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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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Osu Young Women's HIV/AIDS Radio Project

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Community Media For Development (CMFD) worked with a group of young women to develop a series of HIV/AIDS radio messages, with accompanying activity books for literacy groups. The audio programmes were reproduced on CD and cassette and are being distributed free of charge to radio stations and literacy groups in Ghana.
Communication Strategies

The HIV/AIDS-related messages were written and voiced by a group of young women - the Osu Young Women's Radio Group. The aim was to create a radio series that focussed on issues that young women face in preventing HIV/AIDS.


In creating the messages the group first discussed the issue of HIV/AIDS in general. They then discussed different issues that young women face, which are often different from their male peers. They decided on a number of issues that they would like to highlight in the radio messages. Short skits were developed to convey the message. The participants then translated the scripts; voicing was done in English, Ga, and Twi.


The announcements focussed on the issue of HIV/AIDS from the perspective of young women, specifically:

  • HIV/AIDS prevention
  • Getting tested
  • Buying condoms
  • Negotiation skills
  • Unfaithful boyfriends


The series was distributed free of charge to radio stations. To promote the use of the programmes and encourage airplay, members of the group visited radio stations and actively promoted the series. A background sheet, which provided information useful for developing an on-air programme, accompanied each audio CD or cassette.


A literacy package was distributed through a Ghanaian network of community libraries that offer literacy programmes. This package included cassettes of the English language version of the audio (as literacy classes are mostly offered in English) and an accompanying activity book with the audio scripts and corresponding word games.

Development Issues

Young Women, HIV/AIDS, Rights.

Key Points

The radio programmes were used both as a simple awareness message played randomly, and as a starting point for programmes developed by presenters.

Partners

CMFD, Osu Young Women's Radio Group.

Sources

Letter sent from Daniel Walter to Soul Beat Africa.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 06/20/2008 - 03:09 Permalink

( Correspondência do Dr França Van-Dúnem para O Dr Hugo José Azancot de Menezes um dos Fundadores do M.P.L.A. Sedeado em Ghana e a trabalhar na Rádio Ghana).

Utrecht,16 de Julho de 1965

Meu caro amigo

Começo por agradecer-lhe a gentileza que teve em escrever-me ,dando-me informes a cerca do lugar de locutor na rádio Ghana.

Estou interessado pelo lugar e já escrevi ao Director do Ghana Broadcasting Corporation nesse sentido.
Junto lhe envio uma cópia da carta em questão para que tome conhecimento do seu conteúdo . Gostaria de saber mais pormenores a cerca do lugar e se possível em que modalidade serei contratado. Tratar -se -a de um contrato assinado aqui ou devo esperar pela minha chegada aí para que isso se efective?

De qualquer maneira era necessário que eu soubesse para quando é o começo para que eu possa, com tempo , pedir a minha demissão do Instituto de Direito Internacional, onde trabalho.
Enviar-lhe-ei esta carta “ expresse” para que possa tomar nota do conteúdo da carta que enviei ao Director da Rádio Ghana.
Uma vez mais lhe agradeço por tudo o que possa fazer nesse sentido.

Saudações patrióticas

Fernando Van- Dúnem

PS. Acabo de receber a carta porque a sua caixa postal já está fechada. Espero que esta vez terei mais sorte .
Obrigado

França Van- Dúnem