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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Ombligos al Sol - Mexico

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In 2001, Population Communications International (PCI), an international NGO that works with local partners to promote sexual and reproductive health and environmental preservation, launched a programme in Mexico City called "Ombligos al Sol". The weekly 30-minute-long show is broadcast live in Spanish to an adolescent audience in Mexico City each Tuesday night at 8:30 PM on Radio Educación 1060 AM. It is also simultaneously broadcast over the Internet (click here to access online), reaching an even wider audience. Targeting young people from 17 to 24 years old, the show covers themes such as substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, date rape, the risks of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), eating disorders, and domestic violence. The purpose of the programme is to educate listeners, motivating them to take responsibility for their reproductive health and to seek out youth-friendly health services.
Communication Strategies
The radio show is written, produced, directed, acted, and hosted by a local team of young people. PCI trained the team in scriptwriting and radio production, as well as in substantive issues associated with reproductive health. The radio show has a magazine-like format that includes advice from local experts on the subject of the week, testimonials from young people, a 5-minute mini-drama, and "words from the street" featuring voices of youth in Mexico City. Interactive participation is encouraged in the form of comments or questions via phone or e-mail. Listeners may thereby have their questions answered by the experts, open discussion on sensitive topics that are of concern, while communicating with their peers and providing feedback to the creative and production team. The host and hostess of the show also direct the audience members to youth-friendly service providers.

Ombligos also uses the Internet as a strategy to inform young audiences. At the Ombligos website, audience members can find additional information on previous topics, send in comments, participate in discussion forums on the issues, or check out the latest news and events coming up for the programme. The website also opens the possibility for anyone with Internet access to have the information at their fingertips any time regardless of where they are located geographically. The site is regularly updated and maintained by two of the Ombligos team members and also serves as a monitoring tool for response to the programme.
Development Issues
Youth, drug abuse, adolescent pregnancy and sexuality, STDs, HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
'Ombligos al Sol' means 'Bellybuttons to the Sun,' which is indicative of the effort to openly discuss topics that are usually considered private or taboo.

In 2003, the Population Institute awarded Ombligos al Sol the Global Media Award for Excellence in PopulationReporting (Best Radio Program category).
Sources

On Air, PCI's Newsletter, Winter 2002; and PCI site; and letter sent from Lillian Chege to The Communication Initiative on October 6 2003.