Development action with informed and engaged societies

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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Rock the Vote

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Rock the Vote is a media campaign dedicated to protecting freedom of speech, educating youth about the issues that affect all humans, and motivating youth to participate by registering, voting, and speaking out.
Communication Strategies

The campaign consists of Radio Rocks the Vote, Rock the Nation, and public support of Rock the Vote by famous artists in music, theatre and film. The web site links visitors to the issues, educates them on the process of voting and urges them to protect their rights by voting. Currently, Rock the Vote is working to develop a public education campaign empowering youth through civic participation, and to expand and solidify 'Radio Rocks the Vote'. In 1998, during the last congressional election, Radio Rocks the Vote partner stations were on the street and on the air reminding listeners of the power they have to make a difference by registering and getting out the vote. In addition to a media campaign and Rock the Nation Guides, Rock the Vote is conducting Rock the Nation Forums in 15 cities across the country to gather young people in the community to talk about the problems, the solutions and their role in creating substantive change in their schools, in their neighborhoods, and in their government

Development Issues

Political development, Rights, Youth.

Key Points

Radio Rocks the Vote is a partnership between Rock the Vote and key urban, alternative, and top 40 radio stations to use the force of their combined resources to help listeners feel the power they have to make a difference in their own backyard.

Partners

Rock the Vote was founded in 1990 by members of the recording industry in response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression.

Sources

Letter from Julia Cohen to The Communication Initiative and the Rock the Vote website.