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. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Fogo Island Project - Canada

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Challenge for Change, a unit of the Canadian National Film Board set up in the mid 1960's set a precedent for communication for development by becoming involved in Fogo Island, off the east coast of Newfoundland. In the late 1960's, Fogo Island was in serious economic and social decline. So much so, in fact, that the provincial government began working on a proposal to help residents evacuate to the mainland. At this point, the Extension Department of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Challenge for Change stepped in to carry out an experiment on the island.
Communication Strategies

Made films of residents discussing opinions of their situation, often shot in pairs in order to show both sides of an argument. These films, and later videos, were shown to the community during evening meetings to spark off debate. Residents became involved in a serious analysis of the situation affecting their community. Over the months, the films were opening the minds of the residents to problems, their causes, and possible courses of action to be taken. The culmination on Fogo was that the residents were able to develop a well-articulated proposal to stay on the island and were able to request specific items from the provincial government in order to make this possible.
Development Issues

Economic development, community.
Key Points

The filmed interviews drew attention to excellent insights and ideas held by people who would normally not have the chance or the inclination to express them in public. The imaginative way communication media were used to stimulate the process of participatory problem diagnosis and development planning remains a shining example of what can be done. Became known as the "Fogo Process."
Partners



Challenge for Change, Extension Dept. of Memorial University of Newfoundland, residents of Fogo Island.

Sources

Fraser, Colin & Sonia Restrepo-Estrada , Communicating for Development: Human Change for Survival, London, I.B. Tauris (1998) Click here for details on this publication.