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.
 
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.
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Rights Africa - South Africa

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Rights Africa is a human rights awareness programme that works to build democracy by increasing the knowledge and participation of the South African populace. The programme's main focus is increasing levels of human rights awareness through the use of popular culture. The initiative also seeks to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts.
Communication Strategies
Activities include musical road shows, sporting events, advertising (posters, clothing, printed media, ads on taxis), the use of well known celebrities and music albums to celebrate human rights, and the production of a music CD called "Rights Africa" with songs focussing on AIDS, Women, Children, Equality and Xenophobia.

In addition, as part of the ongoing effort to raise levels of awareness, Rights Africa established a human rights helpline through a joint partnership project with the South African Human Rights Commission. Callers receive advice, information, and referrals on all issues related to the Bill of Rights in South Africa.

A direct consequence of the daily work of the call centre operators is the 'Get!Rights Guide', a printed directory of organisations that assist in cases of human rights violations.
Development Issues
Rights, HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
This programme was established in response to research commissioned by the European Union (EU) demonstrating very low levels of awareness of the Bill of Rights and its impact on everyday life in South Africa.

The initiative plans to extend the scope of the Rights Advice Line to an HIV Treatment Line, as well as to extend awareness strategies into other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The project recently presented a proposal for an extensive HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign, which includes participatory theatre groups and music and sport festivals in every major town in Sub-Saharan Africa. Particular attention will be given to regional partnerships with NGOs and government initiatives in the areas of condom provision and Active Retroviral Therapy (ART) programmes with a focus on HIV/AIDS.
Partners

South African Human Rights Commission, Foundation for Human Rights, Open Society Foundation for South Africa, Ford Foundation.

Sources

The Rights Africa site; The International Partnership against AIDS in Africa (IPAA) Bulletin; and letters sent from Rights Africa to The Communication Initiative on April 8, 2002 and April 13, 2002.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/18/2006 - 22:08 Permalink

It gave me a green light to almost all my queries.

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 10/23/2009 - 00:48 Permalink

ACCORDING TO THE PERSPECTIVE VIEW I FEEL THAT OUR GOVERMENT IS NOT DOING ENOUGH WHEN COMING TO AN ISSUE OF HIV/AIDS.WHO MAY PROMISSES WERE MADE TO THOSE WHO ARE INFECTED.MANY WERE ASSURED THAT THEY WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF THEM,MANY WERE TOLD THAT THEY WILL HAVE FULL EXCESS TO TREATMENT IS THAT TAKING PLACE.AND ALSO OUR LOCAL COUNSELLOR THEY ALSO THERE TO BE BLAME.THEY ENJOYING THE GOVERMENT FUNDS AND NOT DOING NOTHING.ITS HIGH TIME WE STAND AS MZAZI AND FIGHT THESE BATTLE OF IGNORENCE.