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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Children's Voices on the Future of Independent East Timor - East Timor

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Organised by Radio Comunidade Lospalos, this project involved recording children's songs and messages on the subject of children's rights and independence. The aim of the project was to give children in the Lospalos sub-district the opportunity to develop their ideas and opinions about children's rights, and to hear themselves on radio. It involved five groups of primary-school aged children from five different schools in the district.
Communication Strategies
Copies of the recording of children's voices were given back to the schools and also distributed to the broader community.
Development Issues
Children, Rights.
Key Points
Established by UNESCO in May, 2000, Radio Comunidade Lospalos provides information that is specifically relevant to the community in and around Lospalos in the Lautem district of East Timor. An independent non-profit community radio station staffed by young people, it is built on the philosophy of giving a voice to the people and encouraging community participation in communication and the media.

Radio Comunidade Lospalos provides the local community with eight hours of broadcasting per day, from Monday to Saturday. Programming includes: two daily news bulletins (with local, national and international news); local announcements and dedications; specific information regarding elections and community happenings; "voxpops" that broadcast the views of people on the street; and English-language programmes. RCL has initiated three projects, including this one, involving members and groups within the community that do not typically have access to the media.
Partners

UNICEF, UNESCO.

Sources

Radio Comunidade Lospalos site.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 11/30/1999 - 00:00 Permalink

This sux