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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Tanzania Association of Disabled Issues Journalists (TADIJO)

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Tanzania Association of Disabled Issues Journalists (TADIJO) is a Tanzanian association that seeks to combine efforts by journalists, individuals, and non-governmental organisations (NGO) in order to deepen knowledge and expertise on different forms of disabilities, as well as to identify challenges facing people with disabilities. TADIJO seeks to capitalise on the media's influence among the community, to sustain and promote the welfare of people with disabilities, to defeat the stigma related to disabilities, and to address the social economical and political factors that support discrimination. Ultimately, the organisation aims to uplift disabled persons' status from a life of permanent dependence to self-reliance through the media.
Communication Strategies

TADIJO uses a variety of strategies to advocate for an inclusive society where all people are equally treated. Approaches drawn upon to meet this goal include:

  • Identifying and assessing the range and quality of disability structures and resources for policy provision for people with special needs related to disabilities.
  • Sensitisation of disabled persons on issues related to disabilities and on special needs by building a network for continued collaboration and exchange ideas and experiences on reforms for inclusiveness.
  • Making recommendations on how to improve disability related policies and strategies for their implementation through an increased impact on disabilities policies and programmes.
  • Creating strategies for sensitisation policy and structural reforms on how to meet special needs of people with disabilities in the general community by promoting the community well-being of the disabled sector through various methods.
  • Helping to make people aware of the seriousness and range of challenges involved with making disabled people's lives barrier-free, and for creating an inclusive society for people with needs that promotes and sustains their welfare.
  • Conducting research and study tours on issues related to disabled people and, disseminating the findings for possible advocacy and lobbying strategies.


TADIJO has embarked on different projects that include:

  • Training: Capacity building is provided to members of the media and other stakeholders in the country on accurate reporting about disability issues.
  • Newsletter: The association's newsletter – Mlemavu Tanzania - includes news, features, and articles on people with disabilities and related issues - with an emphasis on changing the community's attitude toward disabled persons while tackling stigma and discrimination against them.
  • Radio/TV productions: TADIJO produces programmes on disability issues for local stations, with the hope of setting up its own production unit for radio/television.
  • Website: TADIJO will reportedly be launching a website that will play the role of linking up journalists and stakeholders covering or interested in disability issues. The website will also act as a venue for information sharing among journalists, medical doctors, experts, scientists, researchers, policy makers, people with disabilities, community/faith-based and NGO representatives, social workers and people from all walks of life. One feature will be an electronic (e)-forum whereby people will debate about various issues regarding disabilities via email.
Development Issues

Health, Rights.

Sources

Email from Deo Kiduduye to Soul Beat Africa on June 13 2005.