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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Radio and HIV/AIDS - Zimbabwe

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A radio project to raise awareness about consequences of AIDS and to promote required behavioral changes in Zimbabwe. The project involved a radio show into which people could phone and speak with people with HIV/AIDS. The show tried to suppress some of the fear and rumors associated with AIDS and increase awareness of the real threats of the disease.
Communication Strategies

13 Radio programmes with special features; timeslots in other existing programs; competitions; youth panel discussions; radio dramas and new weekly magazines. Radio Two had a regular show in a prime listening time slot where people could call in and talk to people with HI,V directly focussing on personal experiences in interactive, lively discussions. The shows were broadcast in Shona, the first language of most people of Zimbabwe
Development Issues

HIV/AIDS; Health
Key Points

The programme used quizzes with prizes to improve the attractiveness of the programme, and to increase the number of written responses questions and feedback for the program. Training was provided for the participants to deal with emotional stress caused during the show. As many as 90% of the callers were male. Each of the 13 programmes were different and highlighted a different aspect of the disease or dealing with the disease.
Partners



UNICEF Harare, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Matebeleland AIDS Council, Mashambanzou

Sources

Uthini Ngalokhu? People With AIDS speak out on the Radio. A report on a weekly phone-in magazine in Zimbabwe. UNICEF Harare, March 1995.