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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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AIDS: Men Make a Difference - World AIDS Campaign - Global

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"Men Make a Difference" is the title of a two-year campaign focusing on the role of men in the AIDS epidemic. This Campaign aims to involve men more fully in the effort against AIDS and to bring about a much-needed focus on men in national responses to the epidemic.
In 2000, the Campaign had three broad goals: 1) to raise awareness of the relationship between men's behaviour and HIV; 2) to encourage men and adolescent boys to make a strong commitment to preventing the spread of HIV and caring for those affected; and, 3) to promote programmes that respond to the needs of both men and women.
In 2001, the Campaign's slogan is 'I care, do you?' and is intended to encapsulate discussions about the role of leaders and the needs of young men, while being broad enough to encompass other issues relevant to prevention and care, to both genders and to different age groups.
Communication Strategies

The Campaign is designed to provide material for national and local organisations to create their own campaign based on Men Make a Difference but responding to local priorities.
Key messages of the campaign include:
The most effective ways of preventing sexual transmission of HIV are:
  • Abstinence
  • Practicing non-penetrative sex
  • Remaining faithful when neither person is HIV infected
  • Always using condoms during sexual intercourse.
  • Used correctly and consistently, condoms can prevent HIV infection and save lives.
  • Condoms are currently the only available means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV and other STDs.
  • Condoms exist for both men and women.
  • Just because a condom¹s price is low or it is given away for free does not necessarily mean it is of lower quality than a condom sold in a pharmacy, shop or market. Low-cost, socially marketed or freely distributed condomsmay also be of high quality.
  • Condoms should never be reused or used after the expiration date on the package.
Development Issues

HIV/AIDS, gender, rights.
Key Points

All over the world, women find themselves at special risk of HIV infection because of their lack of power to determine where, when and how sex takes place. What is less recognized, however, is that the cultural beliefs and expectations that make this the case also heighten men's own vulnerability. HIV infections and AIDS deaths in men outnumber those in women on every continent except sub-Saharan Africa. Young men are more at risk than older ones: about one in four people with HIV is a young man under the age of 25. Part of the effort to curb the AIDS epidemic must include challenging harmful concepts of masculinity and changing many commonly-held attitudes and behaviours, including the way men view risk and how boys are socialized to become men.
Partners

Co-sponsors include: the United Nations Children¹sFund (UNICEF); the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP); the United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organisation (UNESCO); the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the World Bank.

Sources

'GENDER-AIDS', an independent forum provided by the Fondation du Present FdP site.