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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Yenkasa Africa

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Yenkasa Africais a regional platform designed to document experiences and enhance knowledge sharing in communication applied to agriculture and rural development. Yenkasa, which means "Let’s Talk" in the Akan dialect of Ghana, supports communication, development, and community media practitioners based in Africa to share experiences and knowledge resources on rural communication for development, enhance capacities, and establish fruitful collaborations at regional and country level, promote a regional agenda and advocate for communication in the rural sector.The project is led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).
Communication Strategies

Yenkasa Africa intends to promote the creation of a dynamic and interactive platform of communication bringing together professionals, academics, and media practitioners to strengthen capacities and collaboration. The main goal is to further the role of communication for agriculture and rural development, with special attention given to issues related to family farming, sustainable natural resources management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster risk reduction, food security, agricultural innovation, and remote access to the information by using information technologies.

The KenKasa Africa website is the focal point of the initiative, where organisations can share. experiences, audio files, and publications, among other resources.

A series of virtual forums on the role of communication to advance family farming will be implemented on the ComDev Community page.

Development Issues

Agriculture, Rural Development

Partners

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Sources

Yenkasa Africa website on February 26 and May 9 2014.