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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Fight for your Rights Campaign - Global

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Launched by MTV in February 2003, Fight for your Rights: Protect Yourself (FFYR) aims to inform and empower young people to make changes related to sexual health. The campaign provides information on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy. The yearlong initiative includes special programming, public service messages, online and grassroots components, and a resource and referral service.
Communication Strategies
The campaign involves special television programming; public service messages; a sexual health website for youth; grassroots events and advocacy opportunities; and a resource and referral service, including a free sexual health guide. The website provides information on where to get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), how to connect with peers and peer educators about sexual health issues, where to get facts about how to keep safe, and how to get involved in local initiatives. This site places an emphasis on providing accurate facts, helping youth get tested, and giving youth a voice to speak out on the sexual health issues that they think matter most through forums and other communication initatives.

"MTV's First National Sex Quiz" kicked off the campaign in April 2002. Almost 15 million viewers tuned in for the televised special, and over 700,000 young people took the quiz online. "Sex, School and Scandal" examines the social forces that led to four people being diagnosed as HIV positive after hundreds of those potentially infected were tested in a small, rural community in South Dakota.

Two concerts were held as part of the 90-minute "Staying Alive" televised show. The Cape Town event in South Africa featured Grammy-winning singers and local artists; the Seattle, Washington event featured multi-platinum singers. Both concerts premiered on MTV channels worldwide as a commercial-free special. The special also featured interview segments and public health messages from humanitarians, celebrities and musicians.
Development Issues
Sexual Health, Youth, HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
MTV won the 'Network of the Year' award at 2nd Annual Cable Positive Pop Awards in New York on February 26, 2003 for most effectively promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and prevention through its original programming.
Sources

Press release - "MTV wins 'Network of the Year' award for exceptional HIV/AIDS related programming" - sent from the Young People's Media Network on February 27 2003 (click here to access the archives); MTV FFYR website; and Advocates for Youth website.

Click here to access a related peer-reviewed summary on the Health e Communication website, and to participate in peer review.