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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Celebrities as role models?

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Ask any teenage today who would not want to be Didier Drogba formerly of Chelsea, John Cena the Wrestler and closer home Winky D, Jah Praizah and Killer T the Zimbabwean musicians.

Development practitioners and programmers can take advantage of celebrities and other opinion leaders in their countries and even communities to help influence behaviour change among the youths and teenagers in health promotion and other awareness programmes. Celebrities are role models and have a great influence on the lives, decisions and actions of youths. As it is documented that “Behaviour change” is the way we THINK, ACT and SEE things, therefore the celebrities have a big bearing on the way youths perceive, see, act and think about any action they want to take. Some youths smoke and drink because they admire and copy what their role models do.

 

The approach will be to work closely with various celebrities in different constituencies and communities and engage them so that they influence youths positively, Some can be engaged to change their past behaviours and adopt new life styles and they can do testimonies that can have a positive and practical impact on youths and teenagers. The celebrities can do personal risk assessment sessions with youths to bring closer home the risk associated with such behaviours not desirable.

The use of role models in influencing positive behaviour change is in line with the Zimbabwe National behaviour Change Strategy for HIV prevention 2010-2016 and was one of the findings from Maseru declaration of 2006 were a SADC Think Tank meeting on HIV Prevention was held. Behavior change is a process which happens in stages and the stages may happen in order or haphazardly but needs to be supported and reinforced.

Comments

Submitted by adrita.bagchi on Fri, 01/26/2018 - 22:26 Permalink

It is interesting that in Zimbabwe, the usage of role models to reinforce positive behaviour is aligned with the national policy. Globally, countries also recognize the potential it has in influencing positive change in the community. People are curious about the kind of lives celebrities live and things they endorse. So, when a celebrity becomes the face of a social campaign, people take note and invariably the campaign attracts attention.

Maybe all objectives of the campaign are not achieved in due time, but definitely, awareness regarding the issue is built, which is a great and vital first step in social change. Community tends to associate with the messages that celebrities propagate. Additionally, celebs themselves are involved in a lot of social work which is also one of the reasons they are named brand ambassadors of special initiatives and campaigns.

Common examples are Angelina Jolie - UNHCR - Special Envoy, Priyanka Chopra - UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador for Child Rights, Amitabh Bachchan - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio Eradication and Wasim Akram - Brand Ambassador for Novo Nordisk’s #ChangingDiabetes. Award winning government scheme ‘Kanyasree Prakalpa’ launched by the Government of West Bengal in 2013 with the aim to prevent child marriage, also had actress Koel Mullick promoting the scheme by visiting schools and encouraging students to continue their education and pursue higher studies.

#socialchange