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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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Global Mechanism: Communication, Media, Social and Behaviour Change?

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Global Mechanism: Communication, Media, Social and Behaviour Change?

Hi and best wishes. Just a quick note to let you know that I have agreed to work with UNICEF, through Rafael Obregon and the C4D team, in order to help advance the possibility of an overall global mechansim for the communication and media for development, social and behaviour change field of work. There are two major milestones (a) draft an options paper and (b) convene a stakeholders process and meeting. More details follow. But in essence I would love to get your analysis and ideas.

Contributing your analysis and ideas

There are two ways to do this. Can I ask you to please consider and do both!

  1. Let me know a good time to chat by phone/skype, etc. I will be in Europe the next 2 weeks so time zones will be much easier.
  2. Just reply to this email with your analysis, thoughts and ideas. 

Background

This initiative follows an initial meeting, convened by UNICEF with a few partners earlier this year. The global development tapestry has seen the growth of a series of such mechanisms seeking to advance particular fields of work. For example, WASH for All; the Global Partnership for Education and, the Global Partnership on Violence Against Children, amongst others.

As we have reviewed these mechanisms it is clear that there are a range of differing goals and roles including: raising technical standards; advocating value and impact; engaging in policy debates and dialogue; coordinating action; accrediting data; expanding funding levels; and, acting as a legitimate global point of contact for policymakers, funders and other major global players in development.

Themes

There will be 4 major themes to our conversation:

* In your assessment would such a mechanism bring added value to communication and media (for) development, social and behavioural change? If you answer yes, then ?
* What overall goals and themes would you propose as the focus of such a mechanism.
* What strategic approach should such a mechanism take to work towards those goals
* If your answer to Q1 is ?no?, what is the basis for that judgement?

Clarification

One quick clarification concerning this process. There is no intention at all to replace any of the present global processes that are active on communication and media development, social and behaviour change within the Development community. The question is whether there is something missing, an important missing piece, that would help everyone.

Thanks for considering. Would be excellent to get everyone's input.

Warren

Comments

Submitted by Warren Feek on Wed, 11/09/2016 - 02:29 Permalink

Hi folks. Just a quick note to let you know we have started an online Group for the "mechanism" dialogue. If you wish to join this discussion can I suggest you join this Group. Alternatively just drop me a note and I will make sure that you are part of the process. Thanks. 

As Rafael and myself are both travelling to events being held in London and Geneva these two weeks we have taken the opportunity to gather some folks together to discuss. But there will be much broader consultation. A note will go out soon to the full The CI network. And we look forward to your valued contributions through either this confidential Partners Group, an individual phone discussion or the specific mechanism group.

Many thanks for engaging. This is a topic talked about a lot! So we thought we would give it a considered and thoughtful "crack"!

Warren