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.
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
The Drum Beat 743 - Seeking Your Support; Thanking Those Supporting - The Communication Initiative
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Issue #
743
Seeking Your Support; Thanking Those Supporting - The Communication Initiative - The Drum Beat 743 September 20, 2017
The ongoing survey of The Communication Initiative (The CI) network indicates significant added value to the work of the 90,000 people and organisations active in social and behaviour change, communication and media for development with their 1.2 million user sessions per annum. For example, from the running results: Indispensable - 9.66%; Extremely valuable - 33.33%; and, Highly valuable - 34.94%.
With many thanks for considering, perhaps by raising the possibility of providing support within your office, section, division, or organisaton. This would be really appreciated.
Please do email me if you have any questions or suggestions. And please do review the work of our much valued Partners and, on this occasion, the Associates outlined below.
We thank our CI Associates who have recently reaffirmed their participation:
1. The Manoff GroupThe mission of The Manoff Group (TMG) is to "help families improve their wellbeing by using their own resources to practice healthy behaviors....TMG's systemic, behavior-centered approach focuses programmers (not just communicators) on achieving behavioral outcomes as proximal indicators to improved health."
* TMG focuses on evidence-driven social and behaviour change (SBC) programming to promote healthy populations. This CI summary - Methods and Approaches to Understanding Behaviour Change - describes a Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) Helpdesk rapid review that draws on academic and grey literature to present a broad overview of theories and models of behaviour and behaviour change.
2. The Media Studies and Journalism Department of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB)Located in Dhaka City, ULAB "aims to continuously produce graduates who are globally competitive, critical in thinking, problem solvers, excellent communicators and professional through a curriculum that is liberal arts-based and devoted to communication, journalism and media studies."
* The Training, Conferences, and Meetings section on our Classifieds site offers a number of upcoming events that may be of interest to those studying the media and journalism. (If you would like to submit information about a training programme or C4D gathering, please contact Victoria Martin - vmartin@comminit.com )
3. University of GuelphOntario, Canada's University of Guelph provides "learning for local and international development education and research....At the Masters and PhD level, graduate courses and student research projects typically address communication, learning and community engagement processes as they relate to the areas of environment, agriculture, food, and rural communities, in Canada and around the world."
* Click here to read a summary of a thesis presented to The University of Guelph called "Campus/Community Radio in Canada: Linking Listener to Broadcaster with Web 2.0 Technologies."
In addition to our new and renewing CI Associates, our long-time CI Associates (in alphabetical order by first letter of the first word) are who have recently reaffirmed their participation:
4. Communication and Development Studies, Ohio UniversityOffered in the United States (US), this Master's degree programme "emphasizes the use of communication to promote positive social change....The 'Comm Dev' curriculum encompasses core courses that emphasize topics and proficiencies in areas that include Communication and Social Change; Development Theory; Communication Theory; Participatory Research Methods; and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)....[S]tudents have specialized in areas that include, among others, health communication, participatory video, the digital divide, gender and development, conflict resolution, and the political economy of media. The program encourages original research..."
* To access summaries on communication theories on The CI website, click here.
* The CI has many resources on the topical foci of Communication and Development Studies, Ohio University, such as participatory video, gender, and the digital divide. Please head to our home page and search or browse around.
5. Equal Access InternationalEqual Access (EA) is an international non-profit organisation working to create positive social change for underserved people across Africa and Asia through media programming, interactive technologies, and direct community engagement. Thematic areas include: peacebuilding, ending violence against women and girls, women's and youth empowerment, youth life skills and livelihoods, civic engagement, human rights, agriculture, economic development, and early childhood education.
* EA's Change Starts at Home (Change) initiative uses a multi-component social behaviour change communication (SBCC) strategy involving a radio drama and community mobilisation to shift attitudes, norms, and behaviours that underpin intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in Nepal. Click here to learn more about it.
* Click here to access our Communication: Achieving Results for our Children theme site.
* The CI offers a bi-monthly e-magazine featuring our latest postings on issues related to children and development. To subscribe, send a message to: children@comminit.com
6. Globalization and Development Communication, MS / Temple University's School of Media and CommunicationTemple University's Master of Science in Globalization and Development Communication (GDC) covers the goals, issues, and practices of development communication. While the GDC programme includes training in research skills and theory, it emphasises effective action and involves a practicum capstone experience. Offered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, the programme prepares students with the knowledge and skills required to address challenges in areas such as public health, environmental sustainability, and human rights.
7. Health Communication Resources (HCR)HCR is an international not-for-profit "specialising in training grass roots community practitioners to utilise the power of community radio for positive social change. HCR's mission is to 'equip communities and partners with the skills and resources to support community transformation and well-being through community-centred radio programming'." HCR has recently carried out projects in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and remote Australia working with Indigenous communities.
* A recent edition of The Drum Beat explored health communication; click here to access it.
* To subscribe to our bi-monthly mailing covering our most recent health communication postings, send an email with "subscribe" in the subject line to: health@comminit.com
* If you would like to explore some of The CI's community radio summaries, click here.
In recognition of the value that you or your organisation gains from The CI process, please consider joining the individuals and organisations listed above and below by contributing to the growth and sustainability of The CI's social network and knowledge sharing platform. Simply click here in order to help share the load and ensure you are listed as a supporter in an upcoming Drum Beat calling attention to our CI Associates.
8. iMedia AssociatesUnited Kingdom (UK)-based international media development and communications company iMedia works with "rapidly converging media to tackle communications challenges presented by conflict, fragile governance, and poverty." iMedia works with donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), researchers, broadcasters, and beneficiary communities, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Among other activities, since 2011, iMedia has provided oversight for BBC Media Action's Global Grant, a UK Department for International Development (DFID) media and communications programme.
* Click here to view The Drum Beat 727 - Harnessing and Opening Data for Development, which explores IDRC initiatives to make data freely available and searchable, encourage feedback, share information, and promote transparency and accountability.
* Click here to access CI content reflecting use of the communication strategy of research.
10. InternewsHaving worked in over 90 countries since its formation in 1982, Internews "is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard....Internews trains both media professionals and citizen journalists, introduces innovative media solutions, increases coverage of vital issues and helps establish policies needed for open access to information."
* Click here to filter through the hundreds of postings on The CI site related to Internews' work. See, for example, an October 2016 summary of "The Potential and Reality of Data Journalism in Developing Media Markets", available here.
11.Population Media CenterDrawing on the entertainment-education approach in its work in more than 50 countries, Population Media Center is dedicated to women's rights and empowerment, population stabilisation, and the environment. Its drama-based strategy "addresses multiple, deeply-entrenched beliefs and the scale of impact creates the conditions for long-term individual behavior change and new societal norms."
* Click here to view (and search/filter) CI offerings from/by/about the Population Media Center.
* A November 2016 Drum Beat focused on communication to address violence against women and girls.
12. Strategies for Hope Trust"The Strategies for Hope (SFH) Trust produces books, films, and training manuals on community-based approaches to HIV prevention, care and support, especially in sub-Saharan Africa....They include, for example, the film 'What can I do?' and the 'Called to Care' toolkit, which are designed particularly for use by faith-based organisations but are also used by many secular NGOs and community groups. They also include the 'Stepping Stones' training package, including the 'Stepping Stones PLUS' manual..."
* The CI offers a bi-monthly e-magazine complementing The Drum Beat and The Soul Beat through a specific focus on the role of communication in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. To subscribe, send a message to: aids@comminit.com
Many thousands of people turn to The CI each year - from major funders to small local organisations to individuals in economically impoverished locales. Staff and others from those agencies: submit knowledge for sharing within the network; access knowledge in support of their work; identify and make contact with people and organisations that they pinpoint as being able to support their work; and express, share, and debate their views and opinions on a range of development challenges. Because you are reading this Drum Beat, we can conclude that you are making use of this community of practice yourself. The CI is largely supported and sustained by a group of partners that guide the strategic direction of the organisation. In addition, The CI is bolstered by a cadre of CI Associates who provide some level of financial support (from US$100 for very small organisations and individuals to US$5,000 for larger ones). These amounts are roughly the equivalent of sending a staff member to a training event or conference, producing a small publication, researching an issue, etc.; these trip- and research-related processes are parallel to the connections made through The CI (and you get to stay home and keep working!). Please become a CI Associate today so that we can continue to support your work and can bring into our foundation the additional diversity of perspective, increased network contacts, and C4D information from which The CI network can draw upon for knowledge sharing globally and locally. Simply click here to join the CI Associates. If you have any questions, please contact Victoria Martin vmartin@comminit.com Thank you!
What kinds of challenges and opportunities infuse your communication and media development, social and behavioural change work? This survey is a chance for you to let us know! In 2017, we will report back on results and trends so you can gain insights from your peers in the network. Click here to lend your voice.
This issue of The Drum Beat was written by Kier Olsen DeVries.
The Drum Beat is the email and web network of The Communication Initiative Partnership.
The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
The Editor of The Drum Beat is Kier Olsen DeVries.
Please send additional project, evaluation, strategic thinking, and materials information on communication for development at any time. Send to drumbeat@comminit.com