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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Break the Silence HIV/AIDS Billboard Campaign

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Implemented by Art for Humanity, hosted by the Department of Fine Art at the Durban Institute of Technology, the HIV/AIDS Billboard Campaign is a South African public education programme that uses art print images produced by local and international artists on billboards to promote the "Break the Silence" slogan about HIV/AIDS dialogue in South Africa. The campaign aims to change people's behaviour relating to HIV/AIDS. The project is supported by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, which sponsored 3 billboards in areas around Durban in 2001 and 2002, ClearChannel Independent, Association of Medical Pathologists, National Lottery Board and National Arts Council. To date, this campaign has produced 70 billboards and 50 exhibitions of the original artworks throughout South Africa.
Communication Strategies
The campaign aims to inspire in South Africans a sense of "moral ownership" of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and of those infected and affected by the disease. The project organisers facilitate the campaign through "art as advocacy" activity. The billboards are used to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, to contribute to breaking the stigma surrounding the pandemic, and to promote HIV/AIDS-related social responsibility.
Development Issues
HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
Depending on the availability of the billboards at any given time, the project sponsors agreed to flight the "Break the Silence" message for a minimum of two months. According to organisers, "In all past cases, this period has been extended well beyond the initial two months."
Partners

ClearChannel Independent, Durban Institute of Technology.

Sources

Emails from Jan Jordaan to The Communication Initiative on November 29 2004 and October 16 2006.