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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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Public Interest Media Confronting the Covid-19 Pandemic

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"Public interest media across the Global South have demonstrated discipline, innovation, resilience and courage as they responded to the crisis [of COVID-19]. While these qualities are essential for survival, they are most effective when coupled with practical business and operational strategies, particularly those that have been tried and tested by other public interest media in similar environments."

The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated infodemic have made it clear that the media's need for financial resilience is greater than ever, with the viability of even the best-positioned public interest media under great strain. In response, this analysis piece, which is a learning output from Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED), offers a set of practical recommendations that draw on the experiences of media in countries where PRIMED consortium partners work. Compiled by Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) and BBC Media Action, the recommendations spell out practical steps that public interest media have found helpful as they navigate the continuing crisis management phase of the pandemic and begin to prepare themselves for the new reality that will follow.

... Every media organisation and media market is different, so any response will need to be contextual. However, the recommendations offered may be relevant to various media leaders and senior editors as they consider ... (continued at links below)

For a complete summary of this resource please click here

For the full MDIF document - Strategies for public interest media confronting the Covid-19 pandemic: Building business around content please click here