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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Brisons le Silence (Break the Silence)

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In March 2012, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), launched Brisons le Silence (Break the Silence), a nationwide social marketing campaign to combat violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, in Cote d’Ivoire . The campaign uses social norms marketing to encourage the reporting of conjugal and partner violence, as well as the support of survivors. The campaign is designed to promote equitable gender norms and positive attitudes toward women and coordinated by the Gender Based Violence Coordinator, Monika Bakayoko-Topolska. The project is funded by the World Bank and the Novo Foundation.

Communication Strategies

According to social marketing research, as cited by as Monika Bakayoko-Topolska, who oversees the IRC women's programmes in Côte d'Ivoire, the kind of campaign created by the IRC can have a profound effect on attitudes and behaviour related to gender norms and violence against women. Social marketing campaigns use traditional commercial marketing techniques to affect behaviour and attitudes related to social problems.

 

The audiences for the campaign include men ages 18-35 and housewives of the same age bracket. The messages address both action and social norms for each group:

 

For the men:

 

1) Nous sommes une équipe contre la violence. (We are a team against violence.)
2) Protéger les femmes, c’est aussi notre affaire! (Protect women, it is also our business.)

 

For the women:
1) Brave femme, lève-toi contre les violences! (Brave woman, stand up against violence!)
2) Chez nous, la violence n’a pas sa place! (There is no place for violence in our home!)

 

Several national artists and celebrities are participating in the campaign, including the Ivoirian soccer star Kolo Habib Touré and his wife, Hip Hop stars Nash and DJ Mix, Reggae star Kajeem, and actresses Akissi Delta and Marie Louise Asseu. Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim leaders are also acting as spokespersons for the campaign.

 

Activities include:
A launch event at the Palace of Culture in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The event included a drama on the theme of domestic violence, comments from partners, a testimonial from a survivor, and a performance of the original campaign theme song by participating artists.

 

The campaign includes: radio and TV public service announcements (PSA's); radio scenarios and news stories; Facebook and Twitter messaging; mobile phone messaging; posters; billboards; localised information via information calendars; a free hotline for survivors and assisters; and t-shirts and bracelets.

Development Issues

Gender Based Violence.

Key Points

Click here to view the TV spots on the IRC's Break the Silence YouTube channel. 

 

Click here to access the campaign's Facebook page.

 

 

Partners

Funding from: The World Bank; the Novo Foundation; Moov, a telecommunications company; and Sotra, Abidjan’s municipal bus company.

Sources

Email from Virginia A. Williams to The Communication Initiative on January 13 and April 21 2012; and The Blog section of The Huffington Post website of March 27 2012, accessed on April 19 2012.

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