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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Youth Whispers - Egypt

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A 20 minute television programme on youth issues has been developed by UNICEF and the Egyptian AIDS Society and broadcast weekly on Alexandria's Channel Five.
Communication Strategies

The programme was named "Youth Whispers". Its main theme is to give opportunities to young people in identifying and voicing views on issues of concern for them. Also increased community awareness of issues of concern for adolescence and youth and to make sure they are better informed and better equipped. The first episode was aired on Monday July 19th, 1999 and is being aired every Monday. Focus groups suggested what the youth want to know and the first episode highlighted that. Format includes interviews, live tapings of youth and parent focus groups, and quiz questions promoting change in behaviour which offer a prize for the correct answer.
Development Issues

Youth, education, HIV/AIDS, health and nutrition, community awareness, rights.
Key Points

All answers for all the quiz questions are sent to the Egyptian AIDS Society in Alexandria (this way people who were not aware of the existence of an AIDS Society are introduced to its existence). The agreement with the Egyptian AIDS Society and Channel five is for twenty episodes and several radio programmes.
Partners



UNICEF, Egyptian AIDS Society, Alexandria's Channel Five.

Sources

Informational letter from Ibrahim El-Kerdany forwarded to The Communication Initiative.