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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Strong Women, Strong Voices

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To respond to the problem of violence against women in Latin America, in 2011, PCI Media Impact, together with Swedish partner Diakonia, began overseeing production of 3 radio dramas addressing crucial human rights issues for women: Cusco, Peru's "T'ikarinaykipaq Warmi" ("Women Awakens"); Choco, Colombia's "Juntadó, Historias de Río" ("Juntadó, Stories from a River"); and El Alto, Bolivia's "Raices de Violencia" ("Roots of Violence"). Collectively called Strong Women, Strong Voices, these programmes seek to shift the narrative for women in these gender-charged communities.

Communication Strategies

Radio is a favoured medium in rural communities in Latin America, and Strong Women, Strong Voices weaves together stories using language accessible to both Spanish-speaking and indigenous women. Three separate dramas have been produced and broadcast in Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia, telling - in the local language and context - the stories of women overcoming prejudice, abuse, and sexual violence. For example, "Juntado, Stories of the River" is a story about the daily tragedies and joys of an Afro-Colombian community. The drama celebrates the way in which Sara, Yisela, and other women from Juntado confront the violence and machismo rooted in their customs, while exploring the abuse and the complicity provoked by the presence of those involved in the armed conflict. Click here to read the synopses of the 3 programmes and to listen to them online.

 

Strong Women, Strong Voices places the production process in the hands of the women in Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia. According to organisers, the women and community members who work on these dramas not only share information about ending violence against women but are also learning, firsthand, the power of using communication to motivate change.

 

To make this experience possible, Strong Women, Strong Voices held 3 radio drama workshops in El Alto, Bolivia, Cusco, Peru, and Quibdó, Colombia, with representatives of grassroots social organisations, local journalists, radio stations, and other groups who were trained in the creation of this entertainment-education (EE) series. In each country, local partners developed and produced a radio soap opera of 24 episodes, adapting to the cultural contexts of each country, reaching an estimated audience of 900,000 people. Since the last season, organisers extended the show, with 26 additional episodes in each country and a new season.

 

These local dramas are now the foundation of a regional knowledge-sharing network for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and grassroots organisations. The network shares their experiences and strategies in this field, using communication strategies to influence and mobilise public opinion, change policy, and promote access to health services.

Development Issues

Women, Gender-Based Violence

Key Points

The United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) reports that up to 40% of women in Latin American have suffered as victims of physical violence. The rate is higher for emotional abuse. Violence reached 45% in Colombia, 40% in Bolivia, and 56% in Peru. A lack of commitment to addressing this violence impedes the fulfillment of existing protocols to combat gender-based violence.

 

In 2013, PCI-Media Impact was presented with the Global Award for Excellence in Communications at the 2nd Annual Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women by actor and activist Salma Hayek-Pinault.

Partners

PCI Media Impact and Diakonia

Sources

Email from Alex J. Cottin to The Communication Initiative on May 9 2013.