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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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South Africa: cell phones, youth, collective voice, social change?

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South Africa: cell phones, youth, collective voice, social change?

A new mobile-based programme will soon be launched in South Africa called U–Report.  Initiated by UNICEF and partners, it is designed to let young people, called U-Reporters, share their ideas and opinions on social issues affecting their communities through sms-based polls and social media.  This information is instantly mapped and analysed, giving real-time insights on how young people see their world and what they think is most important. In turn, these aggregated views can be used by development partners in their advocacy with governments, and are even shared directly with government departments.  Click here for more information about how U-Report works. 

U-Report is already being implemented in Zimbabwe, Swaziland  and Zambia, in addition to many other African countries.  We would love to hear your thoughts on this new mobile phone-based initiative aimed at increasing young people’s participation in social change.  What are your experiences around mobile phone –based initiatives in South Africa and/or with working with youth to engage them as active citizens?  Please share your experiences and insights within this group, which consists mainly of Communication Initiative/Soul Beat Africa network members based in, or working in, South Africa.