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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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Ujan Ganger Naiya and Natoker Pore

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The BBC Media Action television programme Ujan Ganger Naiya (with accompanying discussion programme Natoker Pore), broadcast beginning in May 2014, was formulated through research to work on pregnancy and birth practices through social and behaviour change communication designed for pregnant women, mothers, and infant caregivers in Bangladesh. "The programme aims to improve knowledge about issues such as the importance of regular antenatal check-ups, birth preparedness, safe delivery conditions, nutrition and essential newborn care – through entertaining the audience with dramatic stories set in a rural village."

Communication Strategies

The project focused on the following package of outputs: TV drama Ujan Ganger Naiya (Sailing Against the Tide), a discussion show Natoker Pore (After the Drama), public service announcements (PSAs), ringtones, and a community toolkit for non-governmental organisation (NGO) and health workers. "The primary target audience of the project is women of reproductive age but the project also targets the mother-in-law, father-in-law and husband in each family, as well as health workers and those with influence in communities. As part of the project, training for health workers has been rolled out across ten districts. Training aims to improve their communication skills so they can advise and support households in how to prepare for the arrival of a baby."

In the first series, ground was broken with audiences as the programme presented what BBC Media Action describes as the first-ever birth scene portrayed on TV in Bangladesh. (See related summaries below for the blog "Pushing boundaries: a TV birth in Bangladesh".)

Formative research prior to the project was conducted in 2012. The research "identified specific barriers and traditional practices across different geographies and communities in Bangladesh. Lack of knowledge and critical awareness about antenatal care, postnatal care and essential newborn care were identified as the main barriers to women receiving health checks during pregnancy and after delivery." 

The series was then designed to inform its intended audience about healthy pregnancy and birth practices including antenatal visits and exclusive breastfeeding as the method of newborn feeding, among other health practices, ideas woven into the drama about love and marriage. Follow up evaluation was a randomised control trial (RCT). (See related summaries below for the blog "Can mass media cause change? A randomised control trial finds out".)

Development Issues

Reproductive Health, Children, Women

Partners

BBC Media Action, the United Kingdom government's Department for International Development (DFID), the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, broadcaster ATN Bangla

Sources

BBC Media Action website, July 20 2016.