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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MAKE: Media for Advocacy and Empowerment

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BBC Media Action is working with community radio stations in Zambia to build their capacity to hold local governments accountable and ensure they improve local services and conditions. A two-year project, MAKE: Media for Advocacy and Empowerment was launched in June 2011 and is being implemented in partnership with the Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) across four provinces. It is funded by the European Community and the Finnish Embassy.

Communication Strategies

BBC Media Action is providing journalism training and ongoing mentoring to four radio stations with the goal of building capacity to fulfil their role reporting local events and creating spaces for dialogue between ordinary people and local authorities. Working closely with local civil society actors through ZCSD, community radio stations produce interactive radio shows with phone-in segments that explore local governance issues. Programmes are broadcast both in local languages and Zambia’s official language, English, in an effort to enable the greatest possible reach and participation.

 

These programmes are intended to be a key platform for individuals to interact with local authority figures such as councillors, local chiefs, and heads of hospitals. According to BBC Media Action, listeners highlight service delivery gaps and prompt officials to respond to their needs. For example, at Oblate Radio Liseli, one listener asked her council why sewage was running through her garden and along the street where her children play. Another listener asked his councillor how he was supposed to explain to his son that he couldn’t go to school this term because he wouldn’t have the money, as he hadn’t been paid on time.

Development Issues

Democracy and Governance

Partners

BBC Media Action, Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD), European Community, Finnish Embassy.

Sources

BBC Media Action website on August 1 2012.