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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Nordic Africa Institute

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Based in Sweden, the Nordic Africa Institute conducts and disseminates research on Africa in Nordic countries, offers in-person seminars, provides a forum for scholarship, and publishes information on modern Africa for Nordic countries. The Institute's main audiences are research and education communities, decision-makers and development administrators, representatives of the media, and non-governmental organisations. The goal is to encourage study of Africa on the part of researchers within Nordic countries, facilitating co-operation and research exchanges and disseminating information about current African issues.
Communication Strategies
This programme uses the internet - the Nordic Africa Institute website - as well as face-to-face interactions to stimulate information exchange, research initiatives, policy-related activities, and networking between those concerned about similar development issues in geographically diverse areas. Specifically, this programme involves:
  • carrying out scientific research on Africa;
  • furthering co-operation and contacts between Nordic and African researchers;
  • establishing databases of academics focusing on Africa;
  • serving as a documentation centre for research and studies on Africa;
  • offering online information services;
  • providing information about research on Africa and current African issues.
The Institute aims to achieve its goals through:
  • Research that is multi-disciplinary, with an emphasis on the social sciences
  • Research support activities - research facilities, as well as space for reflection and intellectual exchange, for advanced graduate students and researchers from Africa, and for students, researchers, and journalists from the Nordic countries
  • Library services - literature and other relevant material for research, studies, and information on contemporary Africa, through both the printed medium and electronic information technology. The library provides lending, reference and information services as an active member of the Nordic and international information community
  • Publication - manuscripts sharing the results of research carried out at the Institute. A dedicated area of the Nordic Africa Institute website offers access to the over 600 academic titles that the Institute has published (as of this writing) on African politics, economics, social issues, and modern history. The publications are centrally aimed at an international readership of specialist researchers on Africa, decision- /policy makers at various levels and individuals with a general interest in Africa. To foster increased access, approximately 125 of these publications are available for free download in PDF format; click here for details (select the link "electronic publications") on the left navigation bar. In addition, selected institutions in Africa receive complementary copies of printed versions of the Institute's publications.
  • Information activities - dissemination of information about the Institute's own work, research on Africa, and current African issues
  • Policy-related activities - information and analysis based on research results and special studies that are designed to facilitate policy decisions on current African issues. Conferences aimed at policy makers, non-governmental organisations, and the media (both in Africa and in the Nordic countries) are also held.
Development Issues
Intercultural Research & Understanding.
Partners

The Institute is financed jointly by the Nordic countries and governed by a Programme and Research Council.

Sources

Nordic Africa Institute website on January 17 2005 and October 24 2005, and email from Susanne Linderos to The Communication Initiative on October 24 2005.