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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Remembering Nelson Mandela’s work to bring women to the table during peace talks in Burundi

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Author: UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, originally posted December 6 2013, cross-posted January 29 2014:       These are Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's reflections on the occasion of the death of Nelson Mandela.


As civil war raged in Burundi since the 1996 outbreak of armed conflict between ethnic Tutsi and Hutu groups, in his role as Facilitator for the Burundi Peace Negotiations, former South African President Nelson Mandela worked with one of UN Women’s predecessor organizations to bring women to the peace table for the first time.


Convened by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, the first All-Party Burundi Women's Peace Conference took place in Arusha, Tanzania in July 2000. Burundian women representing the 19 negotiating parties, observers, refugees, internally displaced people and the Diaspora met to develop a common vision for Burundi's peace and reconstruction.

The nearly 80 participants presented their recommendations to Mr. Mandela, the heads of the negotiating parties, the Facilitation team and observers from the international community.

They agreed that women should participate in the peace process and they listed specific proposals regarding justice for human rights abuses against women, women’s land rights and women’s engagement in recovery. The women’s declaration was submitted to Mandela and he shared it with the negotiating parties. 

Many of these proposals were incorporated to the peace accord.


Mandela’s engagement and strong endorsement of women’s concerns was considered a turning point at the time for women’s engagement in conflict resolution in Burundi.


Watch this related video, presented to the Security Council in 2006:

Click here for more on the UN Women website.