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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Massachusetts Tobacco Control Programme

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To combat the large social cost of smoking with its effects on both smokers and second-hand smokers, the people of Massachusetts voted to increase the excise tax on tobacco. Using the resources raised through that tax a communication programme was initiated in order to support and promote decreased levels of smoking in Massachusetts. The objectives were to help adult smokers to stop smoking, to prevent young people from starting smoking, and to protect non-smokers from inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke. The media campaign educated and attempted to change public attitudes towards smoking.
Communication Strategies

At a local level, community agencies were given funding to provide counseling services for people who were quitting, to educate their communities about smoking, and to work to change legislature to decrease access to tobacco by youth and to decrease the amount of environmental smoke that workers were exposed to. This was complemented by a state-wide mass media campaign on television, radio, and through special events.

Development Issues

Tobacco, Health.

Key Points

Multiple levels of government and community came together to work on the project, including boards of health, youth agencies, and school departments.

Partners

Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Local Boards of Health, Local Youth Tobacco Education and Leadership Programs, National Cancer Institute.

Sources

Independent Evaluation of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program - Third Annual Report: Summary. Abt Associates Inc., Hamilton, W., Harold, L., Jan 1994 to June 1996.