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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Community Media Programme

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A programme by EcoNews Africa to promote the development of community-based media in Kenya, East Africa and the east and southern African sub-region. Their premise is that media owned, controlled and produced by, for and about communities can serve as vital for debate on development, governance and human rights at the local level as well as for the preservation and promotion of local culture(s) and indigenous knowledge.
Communication Strategies

Supports advocacy and training activities of the Kenyan Community Media Network (KCOMNET), which it houses and to which it provides legal cover. Coordinates the fundraising, technical and training aspects of an east African pilot project to establish community radio stations in: Mang'elete, Kenya; Terrat, Tanzania; and Kagadi, Uganda. Is the lead organisation for the Community Media Network of East and Southern Africa (COMNESA) and is responsible for awareness raising, research, advocacy for enabling media regulation for community media, and community media training.

Development Issues

Human rights, governance issues, local agricultural and health problems, including women's reproductive health.

Key Points

Community-based and generated media can provide critical two-way conduits for the flow of information between the local level and the national and international levels, enabling communities to feed issues of concern to national and international policy-makers and vice versa.

Partners

EcoNews Africa, Community Media Network of East and Southern Africa (COMNESA), Kenya Community Media Network (KCOMNET).