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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Our Time

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Our Time is a youth-oriented television talk show that aims to give youth an opportunity to express themselves and inform themselves. Broadcast since 1997 on Africa Independent Television (AIT), the programme aims to motivate and inspire youth to become potential life changers and to affect one another positively. It encourages young people to campaign for peace in the world and against HIV/AIDS by creating awareness and publicity that AIDS is real.
Communication Strategies
Project organisers believe that the only effective medium to reach out to young people is a television programme that is designed especially for them. The youth-generated television programme is designed to foster discussion: "Our Time is packaged and designed for the youth to discuss and proffer solutions to every social issue affecting their lives. The discussions are drawn from the youth themselves. The programme gives the youth a chance to discuss issues like HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancy, unemployment, ICT, gender equity, child abuse, drug abuse, child trafficking, violence and leadership. The programme also discusses relevant and practical solutions to the issues."

Interpersonal communication in the form of youth workshops is another programme activity. Since 2002, organisers have held three workshops for youth. The annual workshops are strategically fixed for February 14th to mark Valentine's Day. "We have been able to reach out to thousands of youths and also affect their lives positively through our programme on television and these workshops."
Development Issues
Children, HIV/AIDS, Rights, Youth.
Key Points
The youth-led programme aims to give a voice to voiceless youth and to youth-led organisations. It aims to create awareness and publicity about those youth programmes and activities that inspire, motivate, and empower youth to become nationbuilders - using media. The vision is "A youth programme that will inspire, inform and equally engineer their minds towards channeling their energy into positive things rather than negative things."
Sources

Email from Rotimi Oke to Soul Beat Africa on June 10 2004.