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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 cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Published 18 years ago
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Helmand Voices

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The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is undertaking a training project in Helmand, one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. The goal is to build the skills of local reporters in reporting and writing for print - as well as in radio production - on subjects that matter to their communities. Through its radio project, IWPR will help Helmand’s journalists become more professional in audio production, and enable them to reach a wider audience than print alone is able to.
Communication Strategies

This initiative draws on interpersonal communication to build the capacity of local reporters to cover stories - often in parts of the province where international journalists are not welcome. Trainees participate in an intensive workshop covering recording, script writing, and editing. (IWPR trainers are selected with local cultural attitudes in mind, and IWPR training materials are all tailored to meet the specific needs in each national or regional media space.) They then produce radio features on stories focusing on issues such as the plight of refugee families, helicopter noise pollution, the Taleban's collaboration with polio vaccine efforts, and Helmand's "first independent journalists' association".

To foster access to this information beyond a local audience, IWPR is offering the programmes on the Helmand Voices website. Visitors to this site may listen to the audio files or subscribe to the podcast in Pashto; they may also read Pashto and English transpripts. These programmes may be broadcast by radio stations and other electronic media free of charge.

Development Issues

Media Development.

Key Points

According to IWPR, illiteracy rates top 70% in this province, so radio is by far the most important medium for broadcasting information and bridging the gap between the government and the governed.

Sources

Helmand Voices website.