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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Information for All Programme (IFAP)

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According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), "access to information and knowledge constitutes a global public good and is essential to the advancement of education, science, culture and communication, to empowerment, to the promotion of cultural diversity and to fostering open governance." This programme seeks to narrow the gap between the information rich and the information poor and thus to build an "information society for all". It is a platform for international policy discussions and programme development aiming at the better understanding of the ethical, legal and societal consequences of information and communication technologies (ICTs); the improvement of access to information in the public domain; and the preservation of information.

The Information for All Programme provides a framework for international cooperation and international and regional partnerships. It supports, financially and by creating and supporting networks of individuals and institutions, the development of common strategies, methods and tools for building a just and free information society and for narrowing the gap between the information rich and the information poor.
Communication Strategies
Activities Include:

Development of international, regional and national information policies:
  • Establishment of an international consensus on the concept of universal and equitable access to information as a basic human right;
  • Promotion of an international consensus on a framework of ethical and legal principles related to cyberspace;
  • Creation of an international observatory on international, regional and national information policies;
  • Building a Clearing House on best practices on ICT-based governance;
  • Establishment of an international framework on the safeguarding of the world's information heritage; and
  • Establishment of an international agreement on policies governing the exchange of information required for global environment and climate monitoring.
Development of human resources and capabilities for the information age:
  • Promotion of an international framework to ensure basic and ICT literacy;
  • Creation of ICT-based training networks for information specialists;
  • Promotion of a framework for cooperation and information exchange on the content and quality of training in the information area; and
  • Introduction of e-publishing and e-commerce training activities for publishers and producers.
Strengthening institutions as gateways for information access:
  • Development of a UNESCO portal to information institutions worldwide;
  • Establishment of national public gateways to information;
  • Establishment of national digitisation policies; and
  • Promotion of standards for the management and preservation of recorded knowledge.
Development of information processing and management tools and systems:
  • Establishment of regional needs analysis and policy planning in the creation of information management tools;
  • Creation of a multilingual assortment of freely accessible information management tools; and
  • Publication of collections of best practices and standards in information management development.
Information technology for education, science, culture and communication:
  • Establishment of multi-and trans-sectorial information intelligence platforms to assist all UNESCO's programmes in formulating and taking informed decisions;
  • Creation of a monitoring system on needs and trends in the use of ICTs to promote lifelong learning for all;
  • Creation of an education portal including links to various virtual universities;
  • Establishment of international best practices in the area of electronic publication in science;
  • Adoption of international guidelines to ensure networked access to scientific information;
  • Expansion of environmental data and information exchange networks and data centers in developing countries;
  • World-wide promotion of networks of cultural and media experts and institutions in the service of peace, understanding and development;
  • Creation of an international framework on multilingualism and multiculturalism in cyberspace; and
  • Creation of a world observatory on the development of media in the information society.
Development Issues

Technology, general access to information.

Key Points
According to UNESCO, "IFAP exists to be an advocate for all people on the wrong side of the information divide, whether they be in developed or developing countries. Of special concern are the needs of women, youth and the elderly, as well as persons with disabilities."
Sources

IFAP website.