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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Child Online Protection (COP)

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In 2009 the United Nations (UN)' International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched an initiative called Child Online Protection (COP) within its Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA), a framework for international cooperation aimed at proposing strategies for solutions to enhance confidence and security in the information society. COP aims to bring together partners from all sectors of the global community to ensure a safe and secure online experience for children everywhere. It is an effort to raise awareness among children and young people of the risks and vulnerabilities that exist in cyberspace, such as bullying and harassment, identity theft, online gaming and addiction, and harmful and illegal content.
Communication Strategies

COP has been established as an international collaborative network for action to promote the online protection of children worldwide by providing guidance on safe online behaviour in conjunction with other UN agencies and partners (click here for a list).

COP's online resources are designed to empower children and young people through education about what can happen online and how to behave to navigate safely. Practical tools to help minimise risk include 4 sets of guidelines developed specifically for each of the following stakeholder groups: children, parents and educators, industry, and policymakers. These guidelines are offered in several languages. Links to other online resources on internet safety are also available here.

Development Issues

Children, Media Literacy.

Key Points

According to ITU,

  • Around 90% of teens and young adults worldwide use the internet.
  • Over 60% of children and teenagers talk in chat rooms on a daily basis.
  • 3 in 4 children online are willing to share personal information about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services.
  • 1 in 5 children will be targeted by a predator or paedophile each year.
  • While 30% of teenage girls say they have been sexually harassed in a chat room, only 7% tell their parents, for fear their online access will be limited.
  • While 92% of parents say they have established rules for their children's online activity, 34% of children say their parents haven't.
  • In France, 72% of children surf online alone, and while 85% of parents know about parental control software, only 30% have installed it.
  • In Korea, 90% of homes connect to cheap, high-speed broadband, and up to 30% of Koreans under the age of 18 are at risk of internet addiction, spending 2 hours a day or more online.
  • In the United Kingdom (UK), 57% of 9-19 year olds say they have seen online pornography, 46% say they have given out information they shouldn't have, and 33% say they have been bullied online.
  • In China, 44% of children said they had been approached online by strangers, and 41% had talked to an online stranger about sex, or something that made them feel uncomfortable.
Sources

News on Children, Youth and Media in the World No. 2, 2009, from the International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media forwarded to the Young People's Media Network (YPMN) listserv, February 11 2010; and COP website, February 12 2010.

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