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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Reaching Youth Worldwide - Working Paper 2

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Author

Affiliation

Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date
Summary

Prepared by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs with primary support from the United States Agency for International Development under the Population Communication Services project CCP-A-00-96-90001-00.

Suggested Citation:
Palmer, A. (April 2002). Reaching Youth Worldwide; Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs,1995-2000, Working Paper No. 6. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Population Communication Services.

This publication may be reproduced without permission provided the material is distributed free of charge and Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs is acknowledged. Opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of sponsoring agencies.

Edited and produced by Center Publications:
Nancy B. Smith, Editor, and Rita C. Meyer, Materials Development Manager.

Preface and Acknowledgments

Preventing problems during adolescence is more practical, cost-effective, and resource efficient than addressing problems once they occur. Programmes that work with adolescents to prevent problems benefit everyone. Prevention continues to gain importance as the number of adolescents in the world increases and the resources dedicated to helping them are unable to keep pace. Young people between the ages of 10 and 24 years make up 25 percent of the world's population, roughly 1.7 billion people. Of these, 86 percent live in developing countries.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) and its primary project, the Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS), have worked in more than 25 countries with hundreds of counterparts to create innovative programmes for young people that focus on preventing reproductive health problems, developing life skills, preserving the environment, and providing health services. Seven projects that demonstrated impact with youth are highlighted in this publication. The strategies used in these projects evolved from 15 years of experience with youth programmes. In addition, an inventory of select adolescent programmes implemented with technical assistance from JHU/CCP from1995-2000 is included at the end of this paper. The report was derived from project documents, previously published reports and articles, and information provided by JHU/CCP programme officers, Robert Ainslie,Marcela Aguilar, Karusa Kiragu, and Peter Roberts. JHU/CCP would like to thank the following counterparts for their contributions to the programmes:

NICARAGUA: Margarita Gurdian, JHU/PCS Country Representative; Oscar Ortiz, JHU/PCS Nicaragua; The Interagency Commission for Reproductive Health; and HILO Producciones.

PERU: National Reproductive Health and Family Planning Program/Peru Ministry of Health; Instituto Peruano de Paternidad Responsable (INPPARES); The Population Council/Peru; Carola de Luque, Director of Advocacy in Population Programs (APROPO); and Trixi Vargas, Hotline Counselor.

ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Unit; Fatima Bopoto-Mhuriro, Programme Manager for Materials Development; Brian Makunike; the ZNFPC Provincial Managers and IEC officers; the ZNFPC Training and Service Delivery Units; Dr. Alex Zinanga, former Executive Director of ZNFPC; and Dr. Buhle Ncube, Acting Executive Director of ZNFPC.

KENYA: National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), the Family Planning Association of Kenya (FPAK), the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), and the consortium of youth-serving organisations that worked on the project.

UGANDA: Delivery of Improved Services for Health (DISH) Communication Advisor Cheryl Lettenmaierand IEC Coordinators Anne Gamurorwa, Jennifer Sengendo, and Nankunda Allen; and District Health Educators of Jinja, Kamuli, Kampala, Luwero, Masindi, Masaka, Rakai, Mbarara, Ntungamo, and Kasese.

ZAMBIA: Carol Underwood, Elizabeth Serlemitsos, Uttara Bharath, Maria Banda Nkolola, Holo Hachonda, The Central Board of Health, USAID/Zambia, The Youth Advisory Group,Susan Krenn, and ZIHPCOMM.

Funding for the participation of JHU/PCS in these youth projects and for the preparation of this report was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID.

Signed:

Jane Bertrand, PhD, MBA
Professor and Director
Center for Communication Programs
Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health
and
Jose G. Rimon, II
Senior Deputy Director
Center for Communication Programs
Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health


Table of Contents

Part I Reaching Young People Worldwide

  • Approaches for Developing Youth Programmes

Part II Key Youth Programmes

Work With Youth to Design the Programme

Appeal to Youth with Friendly Centers and Services

Engage Multiple Audiences with One Programme

Use Hotlines

Entertain To Educate

Involve, and Teach Youth Through Technology

Part III JHU/CCP Youth Programmes, 1995-2000

References

Matrix JHU/CCP Youth Programmes 1995-2000

Web link
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