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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Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS

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Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS, is a film project that combines the story of a rising soccer star with an animated journey inside his body, to illustrate the progression of HIV disease and the body's reactions to it. A collaboration between Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP), Curious Pictures, and Masters & Savant, the project combines research, entertainment, and education to produce a narrative that uses the appeal of a sports drama to explain the science of HIV/AIDS.
Communication Strategies

Director Rolie Nikiwe features in the film as Kalu, a football star who moves from Kenya to South Africa and urban Johannesburg. Kalu falls in love with the coach's daughter and discovers that he is HIV positive. Throughout the story, animation is used to show audiences what is happening inside of his body, including the moment of infection, how HIV passes from one person to another, and how anti-retroviral medicines work.

According to the producers, the idea for an educational film about the science of HIV came as Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP) producers asked educators for topic ideas for school kids and community members. Soliciting relevant subject ideas from teachers and school administrators in Sub Saharan Africa who are most familiar with the needs of their students and community is one way DCGEP makes sure their films connect with audiences. Research suggested that many people were tired of being told what to do, and instead wanted an explanation of how the disease works.

Using both fiction and non-fiction storytelling, producers state that the final script is a careful balance between an entertaining drama and communicating information.

Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS will be broadcast on television and in schools across sub-Saharan Southern Africa. Behind-the-scenes shorts from Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS will also be produced and will be broadcast on Discovery's portfolio of TV channels in South Africa at the same time as when the film will be released.

The project also has an Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS facebook page.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS

Sources

Inside Story: The Science of HIV/AIDS website and TV with Thinus blog on September 22 2011.