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.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Unidad de Radio - Colombia

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A programme of the Ministerio de Cultura seeking to support the country's Constitution which provides a guarantee to "freely express and defuse thought and opinions" and to "establish means of mass communication" (Article 20). The programme was developed to promote progressive legislation on radio, assist in the legalisation of community radio projects, train radio managers, and produce radio series.

Between 1995 and 2001, Unidad de Radio gave over 50 workshops to the heads of different community radio projects and they still continue to do so. Workshops (for 45-50 people) consist of 5 intensive days of exchanging experiences, organising collective initiatives, and providing basic conceptual and technical knowledge. Unidad de Radio also produces a series of programmes (i.e: contemporary social history, history of the cinema, topics on literature and music) to serve and reinforce programming in the community radios and to be used as models of programming and technique.
Communication Strategies
Unidad de Radio not only creates radio programmes, but also establishes production centres throughout Colombia. The materials they produce is distributed in schools, cultural institutions, universities, and community and state radio stations.

Unidad de Radio carries out workshops in various different regions of Colombia; established the School of Radio Production in the city of Bogota; supports regional processes of dialogue and debate and reflections of local experiences through the radio.

Through workshops, audiences and programmers have developed an awareness and increased use of their local contexts and perspectives as basic materials for radio programme making. Training is offered to people without a formal education beyond secondary school and it includes intensive work in research, interviewing, reporting and critically evaluating social situations. Programming includes documentaries, chronicles, debates and entertainment programmes.
Development Issues
Violence, Conflict, Citizenship, Human Rights, Democracy, Political Development, Economic Development.
Key Points
In 1995, Unidad de Radio participated in the debate towards a progressive legislation on radio, and then provided assistance and information in the legalisation of different community radio projects. Unidad de Radio is one of the few experiences in Latin America where the state has become a facilitator of community participation in communication processes.
Partners



Unidad de Radio - Ministerio de Cultura, and community radio stations.

Sources

"The work of the