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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Collecting & Exchange of Local Agricultural Content (CELAC) Project

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The Collecting & Exchange of Local Agricultural Content (CELAC) project seeks to collect and exchange local agricultural information that has proven successful for Uganda's farmers. Using technology, media and networking opportunities, the project organiser Busoga Rural Open Source and Development Initiative (BROSDI) aims to benefit women farmers, in particular, as well as immediate relatives of the farmers’ group members and the wider Ugandan community.
Communication Strategies
CELAC uses various information and communication technology (ICT) methods to foster knowledge sharing in the effort to enhance poverty reduction and food security, especially among women farmers. Specifically:
  • The project has its own website that it uses as one medium for disseminating information. Farmers' participation is key here; for instance, the website seeks to stimulate exchange on the crop and animal farming practices that have worked for Uganda's farmers through such sections as "Farmers Advice".
  • CELAC also uses cell phone short message service (SMS) to send text messages on local agro-related information to the project’s database of phone numbers every Monday. This service is designed for farmers, community development workers, agricultural extension workers and any other interested persons.
  • The project has both a monthly online and quarterly printed newsletter called “CELAC News”. All of its articles are written in both English and Luganda, the widely spoken local language in Uganda.
  • Radio call-in programmes are offered on a monthly basis.
  • CELAC uses music, dance and drama to portray farming practices and their challenges. These activities are recorded on video and burned onto DVDs for use by farmers' organisations, farmers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as tools to enhance further learning.
Other CELAC strategies include:
  • Developing content for agricultural digital dissemination: The CELAC Project seeks to adopt content that is suitable for rural users by repackaging existing information to suit rural users, the majority of whom are illiterate.
  • Establishing Community Knowledge Brokers: The CELAC Project seeks to establish village-level community knowledge brokers by empowering women and men with skills to collect, store, analyse and disseminate agricultural knowledge in the communities. They also represent the villages at the agricultural network for collecting and exchanging of local agro-content (AN - CELAC) which is based in Mayuge at BROSDI.
  • Routine knowledge sharing: Using national and international networks, BROSDI regularly acquires agricultural information that is organised into local content and shared among communities. For example, in November 2005, the project brought together key persons from the targeted districts and beyond for a two-day people-to-people knowledge sharing forum on “local agro-good practices”. It is hoped that this type of activity will foster learning from diverse experiences, increase work effectiveness, and help farmers engage in more efficient problem-solving.
Development Issues
Agriculture.
Key Points
Women farmers are the major earners in Uganda - especially at grassroot level. According to BROSDI, in Uganda, 72% of all employed women and 90% of all rural women work in agriculture; only 53% of rural men do so.
Partners

Hivos, Information Communication and Technology for Africa Rural Development (ICTARD), Linux Solutions, FICOM, Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns (VEDCO), World Vision, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), and others.

Sources

CELAC website on July 8 2005 and July 10 2006; and email from CELAC to The Communication Initiative on July 18 2006.