Development action with informed and engaged societies

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

Time to read
2 minutes
Read so far

African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP)

0 comments
The African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (ABMP) is a pan-African coalition of broadcast companies that aims to reinvigorate and increase the effectiveness of broadcast media's contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Partnership has committed to dedicating 5% of daytime airtime to HIV/AIDS-related programming and messaging and to work together on a coordinated pan-African public education campaign.
Communication Strategies

Inspired by United Nations Secretary General's call to action under the Global Media AIDS Initiative, the ABMP aims to create a structured framework for leveraging broadcast media resources with the goal of significantly expanding HIV/AIDS-related broadcast programming across Africa. The leadership for the initiative comes from the broadcast companies working together towards a common commitment to step up efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

ABMP signatory companies, which consist of both public and private broadcasters, have pledged to dedicate approximately one hour per day to HIV/AIDS content. This content is integrated across all genres, including news, public affairs, drama, and entertainment programming. The commitment of broadcasters is defined by an alignment of interests and expectations; airtime is not purchased for placement of HIV/AIDS messaging and companies are committed to leveraging existing resources for increased HIV/AIDS communication. Organisers expect that, as influential opinion leaders in their respective communities, media leaders' active engagement in the fight against HIV/AIDS also sends a powerful signal to policymakers and other stakeholders about the importance of a collaborative and intensified response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

ABMP's objective is to promote a new paradigm in the broadcast industry's approach to HIV/AIDS-content based on:

  • Promotion of a business-centred approach incorporating HIV/AIDS as part of broadcasters' core business and ensuring integration of HIV/AIDS-related messages and themes across all programme formats and schedules;

    By taking a business-centred approach, the ABMP seeks to:

    • mainstream HIV/AIDS-related communication and programming;
    • leverage existing programme formats and broadcast resources in support of increased HIV/AIDS-related communication;
    • provide for sustainability of the approach and the stepped up effort.
  • A consistent pan-African HIV/AIDS-related communications framework targeting key HIV-reduction behaviours and with measurable HIV-prevention-related outcomes.



To meet its goals, the ABMP facilitates two streams of content development within the pan-African strategic HIV/AIDS communication framework:

  • Core content (generally public service announcement (PSAs) and short format programming) centrally developed with creative input from the signatory companies and distributed rights-free across all signatory companies;
  • Company content developed by signatory companies integrating the key messages and themes of the HIV/AIDS strategic communications framework across existing programme formats



The project website compiles information about the campaign, partner organisations, and resources for broadcasters.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS.

Key Points

The ABMP aims to embrace all African countries and to include both public and commercial broadcasters.

AMBP is based on the Old Fort Declaration signed in October 2005 at a summit of African broadcast leaders.

Click here access this document in English [PDF].

Click here to access this document in French [PDF].

Click here to access this document in Portuguese [PDF].

Partners

Kaiser Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Ford Foundation.

Sources

Broadcast HIV Africa website on January 30 2007 and March 5 2009; and the ABMP document [PDF], accessed March 28 2007.

Teaser Image
http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:UQLJj3JSglJpjM:http://www.dance4life.com/afbeeldingen/international/logos/logo_broadcasthivafrica_250.jpeg