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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Communication and Social Mobilisation for National Immunisation Days (NIDs) in Mali

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Presented at: The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meeting on Communication for Polio Eradication

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Summary

[Please note: the original presentation is in French.]

This PowerPoint presentation was part of a June 2005 joint United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting dedicated to examining communication in the context of the final global push to eradicate polio. At this meeting, country-specific presentations were made by communication practitioners in 16 of the 21 countries which have experienced cases of wild poliovirus in 2004 and/or in 2005 (to June). The total number of global poliovirus cases increased from 784 cases in 2003 to 1,255 cases in 2004, with 1,004 cases reported to August 9 2005 (548 for the same period in 2005). Communication strategies presented at this meeting were primarily focused on:

  1. Analysing the results of programmes implemented to June 2005, and
  2. Detailing the planned communication programme for the next 6 to 12 month period, designed to support a reversal of the above trend and achievement of the goal of eradicating polio worldwide.


This presentation provided an overview of the epidemiological history, as well as the country-specific communication strategies and challenges within Mali.

Between 2000-2003, Mali had no confirmed cases of polio. Then in 2004, 19 cases were confirmed mainly as a result of importation. To August 2005, Mali has had 3 confirmed cases as a result of re-established transmission.

Two thirds of children not vaccinated during April National Immunisation Days (NIDs) live in the northern part of the country. Many areas in the country are hard to reach because of the desert, floods and bad roads. The high mobility of the nomadic population presents a major challenge to the vaccination teams.

The media environment is made up of a local radio network of 250 stations, 35 newspapers, and a range of traditional communicators. There is also a National Centre for Health Information, Education and Communication, though the most requested/used channel for informing parents about vaccination and health matters is the radio.

According to this presentation, for the next 6 to 12 months period, priority will be given to interpersonal communication in order to promote community initiatives, capacity building, and community based communication activities. The main communication strategies to be developed are advocacy, social mobilisation and communication for behaviour change.

The main challenges identified are the need to obtain the active and sustainable support of all partners on the steering committee toward the communication programme objectives, better coordination of NID activities, and a more effective involvement of traditional and religious leaders in NID activities.

A plan for the November and December 2005 NID activities was provided.

Click here to download the full PowerPoint presentation, in French, as a PDF file.