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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International Centre on Advocacy for the Right to Health

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International Centre on Advocacy for the Right to Health (ICARH) (also known as Alliance Rights Nigeria) is an independent research initiative established in 1999 to contribute to policy issues affecting the rights of sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Nigeria. The organisation works through research, analysis, training, awareness campaign development and advocacy to promote the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gendered (LGBT) persons and advance the eradication of various forms of persecution, violence, stigma, and discrimination in Nigeria.
Communication Strategies

The International Centre on Advocacy for the Right to Health’s (ICARH) education package includes technical support enabled by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (IHAA) and is part of the support for community-based organisations (CBOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the area of HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and sexuality in the South West States of Nigeria. ICARH works to:

  • conduct research into national laws affecting sexual minorities in Nigeria;
  • organise conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, and open debates on issues concerning men who have sex with men (MSM), LGBT, and commercial sex workers in Nigeria;
  • develop the capacity as a monitoring organisation to other developing bodies implementing intervention activities as it relates to sexual minorities and PLWHA in Nigeria;
  • embark and carry out sensitization workshops and seminars to create awareness of the link between human rights and HIV/AIDS as it relates to sexual minorities, with the aim of reducing discrimination and stigmatisation;
  • liaise with government and research institutions to find solutions to the problem of HIV/AIDS and human rights violations and to publish occasional reports on these violations; and
  • provide networking and collaboration opportunities with other non-governmental organisations with similar objectives.



Some of ICARH's programmes include the following:

  • Well-being in Difference Workshops and seminars
  • The Gay and Lesbian adolescent sexuality education series
  • Men-Alive support groups for Positive Living
  • The Alliance AIDS Initiative: HIV/AIDS Prevention education, care and support for and with MSM
  • MSM round tables on sexuality, sexual health and rights
  • Nigerian sexual minorities conferences
  • The Nigerian LGBT Pride and Carnival (Black-Gold Pride)
  • Legal Aid



The organisation has also carried out a participatory community assessment (PCA) with a broad representation of MSM in Ibadan, Nigeria, including those living with HIV/AIDS to determine their knowledge of, and attitude to HIV/AIDS/sexual transmitted infections (STIs), and their access to care and support services. In addition, it provides HIV/AIDS prevention education for men who have sex with men.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS, Health, Sexual Minorities

Key Points

The organisation's goal is to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst MSM and to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS within the MSM community in Ibadan metropolis.

Partners

Center for the Right to Health (CRH), RENEGAIDS, Male Attitude Network (MAN), ILGA, The Independent Project (TIP), The Mens Health Network, The Sexual Minorities Against AIDS in Nigeria (SMAAN).

Sources

Nigeria-AIDS eForum on August 16 2004 and ICARH website on March 24 2009.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 01/03/2009 - 05:19 Permalink

Hi Dare,you are doing great job.I really appreciate you even though i don't know you.Welldone.I'll like to meet you cos i'm passionate about what you are doing,defending the rights of minorities and HIV prevention.God bless you.

Kehinde