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

Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 15 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Kilna Bil Hayy [All of Us in the Neighborhood]

1 comment
Created by Search for Common Ground (SFCG) Lebanon, this dramatic children's television series, in Arabic, is designed to communicate the fact that, in the words of Nader Noueiri, one of the children of Kilna Bil Hayy, "no matter how much the leaders fight, the reality on the ground is that we all get along and live well together no matter what community we come from." The TV series is the first step in a larger initiative to educate the youth of Lebanon in conflict resolution and, ultimately, to shift the culture toward non-adversarial approaches to problem-solving.
Communication Strategies

Kilna Bil Hayy ("All of Us in the Neighbourhood") tells the stories of 6 children - Armenian, Christian, Druze, Palestinian, Shia, Sunni - living together in an apartment building. The children work together to solve problems, guided by Lina, who personifies the conscience of their shared home. The children conspire with Lina, whom only they can see and hear, to overcome the prejudices of the adults and promote tolerance. Thus, it is up to them to break free from their parents' patterns. Despite the discord and segregation that have left their mark on the country, their families learn to accept their differences and celebrate their commonalities.

In addition to the 13-part series, broadcast nationally on LBC International from May 23 2009 to August 15 2009, SFCG is collaborating with the Lebanese Ministry of Education in an ongoing "listening and problem-solving" SFCG initiative designed for 8-14 year olds in schools across Lebanon. This effort involves training teachers to introduce mediation, active listening, and problem-solving in over 80 Lebanese schools. SFCG is offering DVDs and other material, such as curricular resources, connected to the series to make the lessons come alive. In-school activity kits encourage children and youth to practice and reflect on the themes of each episode.

Development Issues

Children, Conflict.

Key Points

A review of the series published in the Daily Star newspaper of Beirut reads, "The kids shake off the cultural and socio-economic prejudices of their parents and forge deep friendships with their neighbors, based on mutual respect, understanding, cooperation, and trust....Although the subject matter is serious, the program still manages to remain humorous and avoids coming across as a dose of lecturing."

Partners

The first season of Kilna Bil Hayy was produced with funding from the Danish Rockwool Foundation.

Sources

Fall 2009 Common Ground Newsletter; SFCG website, accessed September 25 2009; and email from Juliette Schmidt to The Communication Initiative on March 16 2010.

Comments

User Image
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/10/2009 - 08:48 Permalink

A lot more effort in this direction helps to build grass-roots support for the change needed in Lebanon.

Teaser Image
http://www.comminit.com/files/kilna-bil-hayy-screen3.jpg
file_302891_1322.jpeg