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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Community Empowerment Network (CEN) - Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan

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Established in August 2002, the Community Empowerment Network (CEN) aims to build the capacity of communities in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan to design, implement, and monitor community-based projects. Consisting of community representatives, government officials, and development stakeholders, the network exchanges experiences and strategies in an effort to support projects that foster community-driven development (CDD). The World Bank and the Save the Children Federation are managing this project, which is funded through June 2004. Organisers hope to increase:
  • the quality of community-based projects (making them more responsive to needs of the poor)
  • the capacity of community-based organisations (CBOs) to design and deliver community-based projects and participate in local decision-making
  • the willingness of local governments to work with CBOs and provide access to information and decision-making
  • the access to relevant capacity-building materials and local expertise on community empowerment and civic engagement.
Main Communication Strategies
The CEN does not directly fund community projects, but instead implements projects to support the efforts of communities. Each such project is implemented by a local partner organisation or National Network Coordinator under the guidance and supervision of a Steering Group. Strategic decisions as to which projects to implement, and how, are shaped by activities at the national and sub-regional level. These activities include:
  1. National-level consultations that involve an analysis of existing initiatives, materials, or institutions. Through this process, National Action Plans are developed, with recommendations for addressing capacity gaps. These recommendations may call for the development of materials, training of community trainers/leaders, community meetings, or public awareness campaigns.
    • For example, in the Kyrgyz Republic, Counterpart Sheriktesh designed 2 TV programmes devoted to the CDD concept to increase public awareness; launched a regular issue of the CDD news bulletin; held a CDD conference; and approved 4 community networking projects, providing training sessions for trainers.
  2. Face-to-face annual regional workshops, monthly videoconferences, and an email list server discussion group to enable the exchange of experience on the activities of the national CEN in each country and to foster sub-regional cooperation.
    • For example, the Central Asia Country Innovation Day's Knowledge Forum on Community-Driven Development featured presentations on CDD projects from across the region and featured discussion among CBOs as to how to successfully implement such projects. Click here to download the agenda and presentations in English or Russian.
Development Issues
Community-Driven Development, Networking, Poverty.
Key Points
According to the World Bank, there is an increasing interest in the potential of CDD projects to deliver social and infrastructure services to poor populations. These projects aim to empower local communities to either participate more actively in decisions regarding the delivery of these services or to take direct responsibility for managing services themselves. While various types of CDD projects have been operating in Europe and Central Asia for many years, the World Bank says, little is known about what it takes to implement a successful project and when the CDD approach is most appropriate.

Particular World Bank programmes that are managing the project include the Community Empowerment and Social Inclusion Program (CESI) in partnership with the Attacking Poverty Program (APP) and the Social Development Group (ESSD).
Partners

The World Bank and Save the Children Federation, with primary funding from the Norwegian government.

Sources

CEN site.