Development action with informed and engaged societies

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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Making the Difference - ICT as Key Enablers for Equitable and Sustainable Development

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SummaryText
This 17-page brochure aims to show how and where information and communication technology (ICT) can make a difference in sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It argues that it is as an overarching enabling platform rather than simply an instrument for reaching individual development objectives. The power of ICT can most effectively be harnessed through participation and cooperation of all stakeholders and all sectors of society - government, civil society and the private sector. According to this brochure, only by combining their particular competencies and resources can the massive roll-out of innovative ICT-based services and the scale-up of development interventions be achieved which are necessary to make a lasting developmental impact.



[excerpt]
Strategic factors for development

ICT can help to meet the following challenges:

Poverty reduction: ICT can significantly contribute to poverty reduction by facilitating the efficient, scalable, affordable and pervasive delivery of goods, services and information flows between people, governments and firms and by enhancing empowerment, opportunity and security.

Scaling up: ICT can facilitate the scale up of development investments and initiatives, both in terms of planning, implementation and monitoring of a great number of interventions simultaneously as well as in terms of broadening access to essential services.

Civil society participation: ICT can facilitate the strategic involvement in public debate and policy formulation of a diverse range of actors from social movements to local entrepreneurs, civil society organisations and researchers, public policy makers, political analysts and journalists, students and teachers.

Good governance: By improving efficiency, transparency, accountability and participation, ICT can contribute to realising fundamental principles of good governance.

Harmonisation: ICT can help increase aid effectiveness by facilitating the coordination of all different actors and the sharing of information and knowledge.



Click here to download the English version of this publication in PDF format.

Click here to download the Spanish version of this publication in PDF format.

Click here to download the French version of this publication in PDF format.
Languages
English, Spanish, French
Number of Pages
17