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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Gender and Development Talks (GAD) – Zimbabwe

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Gender and Development Talks (GAD) is a women's programme that meets monthly to discuss women's issues. Participants meet for about one and a half hours long, mostly over lunchtime. The talks bring together gender activists, researchers and ordinary women and men from various organisations and the community at large. The programme aims to create a social and friendly environment where women can express their problems and views freely.
Communication Strategies
GAD Talks creates space to examine what the organisers refer to as those areas kept unexamined because of sexism and patriarchy. The talks are also used as a forum to challenge power relations and patriarchal ideology. The aims of the programme are to raise consciousness and opening up political and social space.

The programme organiser, Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) publishes electronic bulletins on the topics of the GAD talks that are then distributed widely by e-mail. "These have helped to create debate as collaborators respond expounding their own points of view regarding the topic of the GAD talks."

ZWRCN staff research and write stories that illustrate issues discussed in particular GAD talks.
Development Issues
Women, Gender
Key Points
The main aim of the talks is to hammer out key issues around topics that are largely seen as 'untouchable and not for discussion in the public space'.
Partners

Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network

Sources

Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network website