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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Campaign: "Youth Bluntly Promoting Healthy Sexuality"

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This communication campaign was carried out in September of 2005 in Iquitos, Peru with the objective of teaching local adolescents about their sexual health and rights.

Organised by the Consortium for the Development of Adolescents and Youth (Consorcio por el Desarrollo de Adolescentes y Jóvenes) [in the framework of the "Project for Strengthening of Prevention and Control of AIDS and Tuberculosis in Peru" of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria] and the Loreto AIDS Network (Red Sida Loreto) and implemented by the Association of Social Communicators Calandria (Asociación de Comunicadores Sociales Calandria), the campaign was designed with the participation of adolescents and youth.

It was created and carried out during the workshop Creating and Carrying out Communication Campaigns (Taller Creando y Realizando Campañas de Comunicación), in which adolescents and youth of Iquitos participated; participants included 30 boys and girls, as well as members of diverse organisations (Asociación La Restinga, Colegio Fe y Alegría 46, Colegio GRLMO José de San Martín, Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Salud, Cruz Roja, Experimental UNAP, I.E. Ramón Castilla, I.E. Rosa A. Donayre de Morey, I.E.P. Maynas, Inppares, Lazos de Vida, Red Interquorum, Universidad Privada de Iquitos).
Communication Strategies
The main strategy for the development of this campaign was through a participatory workshop in which adolescents and youth worked together to form a collaborative creative design of the campaign. The activities of the campaign proposed by the youth in the workshop included:
  • Youth "Pascalle" (Pasacalle Juvenil): This was a caravan of adolescents and youth that traveled through the city announcing the start of the campaign: people paraded in costumes related to the campaign; people spoke the campaign messages over loudspeakers; volunteers distributed information and conversed with the public; youth carried placards; and a disc jockey played the jingle of the campaign as well as other popular songs.
  • Trade Information (Ferias informativas): In two city plazas, a spectacle of learning was carried out with entertainment that included games, a theatrical play, a video shown on a gigantic screen, a public debate, and informational and creative booths.
  • A Huge Event (Un megaevento): This activity took place over eight hours in which information was offered through information booths, and games, competitions, and creative activities were carried held.
  • The Rap of the Condom (El Rap del condón): As part of the campaign, the adolescents and youth of Iquitos recorded two versions of a jingle that they themselves had written. This was broadcast by radio stations and included as background music to the activities of the campaign.
The campaign also used support materials such as the video "Near the Sky", an informational pamphlet "Your Sexual Life With No Restraints" and the broadcast of radio commercials about the events.
Development Issues
Health, HIV/AIDS, Youth, Human Rights.
Key Points
The Consortium for the Development of Adolescents and Youth is comprised of: IES; Universidad Cayetano Heredia; Pathfinder International; the Asociación de Comunicadores Sociales Calandria; and PROSE. This intervention is carried out in the framework of the "Project for Strengthening of Prevention and Control of AIDS and Tuberculosis in Peru" of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. As a member of the Consortium, the Asociación de Comunicadores Sociales Calandria has led on communication campaigns to address HIV and AIDS in Peru in both South Lima (2004) and Iquitos (2005).
Partners

Consorcio por el Desarrollo de Adolescentes y Jóvenes, Red Sida Loreto, Asociación de Comunicadores Sociales Calandria.

Sources

Translation of La Iniciativa de Comunicaci