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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The Public Voice project was established to promote public participation in Internet policy making on issues ranging from privacy and free expression to consumer protection and Internet governance. Through international conferences, reports, and funding for travel, the Public Voice takes action in an effort to increase the presence of NGOs at meetings across the globe. As of this writing, the coordinator of the Project is based in the United States.
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This project is made possible through partnership and participation. In cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UNESCO, and other international organisations, the Public Voice project brings civil society leaders face to face with government officials in the hope of fostering constructive engagement about current policy issues. Public Voice events have been held in Buenos Aires, Dubai, Hong Kong, Ottawa, Paris, Washington, and Hawaii. The Public Voice has provided support in the past for organisations such as the Center for International Media Action, People for Internet Responsibility, and CPSR-Peru.

In concert with its focus on Internet governance, the Public Voice Project website is a key tool for communication about these issues. The "Issues & Resources" section includes background information, lists of organisations (with links to their websites), and links to related documents and resources under the topic headings of Consumer Protection, Internet Governance, Free Expression, Communication Rights, and Privacy. Listings of and links to related News and Events are also provided as part of an effort to foster participation. A more direct call for participation is housed in the "Take Action" section of the website. As of this writing, this section features an invitation for representatives of international organisations, as well as participants from NGOs, civil society groups, and certain business entities to contribute their ideas and papers to the work of the United Nations' Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). (In line with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the WGIG will hold a consultation with stakeholders in September 2004 in Geneva.) Past actions are also archived in this section of the Public Voice Project website.
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