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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What Can I Do? [video & facilitator’s guide]

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This 49-minute video is designed to combat HIV-related stigma, shame, discrimination and denial in churches. The video features Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha from Uganda allegedly the first African priest to disclose his HIV-positive status. The video is accompanied by a 48-page Facilitator's Guide.

In this video, Canon Gideon suggests that fellow Christians should dispel judgemental attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. He describes the death of his wife from an HIV-related illness and that he also found out he was HIV-positive.

Canon Gideon has taken his HIV/AIDS ministry to many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as to Asia, Europe and North America. He is driven by the conviction that HIV/AIDS is both a preventable and a manageable illness, providing the barriers of stigma, shame, denial, discrimination and ignorance can be broken down.

The video is divided into segments on topics such as ‘Coping with stigma’, ‘Why be tested for HIV?’ and ‘Challenges for the church’. The accompanying Facilitator’s Guide enables groups to explore in greater depth the issues which the video raises.

Strategies for Hope Trust has a number of free copies available for organisations that cannot afford to purchase these materials.

Publishers

Source

Email from Glen Williams to The Communication Initiative on November 25 2004.