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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Participatory Development Communication: A West African Agenda

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This book resulted from a 2-day consultation focusing on "Participatory Development Communication in the West and Central African Context" held in Toronto, Canada in 1995. It was attended by 49 participants drawn from development agencies, universities and NGOs. The participants were a unique mix of communicators, development workers and adult education specialists.

This publication outlines the activities and priorities of the participatory communication CIME (communication, information, media, education) research programme of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in West Africa. Includes a useful historical overview of development communication and related areas of development, and a review of current participatory communication methods, such as 'community media', that put the 'grass-roots expression of its needs' at the heart of development. Also considers the relationship between grass-roots communication and non-formal education and in particular the need for supporting and developing the skills of young women and girls as effective communicators at the grassroots level.

Click here for the English version online.

Click here for the French version online.

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154