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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How Revealing

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Launched in January 2017 by a group Indians led by a lawyer, How Revealing is designed to be a safe space online for people in India to share their stories of sexual assault. The website is dedicated to recording experiences of every magnitude, from unwanted stares on the street to public masturbation. Named for the common refrain that lays the blame for assault solely on the clothing women wear, the website sources stories from individuals across the country, including people of different gender identities and sexual orientations. Its purpose is to raise awareness and break the stereotypes surrounding safety and security in India for everyone but especially for women, trans persons, and children.

Communication Strategies

How Revealing is an information and communication technology (ICT)-enabled approach for creating a repository of experiences unique to India and for serving as a one-stop place for those who wish to know more and/or share their experiences with sexual assault and sexism in India. You can be of any gender identity and you need not be someone who has directly experienced it. You could be, for instance, someone who sees men in the bus groping women but do not know what to do or how to respond. You do not need to be Indian to post there – the website documents experiences that take place in India.

The ongoing project has first-hand accounts from Indian women and men who recall incidents of molestation, catcalling, exhibitionism, and abuse at different ages in cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Lucknow, and Hyderabad.

"The team plans to create a directory of organisations that offer support and assistance for victims with the goal of ending the blaming and shaming of those who suffer from sexual assault or worse. And in time, with enough stories, How Revealing hopes to finally be able to push for greater policy changes in India." How Revealing also has a Facebook and Twitter presence.

Development Issues

Women, Rights, Gender, Gender-Based Violence, and Sexual Assault

Key Points

In India, crimes against women, for instance, are reported every two minutes.

Sources

Quartz India article by Maria Thomas, January 27 2017 and How Revealing website - both accessed on February 6 2017, and emails from How Revealing to The Communication Initiative on February 10 2017 and February 14 2017. Image credit: Pigeon & Co. and How Revealing.