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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Published 26 years ago
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GreenCOM - Mali

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Funded by USAID, this programme raised knowledge and awareness of environmental issues through education and communication in schools, and with radios, mobilizing communities around environmental issues with innovative techniques in the formal, informal and non-formal sectors of education.
Communication Strategies

Formal work sought to integrate environmental education (EE) themes into the primary education system, grades 1-6. Informal education efforts focused on a collaboration with 29 community radios in which GreenCOM trained local journalists to develop and transmit EE messages into local languages. GreenCOM's nonformal approach involved working with local NGOs and community associations on neighborhood cleanup programs in Bamako.
Development Issues

Children, education, environment.
Key Points

Community radios have deep roots in Mali and are a real force for democratization in the country. Initiatives for this project include the integration of EE themes into primary education, and changing the way teachers were trained from an essentially lecture/rote memory training system to a more participatory, interactive training system. This entailed not only more dialogue among students and teachers but also training in leading small groups, training in consultation, applying learning directly to the Malian context, learning through community service, using the community as an extension of the classroom, and building partnerships with other NGOs, Ministries and other donors.
Partners



USAID/BAMAKO, Ministry of Education.

Sources

Obtained through personal contact with Richard Grieser rgrieser@glovisinc.com