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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TVE (International Television Trust for the Environment) - Global

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The International Television Trust for the Environment (TVE International) is an international not-for-profit organisation working globally and locally to raise awareness of environment, development, health and human rights issues through the media.

Established in 1984, TVE is both a producer and distributor of television programmes on these issues. It now holds what they call "the world's largest collection of copyright-cleared environment and development programmes that are available to television broadcasters and non-broadcast users in the majority world." Hundreds of television stations and thousands of NGOs, universities, schools and activist organisations use these programmes for education, advocacy, training and activist purposes.
Communication Strategies
TVE's programmes look at the complex linkages between humans and the natural and social environments. Programmes highlight the impact of human activities on the environment, the links between poverty, health and the environment, between environmental degradation and global trade and debt, women's reproductive rights and population growth, and how safeguarding the rights of women, children and other disadvantaged groups is an integral part of achieving sustainable development. By mid 2002, TVE has in its distribution catalogue over 800 titles in varying formats of documentary, docu-drama, drama, animation, song and TV spots.

TVE distributes its programmes to broadcasters as well as on video to non-broadcast users (NGOs, universities, training centres, etc.) - both on a cost-recovery, non-profit basis. As copyrights have been cleared for most developing countries, TVE is able to offer the programmes to southern users without charging commercial rates or royalties. TVE's most visible output is through two regular, weekly slots on BBC World television: 'Earth Report', which covers environmental issues, and 'Life' which addresses issues of social development, social justice and globalisation.

In the 1990s, TVE has forged partnerships with national level distributors and multipliers, collectively known as Video Resource Centres (VRCs). These are media-savvy civil society organisations engaged in advocacy, education, activist, research or community development activities - each autonomous, and with own constituencies and priorities. VRCs produce local language versions, and market them to users in their countries. VRC networks are found in Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Development Issues
Environment, health, women, children, youth, human rights, sustainable development, social justice.
Key Points
TVE's original mandate was to act a a catalyst for the production and distribution of quality TV programmes and video films, to translate the somewhat dry priorities of development organisations into powerful human interest stories that can attract mainstream viewers. TVE's most important achievement has been the creation of a public space for filmmakers from the South to express their views and concerns both in their own countries as well as at a global level.

Over the years, TVE has mobilised large amounts of funds from development agencies, television industry and corporate sponsors to support southern film makers and distribution partners.
Partners

TVE was founded by UN Environment Programme (UNEP), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and UK's Central Television. TVE has close to 50 Video Resource Centre partners in Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America regions.

Sources

Summary submitted to The Communication Initiative by TVE.