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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Dialogue Tool Box

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  • Public Conversations Project (PCP)
The Tool Box includes exercises and practical tools that are based on PCP's approach to dialogue: "By 'dialogue' we mean a structured conversation (or series of conversations) that has the goals of improving communication, increasing mutual understanding, and shifting participants' relationships in a constructive direction."

The mission of PCP is "to foster a more inclusive, empathic and collaborative society by promoting constructive conversations and relationships among those who have differing values, world views, and positions about divisive public issues."

The Tool Box is organised into four sections:

Fundamentals
  • Premises, Practices, and the Spirit Behind Them
  • Distinguishing Debate From Dialogue: A Table
Questions to Ask Before the Dialogue
  • Questions to Ask of Those Who Seek to Convene a Dialogue
  • Talking with Potential Participants About the Conflict and their Hopes for Dialogue
Designing, Facilitating, and Following up Dialogues
  • A Model for An Introductory Dialogue on Abortion
  • Common Phases in an Opening Meeting
  • Beginning a Dialogue Session: Go-Rounds and Questions
  • Sample Ground Rules (Agreements) for Dialogue
  • Self-Help Tools for Participators
  • Guidelines for Facilitators
  • A Sample Protocol for a Follow-up Interview
Other Exercises and Questions for Mulling
  • The Exercise on Stereotyping
  • Moving Beyond Polarization over Abortion: Steps You Can Take on Your Own
  • Thinking about Strains Related to Class Differences
  • The Uncertain Path to Dialogue: A Meditation

Click here for the Tool Box in PDF format [445k].

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26