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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Like a Drop of Water

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Launched in June 2010, Like A Drop of Water is an initiative revolving around an annual writing contest that offers young people, 8-17 years of age, worldwide the opportunity to share their ideas on how they and their countries can reduce global warming and pollution. The hope is that, by expanding awareness and increasing understanding of the world's environmental challenges, young people will become active advocates for the reduction of greenhouse gases, greater use of alternative sources of energy, and the elimination of local and global pollution.
Communication Strategies

This writing project draws on the communication tool of the internet and the strategy of awarding and recognising creativity to engage youth in advocacy for sustainable development. Visitors to the Like a Drop of Water Facebook page can learn facts about climate change, take part in blogs, and submit essays of 400 words or fewer. Those who send in their writing receive an acknowledging email, a downloadable certificate of participation, and - if their essay is selected as one of the monthly winning essays - they receive US$50 to US$100. Visitors to the website may also learn about each of the 6 or more monthly winners and their essays.

To link the writing project to the classroom, the initiative invites teachers and their classes to serve for one month as judges of essays from other students around the world.

Like a Drop of Water has an advocacy component. Each year, the top 50 essays are sent to the White House (in Washington, DC, in the United States) and made available to governments across the world. Bi-yearly, the 100 winning essays will be published as an e-book for worldwide distribution.

Development Issues

Environment, Youth.

Sources

Young People's Media Network (YPMN), July 12 2010; Like a Drop of Water Facebook page, July 30 2010; and email from Richard M. Wainwright to The Communication Initiative on August 3 2010.

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