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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 lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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GeoAméricas Project

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This project uses geographic information systems (GIS) to present cultural, tourist, educational, environmental, and health-related sites and sources of information in coordination with local institutions and authorities. GeoAmericas emerged from a partnership launched in March 2009 between the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and the Inter-American Culture and Development Foundation (IACDF). Together, these partners are identifying and promoting cultural sites and industries from the Americas through geo-reference on a virtual map, compiling texts, images, and other useful information - and making this information available for the public through the internet. GeoAméricas is a channel to advance the goals of both foundations - promote culture as a socio-economic development tool and expand access to health services and information in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Communication Strategies

This information and communication technology (ICT) project is designed to enhance cultural awareness and appreciation by providing information (currently in Spanish only, but eventually in English as well) to students, researchers, and tourists from all over the world. GeoAméricas also promotes sustainable tourism.

 

The GeoAméricas internet portal uses GIS technology to give visitors access to text, 360-degree images, colourful photos, timelines, and videos of cultural, health-related, educational, tourist-oriented, and environmental sites in the Americas. While initially focused on sites in and around Medellin, Colombia, the portal will eventually have text and multimedia information for sites hemisphere-wide. PAHEF is providing the information on health facilities in the Americas, and IACDF is providing the information on cultural and tourist sites.

 

Through its network (GeoNet), the GeoAméricas Project (along with its partners and in coordination with local institutions and authorities) gather multimedia and information to populate the portal. To facilitate feeding information into GeoNet for the portal, GeoAméricas provides opportunities to youth for training.

Development Issues

Cultural Awareness, Sustainable Tourism.

Key Points

Founded in 1968, PAHEF is a United States (US)-based nonprofit organisation working to build public health expertise by partnering with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the private sector, and major public health research, policy, and development groups.

Created by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) as a non-profit organisation, the ICDF seeks to support cultural development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to help cultural organisations become more competitive and sustainable.

Partners

PAHEF, ICDF.

Sources

PAHEF press release, April 27 2009; and ICDF website.

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