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.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 21 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

USAID/OTI Sudan Programme

0 comments
The United States Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) programme focuses on increasing access to balanced information, promoting good governance, providing conflict resolution expertise in areas vulnerable to violence, and supporting people-to-people peace processes in southern Sudan. The project’s efforts are linked to on-going southern Sudanese peace processes, and peace building programmes that promote good governance practices and increase the participation of southern Sudanese in their governance structures.
Communication Strategies

The programme activities included the establishment of an Independent Southern Sudan Media. The establishment of independent media in southern Sudan is a key component of USAID/OTI's intervention. The people of southern Sudan have limited access to balanced media information. The provision of balanced information is critical to the expansion of citizen participation in local governance and peace-building activities. Building support for any peace agreement begins with balanced, reliable, and easily accessible information.

USAID/OTI awarded the Education Development Center (EDC) a cooperative leadership award to establish a local language radio service for southern Sudan. A short-wave radio broadcast began in July 2003. Initial programming was broadcast in Nuer, Dinka, Juba-Arabic, English, and Arabic and focused on the provision of news and information, particularly surrounding the peace talks. Additional radio content to promote the positive and peaceful development of the governance institutions included educational and cultural programmes, health issues, and civic education and governance programming.

The programme works to improve governance and to strengthen the balance between leaders and citizens. OTI's efforts focus on strengthening the rule of law by increasing the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary. It issued a grant to provide targeted assistance to the judiciary, including transport and communications support as well as establish a legal aid unit out of the Women's Development Center in Rumbek.

Development Issues

Conflict

Key Points

As one of its initial activities, OTI sponsored the December 2002 All-Nuba Conference, bringing together representatives of civil society, the GOS, the SPLM, and others from all parts of the political spectrum to discuss the future of the Nuba people.

The programme’s support for southern peace processes hoped to address the preconditions for longer-term development programming. Proposed OTI interventions include the provision of technical assistance/capacity building to civil society groups and key sector governance bodies, and the implementation of community-identified priority projects to secure local peace agreements among citizens.

The project’s objectives also include peace and civic education initiatives, projects to increase women's participation in civil society/governance bodies, and local and nationally sponsored dialogues.

Partners

USAID, southern Sudanese civil society organisations, the Government of Sudan (GOS), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), US government.

Sources

USAID website on October 19 2004.