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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An Introductory Toolkit for Engaging Children & Youth in Conflict Transformation: Search For Common Ground Children Youth & Conflict

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Summary

 

The Search for Common Ground (SFCG) published this document as a resource for staff and others in the peace-building community working to engage and develop the capacity of children and youth in conflict transformation.

 

The toolkit is an introduction to ways that children and youth can be included in programming and project design around conflict resolution and peace-building. The toolkit was designed as a core initiative within the SFCG Children and Youth Unit to meet the goal of integrating a global "children and youth" perspective. The tools discussed in the document focus on strategic partnership development, media and theatre production, training of staff and other participants, and programme mentoring. Additional chapters provide information on engaging children and youth, the institutionalisation of children and youth activities, and supplementary case studies and programme reviews. Some of the communication-related aspects of the tools described include:

  • Developing partnerships that allow for the sharing of methodology, challenges, achievements, and lessons.
  • Partnering with radio and media outlets to create platforms for youth voices.
  • Using a variety of media programming to create issue awareness and peer encouragement and to provide a "'voice' to the 'voiceless'".
  • Training of staff and partners to support the use of other tools and strategies, including a focus on children and youth as trainers in appropriate settings.
  • Organisational mentoring to create possible future partners or help ensure the continuity of the programme's goals in a community or region.
  • Using theatre production in addressing conflict to engage communities that are having a hard time with taboo or culturally sensitive issues and as a way of using role-play to help children and youth better understand difficult issues.
  • Including children and youth in information gathering when monitoring programme activities.

 

Web link
Click here to access this 76-page document in PDF format.
Source

Search for Common Ground Children and Youth website, June 23 2011.