Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
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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African Media Development Initiative (AMDI)

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During 2005, the BBC World Service Trust coordinated input from the African and international media development community to the Commission for Africa. The Africa Commission report "Our Common Interest" highlighted the critical role of the media in creating government transparency, internal accountability and greater responsiveness. It recommended that this role be strengthened through the establishment of an "African media development facility". In response, the BBC World Service Trust launched the African Media Development Initiative (AMDI) in January 2006. AMDI is a process which aims to mobilise a range of African and international stakeholders to boost support for the development of public and private sector media in Africa.
Communication Strategies

AMDI is a consortium of partners that are working to provide funds and expertise to create an African media development facility. Their work revolves around the following three components:

Research and analysis:
Underpinning the work of the initiative was what organisers describe as the widest independent assessment of media development undertaken in recent years. This was based on a survey of the media landscapes across the continent as well as sub-regional and sector reports. This "mapping" of the media landscape included qualitative interviews with practitioners - including public broadcasters, as well as private and community media, large and small. In addition, a set of overview assessments by leading practitioners was sought.

The findings emphasised lessons learned and critical gaps, and set out areas for reform and development. The research activity generated 17 individual country reports (covering Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and one stand-alone report that summarised the key findings across the 17 countries.

Sector Planning:
The research was considered at a high level technical workshop led by the members of the Advisory Group, which was held in mid-2006. This workshop reviewed the reports, and identify the priority areas which the initiative should address. It set out options for the design and logistics of the AMDI facility to be presented to stakeholders at a Media Development Forum. The aim of the technical workshop was to agree on an overview analysis. Yet to be determined is an outline of costed, specific programme activities which support the three sub-sectors (public, private, and community media).

Mobilisation:
A joint committee called Africa Media Initiative (AMI) has now been formed, bringing together AMDI with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) process ("Strengthening African Media - STREAM"), and they are working on detailed research specifications for a facility, and possibly a Media Development Forum to be held in the future.

Development Issues

Democracy and Governance, Media Development.

Key Points

The overall goal of the project is to promote the development of pluralistic media as a key information and accountability mechanism for democratic development in Africa. The project will aim to generate a common understanding of and agreement on specific steps to:

  • Provide support for the development of more effective and responsive public service models of broadcasting
  • Stimulate a better investment climate and operating environment for private media
  • Improve the range and scale of professional media training (to include journalism and media management) and a system of accreditation
  • Improve advocacy with African and multilateral bodies to develop policy in favour of a strengthened and more pluralistic media throughout Africa.
Partners

BBC World Service Trust, Ahmadu Bello University, Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies, Department for International Development, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Sources

AMDI page on the BBC World Service Trust website on April 25 2006; and email from Professor Guy Berger to The Communication Initiative, June 14 2007.