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

Time to read
less than
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 24 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Web Storytelling Project for Children in a Time of Crisis - United States

0 comments
Launched in response to the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001. This is a project that has posted traditional tales from around the world, stories that "may provide an internal place of peace" for children, on a web site for free downloading.
Communication Strategies
Web-based project. Stories are for adults to read to children. "Stories That Nourish The Heart" is created as an emergency storytelling project to be given to children in need in New York City.
Development Issues
Conflict, Children.
Key Points
Project was launched with the idea that stories that explore and transform feelings of powerlessness and fear into courage and inspiration are enduring and may replace actual or televised images of violence.
Partners

Created by Laura Simms, Storyteller. The project is under the umbrella of THE MEDIATORS FUND, inc (a not for profit organisation) that is the fiscal agent for the Gaindeh Project: an international storytelling for survival initiative under the direction of Laura Simms, and an international board of storytellers, therapists, journalists, film makers, and humanitarian workers.

Sources

Website - click here