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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Youth Voices on Air: Walking the Talk on MDG

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In August 2005, Voice of the Youth Network (VOTY), Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development, and DZME Radyo Uno 1530 kHz (which airs the VOTY programme "Lakas Kabataan - Tinig Kabataan Fully Charged!") launched a 2-month youth radio programme called "Youth Voices on Air: Walking the Talk on MDG." The aim is to build youth-led multi-stakeholder partnerships for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by raising awareness about the Goals among Filipino youth and community members. In short, through radio, the project seeks to involve key stakeholders and decision-makers from the government, private sector, civil society, and young people in an interactive debate on pressing global and national issues related to the MDGs
Communication Strategies
This project uses the medium of radio in an effort to raise community members' awareness about the MDGs, and to encourage young people's involvement in the process. The idea is that young media-makers can use radio broadcasting to reach out to key stakeholders - e.g., non-government organisations (NGOs) and development-oriented institutions - to progressively gain public support and encourage leading groups to do their share to achieve the Goals.

Geared toward nurturing a vibrant community of Filipino youth advocating and working for the MDGs, the programme broadcast its first segment a day after International Youth Day. The radio programme is aired every Saturday from 12:00 to 1:00 pm, a time slot meant to be convenient for young listeners.

Entertaining features are interspersed with information sharing to draw listeners' attention to the issues being discussed. An introductory song capturing each weekly episode's featured Goal is played to enliven the discussions. Performed by Filipino artists, these songs were written in Tagalog and English and compiled as an MDG awareness album that is expected to be released soon.
Development Issues
Youth.
Key Points
Organisers lament (but are inspired by) the fact that "there is an evident lack of inclusive participation and active engagement of and by young people in this important process of building community consciousness of the MDGs. It is unfortunate that avenues available for Filipino youth to participate in the campaign is either limited or simply not there."
Partners

VOTY, Philippine Resources for Sustainable Development, and DZME Radyo Uno 1530 kHz

Sources

Press release forwarded to The Communication Initiative by Pocholo D. Gonzales of TakingITGlobal on August 24 2005.