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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KUBA AIDS Prevention Campaign

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The "KUBA" campaign, a programme of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP), is targeted at young adults and promotes abstinence, fidelity and condom use (which roughly translates to KUBA). AIDS has hit Rwanda's youth particularly hard, with a 6.9% prevalence rate of HIV infection for those ages 15 to 19. With an overall prevalence rate of 12.5%, Rwanda's leaders are taking emergency action to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Communication Strategies

The campaign got off to a rousing start on May 20 2001 in Kigali when nearly 50,000 people showed up at a free launch concert in Amahoro stadium that featured international music stars and the first ladies of ten African nations in attendance. The concert, which also reached another one million radio listeners, featured Jamaican reggae artist Natty Dread, South Africa's legendary Brenda Fassie, and Rwanda music "queen" Cecile Kayirebwa. The musicians promoted AIDS awareness and prevention messages throughout the evening. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeanette Kagame danced the night away with first ladies from Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali and Nigeria who were in Rwanda for the Summit of African First Ladies.

Development Issues

Youth, HIV/AIDS, Family Planning.

Key Points

After the launch concert, JHU/CCP continued to carry the KUBA message through Rwanda with an event at Butare University on May 27 and another concert in Gitarama on June 3. JHU/CCP will now actively seek to develop partnerships with local musicians, actors, donors and others to expand the KUBA campaign and continue to reach young adults through media that appeals to them.In addition to the famous artists present on May 20, several local artists warmed up the crowd with KUBA messages, such as:

  • The future is now, To protect it, make a KUBA decision;
  • The strength of our youth lies in the KUBA. To live healthy and strong, make a KUBA decision; and
  • Do not get hot if you have not got it. Condoms prevent AIDS and STDs.
Partners

The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Sources

Press release from JHU/CCP dated June 18, 2001.