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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Avian Influenza and the United Nations Environment Programme

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Research News
Summary

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with its Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the related African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) are launching a campaign to reverse the public perception, often supported by inaccurate media coverage, that migratory birds are responsible for the spread of avian influenza. These organisations are convening a two-day meeting of experts to be held in Nairobi at the UNEP headquarters on April 10-11 2006. The meeting will aim to deliver scientific advice to governments by investigating the root causes of the spread of the bird flu and identifying solutions for its containment.

According to the article, by solely focusing on bird migration as the cause of the spread of avian flu, other mechanisms and paths for the contamination, such as development and unsustainable agricultural practices, are being underestimated or ignored. According to Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of the Convention, "[t]he proximity of migratory birds to poultry is the outcome of incorrect planning and development paths, which have caused the sharing of important habitats for migratory birds - like wetlands - between wildlife and farms, with the obvious consequences we are now experiencing."

UNEP is concerned with the current solutions proposed to contain the pandemic. While the ‘quick fix’ of culling wild birds, vaccines, quarantine, and antivirals may work to contain the spread, it is seen as the wrong approach to dealing with bird flu. According to UNEP, the international community should be focusing on the ecological, social and economic causes of the spread of bird flu as a way to find effective solutions to the containment of the disease.

The Convention has been tasked by UNEP to create an early warning system to identify areas which will need to be alerted for a possible outbreak. The system will analyse and study areas of possible contact between migratory birds and poultry, thus providing a detailed account of regions which will need to plan a more balanced approach between growth and protection of the environment.

Click here to read the full article online.

Click here to read the full article in PDF format.

Click here for information on the April 10-11 2006 meeting in Nairobi.

Source

Research News website, February 22 2006.