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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Rape Crisis

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Rape Crisis is a South African women's non-governmental organisation that aims to help rape victims by providing counselling and public education. The organisation also undertakes research in the areas of sexual abuse, the direct experience of survivors, and rape as a crime of sexual violence and an abuse of power. Advocacy efforts using media channels are designed to bring about change related to sexual violence against women.
Communication Strategies
Rape Crisis offers free and confidential support to women and men, over the age of 16, who have been raped or sexually assaulted. Counselling takes place through the following channels:
  • over the telephone: 24 hours a day
  • in face-to-face counselling sessions: by appointment, during office hours, after hours, and over the weekends
  • via court preparation for women due to appear in court to testify
  • in support groups and self-help workshops for women who have been raped
  • via advice and counselling to friends and family members of a person who has been raped.
The organisation works with a variety of organisations and institutions with the aim of reducing sexist attitudes, raising awareness about the effects of rape, informing women about their rights and recourse, and educating youth through a school-based programme.

Rape Crisis provides the following training programmes:
  • two internal training courses per year for women over the age of 18 who wish to join the organisation as volunteers in both counselling and public education
  • external training courses for community groups and a range of professionals who wish to learn or improve their skills in helping survivors of sexual assault
  • courses for police, prosecutors, and district surgeons designed to help them handle rape cases to the benefit of both the women and themselves.
Advocacy is one of the organisation's key strategies; efforts include:
  • making submissions to Parliament relevant to changing legislation
  • writing letters to the press highlighting the extent of the problem of violence against women and urging balanced reporting
  • providing radio, TV, and press interviews on issues relating to sexual violence
  • lobbying for changes in legal and medical procedures to support the provision of better services to women complainants.
Development Issues
Gender, Youth, Women, Conflict.
Key Points
The organisation has a feminist understanding that women should be involved in their own healing and decision-making, with the goal of achieving and enhancing their own empowerment in a society that traditionally trains women to be powerless.
Sources

Rape Crisis website.