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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Media Dialogues

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The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, or "IFA") is a German organisation operating worldwide to promote artistic exchange and dialogue between civil societies and to provide information about foreign cultural policy. IFA organises German- Arab media dialogues that take place alternately in Arab countries and in Germany. This initiative has also been extended to Turkey, Iran, and countries in Central Asia. The purpose of Media Dialogues is to help develop balanced, professional, and objective reporting in the media in a range of countries abroad - thus supporting the German Foreign Office's commitment to international crisis prevention, civil society strengthening, and human rights protection.
Communication Strategies

The in-person media dialogues that take place on a yearly basis (since 2000) covered issues of stereotypes and prejudices early on; discussions now focus on subjects like the social and legal position of women, cultural globalisation, young people and political participation, as well as tolerance and freedom of opinion. For example, the July 4-8 2009 German-Pakistani Media Dialogue in Berlin explored political violence and the fight for democracy, with a focus on problems of reporting in difficult times.

All the details from each cross-cultural programme are available on the Media Dialogues page on the IFA website. The subjects discussed in the media dialogues are at times followed up on with media study tours at the end of some of the conferences.

Development Issues

Media Development, Democracy and Governance.

Sources

Email from Christoph Dietz to The Communication Initiative on July 2 2009; A-Z of German Media Assistance to Developing and Transitional Countries [PDF]; and Media Dialogues page on the IFA website.

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