the Global Encounters Expedition Camp which was held last month in Pakistan. The annual Global Encounters program brings together Ismaili youth from the around the world to provide a broad, global perspective, ground students in the ethics of our faith, and inspire them to be change-makers in their home communities and the world at large. Check out this enlightening article and witness the Imamat’s work through the testimony of talented Ismaili youth from all over the world who took part in the camp.
Next we put the spotlight on Tech and Africa in an Economist article that explores how Africa’s digital workers are rewiring the old geographies of labour. What are their typical tasks? What types of challenges do young African digital freelancers face? Find out here.
We move on to health. Do you want to live a longer life? Perhaps adjusting your diet is the way to go. Scientists have taken a deep look at certain areas in the world where people routinely live longer lives, often living to 100 and beyond. They call these areas “Blue Zones”; find out where they are and how their inhabitants eat and live and then go ahead and implement some adjustments to your life and habits.
We wrap up this edition with some local news on how the AGT has finally waived the withholding of 2.5% VAT on POS payments. This is great news for everyone from traders, shoppers, and even banks and the wider economy. Read more about why almost everyone was against this tax and how and why the AGT has ultimately relented and scrapped this tax altogether.
We hope you enjoy the new, bilingual format of this newsletter and that you get some value from this issue.
Your Communications Team
Council for Angola
