Health action with informed and engaged societies

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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Learning by Ear for Afghanistan

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On March 5 2010, Germany's international broadcaster Deutsche Welle began broadcasting an interactive educational radio programme in Pashtu and Dari for children and youth in Afghanistan. The 50 episodes - each 15 minutes long - build on the series of Learning by Ear launched across sub-Saharan Africa in June 2008. "Learning by Ear for Afghanistan" focuses on topics like political education, health, the advancement of women and girls, drugs and their consequences, and tolerance and understanding. Its purpose is to support measures involved in the international reconstruction process in Afghanistan, in the process - organisers hope - contributing to the acceptance of a modern, democratic society.
Communication Strategies

The series uses information and communication technology (ICT) in an effort to help convey educational content in an entertaining and informative way. Deutsche Welle plans to transmit the distance learning programme by radio - what Deutsche Welle describes as an important medium in Afghanistan - and also to make the content available on the internet. "Learning by Ear for Afghanistan" consists of radio modules covering (in the area of political education) subjects like democracy, human rights, civil society, and good governance. In the modules "Women and Girls" and "Women at Work" the series will take up issues relating to prevailing deficiencies and prejudices. In the area of "Health", the project will cover elementary knowledge in the areas of hygiene, dealing with refuse, health care, and family planning. Another module will be devoted to drug problems in Afghanistan, the economic consequences of the illegal drug trade, drug abuse, and alternatives to producing and trading in opium.

Deutsche Welle Akademie is training Afghani authors so that they can work as partners on the production of "Learning by Ear for Afghanistan". Individual modules are being produced in Afghanistan with Afghani radio partners. This six-month production period is designed to allow for the conveyance of corresponding know-how. Listener reactions and questions will be integrated into the series in its further development.

"Learning by Ear for Afghanistan" is broadcast nationwide on ARIANA FM, as well as over shortwave, satellite, and Deutsche Welle frequencies in Kabul. The series will also be made available on CD, and schools can access the series, scripts, and accompanying material on the "Learning by Ear for Afghanistan" website via shortwave, satellite, FM in Kabul, and partner stations in the various provinces of Afghanistan.

Development Issues

Democracy and Governance, Education.

Partners

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.

Sources

"Deutsche Welle to Launch Educational Radio Project in Afghanistan" - June 5 2009 press release forwarded by Clint Waddell to The Communication Initiative on June 5 2009; and emails from Sabrina Winand to The Communication Initiative on February 9 2010 and March 11 2010.

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