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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Siwir Enba (Hidden Tears) – Ethiopia

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Siwir Enba (Hidden Tears) is an Ethiopian film depicting the real-life tragedy being brought about by HIV/AIDS. It was first broadcast across the country in January 2004. The documentary portrays the lives of women in Ethiopia who have become victims of discrimination and stigma because they are HIV positive. The organiser says the film tells of the impact of stigma. The documentary addresses the stigma and discrimination prompted by the virus and the threat posed by HIV/AIDS.
Communication Strategies
The 45-minute film was first shown to government ministers and campaigners fighting HIV at a special screening in the capital, Addis Ababa. It was then broadcast on state television. It will also be shown in villages around the country, using cinema projectors and further distributed to NGOs. "We have around 1,500 copies of the film to disseminate it to other areas of the country so that they can see the film as well. We expect around 2 million people will see the film." Ethiopian Education Minister Genet Zewde said she is considering using the film as an educational tool in the country's schools.

The film portrays women who have been stigmatised and reflects the situation of Ethiopian women, economically, socially and politically. The film shows the damage that society is doing by discriminating against women who are HIV positive. "These are real issues, these are true stories and they depict how traditional and harmful practices can have a negative effect on the lives of women."
Development Issues
HIV/AIDS
Key Points
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a crippling effect on Ethiopia, where, according to government estimates, some 2.2 million people are living with HIV.

The documentary was aimed at raising awareness. The organisers say they produced the film because they thought it was the best medium to change the outlook, to make an impact. They believe it is easier to absorb information if it is a film.

"In Ethiopia, especially in the rural areas, many people cannot read, so we needed a method that reached them as well. In Ethiopia we say seeing is believing and pictures have a more powerful message than words."
Partners

The Ethiopian government's HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office, the US-backed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Walta Information Centre, an Ethiopian media outlet.

Sources

AllAfrica.Com website on January 22 2004