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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Zandi's Song Teaching Resources for Avian Influenza

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The Academy for Educational Development (AED) has developed an illustrated children's storybook and other educational materials for schools in Africa to use to raise awareness among African children about avian influenza and involve them in educating their communities.

"Zandi's Song," an accompanying teacher's guide, posters, and bookmarks are being pre-tested in Kenya. But because of the recent outbreak of avian flu in Nigeria, AED is making advance copies of the materials available online free of charge.

AED believes that providing free and fast access to "Zandi's Song" will encourage avian flu and education programmes in Africa to consider using the materials to increase awareness about the disease among schoolchildren and communities. The materials, along with a licensing agreement for free use, can be downloaded at the AED website (click here) for local duplication and use in country programmes.

  1. Zandi's Song
    This is a 28-page booklet about Zandi, a 15-year-old girl who raises chickens to help pay school fees. In this context, the story includes discussion of the transmission and prevention of avian influenza. Zandi is empowered to help her village learn more about the disease.
  2. Teacher's Guide
    Zandi's Song is accompanied by a 12-page teacher's guide that contains a step-by-step approach to helping children take action in their community.
  3. Posters
    Two are currently available including: "What We Can Do to Protect Ourselves from Bird Flu" and "What We Can Do to Protect Our Flocks from Bird Flu"
  4. Fact Sheet: "What We Need to Know About Bird Flu"
    This fact sheet includes questions like - what is bird flu? How does it spread? How is it moving from Asia to Africa? Have any humans been infected by bird flu so far? Does this virus pass easily from birds to humans? Can infected humans pass the virus to other people? What are our health implications if we are infected by bird flu? The fact sheet concludes by giving tips on how to stay safe from bird flu, how avian influenza affects people and why it is important to do something about it.
  5. Bookmarks
    Two are currently available including: "Community Responses to Bird Flu" and "What We Can Do".
Languages

English

Source

AED's Avian Influenza section, February 15 2006.