The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Center for Media Education - USA

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CME is a national non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of the electronic media. The Center fosters telecommunications policy making in the public interest through its research, advocacy, public education, and press activities.
Communication Strategies

CME's Action for Children in Cyberspace initiative includes: A Policy Research Network, linking leading academic researchers with policy professionals to develop a solid intellectual base for policy making; A Children's Media Policy Network, bringing key stakeholders together from the child advocacy, education, consumer, and civil rights communities; InfoActive Kids a quarterly publication that provides information on technological trends, a library of recent reports, and a listing of key resources.
Development Issues

Child advocacy, education.
Key Points

At the national and state levels, CME is working with education, library, and child advocacy organisations to expand the access of poor and minority children to new educational technologies in school and at home. The Center is partnering with several state child advocacy groups in campaigns to promote telecommunications policies on behalf of children and disadvantaged families. CME has also developed a strategic campaign designed to reframe the public debate over the media system and its impact on children. In 1992, CME spearheaded a national Campaign for Kids' TV with more than 80 child advocacy, education, and parents groups. That effort resulted in a 1996 decision by the Federal Communications Commission to require TV stations to air a minimum of three hours of educational children's programs per week.
Sources

CME web site.