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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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Straight Talk Foundation (STF) Avian Influenza Radio Campaign

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Launched by Straight Talk Foundation (STF) and supported by DANIDA (the Danish bilateral agency)'s Agriculture Sector Programme Support (ASPS) and the Poultry Association of Uganda (PAU), this was a three month radio campaign initiated in Kampala, Uganda to raise awareness of the low level of risk to farmers and consumers in Uganda despite the growing threat of avian influenza in surrounding areas of Africa in early 2006.

STF is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) addressing health and development through radio and print communication interventions in Uganda.
Communication Strategies

Between March and May 2006, Straight Talk Foundation (STF) ran a radio campaign in Kampala Uganda to address community awareness about avian influenza and the non-existent risks in the area at that time. STF designed two 30-second radio spots, which ran three times a day for a period of three months in nine Ugandan languages and in English on eighteen FM radio stations.

The spots were meant to dispel growing fears among poultry farmers and consumers about sick poultry and the possibility of contracting avian flu by eating poultry. Main messages included: "Farmers don't fear to restock your poultry houses. Bird flu is not in Uganda." and "Bird flu is not in Uganda, and farmers are maintaining excellent hygiene to protect the birds. So we can all keep eating delicious chicken."

Development Issues

Health, Natural Resource Management.

Key Points

According to STF, by the end of the campaign, poultry sales had stabilised and poultry was on the communities' menus again.

As of this writing, avian Influenza has not yet reached Uganda. This campaign was initiated in early 2006 because it was at this time that bird flu had started threatening some African countries, including neighbouring Sudan. If avian flu does appear in Uganda, STF plans to continue with this campaign, to ensure that families, farmers and communities know how to deal with the disease in birds and the possibility of a pandemic flu in humans.

Partners

Straight Talk Foundation(STF), Poultry Association of Uganda, and Agriculture Sector Programme Support (ASPS)/Danida.

Sources

Email from Pamela Sinia to The Communication Initiative, August 14 2006.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 10/26/2006 - 21:57 Permalink

This article like all others only talk about the messages diseminated. It would help if articles can also state the behavioural issue and how the concerns were addressed through this piece of communication.