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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Emergency Communication Workshop

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Implemented in Ghana by the United States (US)-based Global Avian Influenza Behavior Change and Communications Support Activity (AI.COMM) project, this interpersonal initiative was designed to forge connections and to prepare communities for emergencies and a possible influenza pandemic. The initiative centred around a 2-day session held in May 2008.
Communication Strategies

Local participation and action featured prominently in this risk management effort. Organisers brought together 22 participants from a community that has experienced emergencies such as avian influenza and flooding. These personnel included representatives from government agencies, traditional councils, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local associations, community-based organisations (CBOs), etc. The purpose of this workshop was to introduce a communication framework that was largely centred around the design of a telephone tree assembled to help the community plan and carry out an emergency communication system.

Specifically, the telephone tree provided a visual for workshop participants that demonstrated who should be involved in communication during emergencies to ensure that the community is informed. Each group presented their plan and telephone tree and received feedback on how they could be improved. At the end of the workshop, participants took ownership of future strategies to be implemented, and confirmed they would ensure that a formalised plan would be developed within Tema Municipality.

Development Issues

Health, Natural Resource Management.

Key Points

AI.COMM was created by the United States (US)-based Academy for Educational Development (AED) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It is an effort to provide behaviour change technical assistance for avian and pandemic influenza.

Partners

The workshop was sponsored by Ghana's National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the National Avian Influenza Communications Subcommittee, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Sources

Emails from Matt Tingstrom to The Communication Initiative on May 16 and May 21 2008; and email from Ricardo Echalar to Cynthia Arciaga on May 16 2008.

Teaser Image
http://avianflu.aed.org/images/blog_images/ghana_workshop.jpg