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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Immunisation Initiatives (UNICEF) - Sierra Leone

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UNICEF is supporting two programmes related to vaccines and immunisation in Sierra Leone - The National Immunisation Days(NIDs) which started in 1998, and the routine immunisation of under fives (U5) for six childhood diseases and Tetanus Toxoid for women (TT). They are largely using the socio-political setting of the country for effective communication purposes.
Communication Strategies
Their communication strategy usually starts with advocacy at the highest level, with the head of state, cabinet ministers (through the Minister of Health), the parliamentarians, the district officers (through the district medical officers) before they meet the traditional chiefs and the city council. They also build partnership and alliances with civil society groups like the market women associations, sports clubs, farmers associations and youth groups, NGOs and community based organisations and influential individuals within the respective communities.

They also have social mobilisation committees in each district comprising of a maximum of ten people representing all major communication stakeholders in that district who adopt the national communication plans and adapt them for local implementation in respect with the prevailing socio-cultural setting of the area.

In Sierra Leone they use electronic media and print media extensively (including radio, TV, news papers, posters, banners, T-shirts, caps, flyers, stickers & buttons, flags and illustrative wall paintings) which are translated into songs, jingles and drama, in local languages to suit all communities.
Development Issues
Children, Women, Immunisation and Vaccines.
Key Points
Sierra Leone has a head of state, cabinet ministers and members of parliament (representing 66 constituencies through out the country) and district officers in all the twelve districts and further down at the rural settings there are traditional rulers in the persons of paramount chiefs (chiefdom level), section chiefs and village chiefs. Religious leaders are highly revered within the Christian and Muslim communities.
These initiatives are obtainable only where the war has ceased and civil society is operational.
Sources

Letter from Salieu Jalloh to The Communication Initiative, August 25, 2001.

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