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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Florida Youth Tobacco Survey - USA

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A cooperative programme was established in 1997 with the purpose of surveying the results of a concerted effort to decrease smoking among youth in Florida. The survey tracked the tobacco use, attitudes, and related behaviours of school-enrolled youth in 49 counties of Florida to establish prevalence estimates of the use of tobacco products and to monitor the progress of the Pilot Program on Tobacco Control.
Communication Strategies
A media campaign, education and training, community partnerships and enforcement activity were all important parts of the communication strategies used to reach youth in Florida's middle and high schools.
Development Issues
Children, Youth, Tobacco.
Key Points
The Pilot Program was intended to reduce youth tobacco use through innovative, youth-led activities. Data was collected both in 1997 (prior to the project) and in both 1998 and 1999 to track changes in tobacco use and smoking behaviour.

Click here to access follow-up research data.
Partners

Florida Departments of Health, Education and Office of Tobacco Control, County health departments and school districts; Survey performed with help of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).