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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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Our Call to the UN Solutions Summit

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Author: Eve Sullivan of the Parents Forum, December 3 2015 - Because our instinct to put children first is strong, we often ignore our own needs as parents. Even the Sustainable Development Goals, several of which* relate to family, do not mention parents or parenting. When will policymakers, practitioners - when will we all - recognize parenting and family life education as our collective blind spot?

If we want our children to become responsible and courageous, as Pope Francis calls on us all to be in the face of serious global challenges, we must make changes at every level of government and throughout society to increase parenting resources. Parent peer support is the key to success in making these changes.

It is really up to us, as parents, to recognize our own needs and to advocate for the resources we need. If we do not, the many excellent parenting programs around the world 'languish on the vine'.

Our call, in short:

Parenting and family life education shall be provided as essential and universally accessible offerings to support our common interest: improving individual and community wellbeing.

Our call, the long form:

Parenting and family life education shall be provided by government agencies, corporate entities and civil society organizations - within health care, mental and behavioral health, educational and workforce programming - as essential and universally accessible offerings. Such services, promoted consistently by positive media campaigns, will foster intergenerational solidarity, promote social and economic equity and counteract the deep-rooted, pervasive violence in many communities, all to support our common interest: improving individual and community wellbeing.

This initiative was one of 838 entries submitted for consideration in the Solutions Summit organized by the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service and held September 27 [2014] at the UN in New York. So many good ideas, so little time!

Please let us hear from you if you think parenting and parenting education should be a high priority!

 *Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, these five, as I see it, directly relate to family:


3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

...to each of the above, let me add "starting at home"!

 
 
Click here to access this cross-posted blog on the Huffington Post website.

Image credit: Our Starting Point


As with all of the blogs posted on our website, the content above does not imply the endorsement of The CI or its Partners and is from the perspective of the writer alone. We do not check facts and strive to retain the writer's voice, as is detailed in our Editorial Policy.