Development action with informed and engaged societies

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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Yes! It's Possible

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Created by Rina Dey, Communication Advisor, CORE Group Polio Project, India, this informative and entertaining animated video features one child explaining to another how the international community has partnered together to try to eradicate polio.

The quest began, the boy explains, with a pledge made at the 1988 World Health Assembly. In 1999, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the CORE Group joined the group of international and national organisations collaborating on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). It brings 9 international and 30 national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the effort, including 15,000 skilled mobilisers who work tirelessly in difficult and conflict-ridden areas to bring vaccinations to children around the world. A key approach is positive behaviour change communication for vaccination "so the virus isn't able to attack us". The children also discuss activities in schools to promote hand-washing, for example.

Though "innovative approaches", the "army of mobilisers" has reached over 6 million children with the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and now also, the injectable (inactivated polio vaccination). With 80% of the world now polio-free and only 2 endemic countries remaining, the children ask the viewer in unison, "Will you help us in winning the game?" The message of the video is: "Yes! It's Possible!"

Length
04'14"
Date Year of Production
Not specified
Source

Emails from Ellyn Ogden and Rina Dey to The Communication Initiative on October 1 2017 and October 9 2017.