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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Voices from the Frontlines – South Africa

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Voices from the Frontlines (Voices) is a theatrical performance designed to educate and mobilise a broader public on the global AIDS pandemic. The project aims to harness the talents and resources of artists to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS. The project organisers believe that by telling the stories of people in South Africa, it will help to humanise the overwhelming statistics of the pandemic.

The programme is designed to:
  • inform and inspire
  • increase compassion and decrease stigma
  • allow a new, broader group of people immediate and sustained involvement in the AIDS crisis
  • increase support for ANSA's AIDS programmes
  • help other AIDS organisations to increase their outreach, improve their event production skills and raise funds
Communication Strategies
The project works to make a difference by providing public education and mobilisation, advocacy, grant-making, media campaigns and materials. Voices uses theatre to portray first-person accounts of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS and/or those taking significant action to combat it. Artists perform the speeches, personal stories, music and poetry of noted and unsung heroes on the frontlines of the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

The event culminates with a call to action, providing information about immediate, tangible ways that people can get actively involved locally, nationally, and internationally in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It also explains how individuals can prevent HIV/AIDS transmission and where they can get HIV tests and treatment. Some productions of Voices feature well-known performers, capable of attracting diverse audiences and media coverage to convey the message to a wider public. ANSA is creating a Voices production kit so that the drama can be produced by any interested group.
Development Issues
HIV/AIDS
Partners

John M. Lloyd Foundation, Artists for a New South Africa

Sources

Artists for a New South Africa website on August 10 2004.