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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H2P Leader's Guide: Teaching Preventive Messages about Influenza

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Offered by the Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness (H2P) Initiative, this guidebook describes a session to be used by district- or provincial-level trainers to teach community representatives, community health responders, and district and community leaders the "Four Flu-Fighting Behaviors" (Keep your distance, Wash your hands, Cover coughs and sneezes, and Separate the sick) and how to mobilise the community to use them. The suggested time to conduct the complete training session as outlined here is between 3 hours and 4 hours and 45 minutes, if all optional activities are included.

The guide details the elements of the interactive training session, which include pre- and post-tests, charades game, teach-back, mapping, brainstorming, and group discussions.

Several components of the training may be adapted, depending on the audience. For instance, in addition to written version of the pre-test (to assess familiarity with messages to prevent the spread of influenza), a "show of hands" version is available for low-literate participants, if pencils/paper are not available, or if time is very limited. And in the mapping exercise, if it is not possible to provide paper/pencils for each participant so that they can make their own maps, a chalkboard could also work, or a map can be made in the dirt using sticks, stones, and other items.

Launched in 2007 by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the H2P Initiative is an effort to reduce the risk of excess mortality from an influenza pandemic in over 25 countries with a focus on humanitarian coordination and community-level preparedness. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the overall coordinating agency, with participation by the CORE Group, InterAction, and AI.COMM (managed by the Academy for Educational Development, or AED). The United Nations (UN) agencies focus on national-level planning with governments and official technical and operational guidance around pandemic influenza.
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22