Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
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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Inter Press Service (IPS) - Global

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Inter Press Service (IPS) is an independent international association of journalists that provides information on global issues through satellite communications, the internet, printed materials, and email. IPS works to provide in-depth analysis of the events and global processes affecting the economic, social and political development of peoples and nations, especially in the South. That is, ISP's coverage focusses on how and why events occur, with an emphasis on issues like human rights, conflict and peace-keeping, the gap between rich and poor, the environment and population issues, refugees and international migration patterns, and international trade issues.
Communication Strategies
The IPS World Service news report is delivered via satellite telecommunications to 1,200 outlets. In addition to its main services in English and Spanish, news bulletins are produced in Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Dutch, Finnish, German, Hindi, Kiswahili, Mandarin, Nepali, Norwegian, Sinhala, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, and Urdu. These services are available through online computer facilities, electronic databases, and printed bulletins.

Regional editorial centres operate in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and North America. 250 journalists covering 100 countries provide news and information services for more than 1,000 clients and users worldwide.

The IPS service is available on e-mail and through the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). News is provided via the IPS site in ten languages.

Printed IPS publications include:
  • Terra Viva Conference Daily: published during major U.N. conferences, this newsletter is a reference point for conference delegates and participants, officials, and NGOs.
  • Terra Viva/IPS Daily Journal: produced at the United Nations in New York, this daily faxed selection of highlights from the IPS wire is aimed at policy-makers in the United Nations, development agencies, and foundations North America and Europe.
  • The G-77 Journal: coordinated editorially and distributed by IPS for the 77 developing countries within the U.N. system.
  • Inter Press Service Features: a fortnightly package of ten IPS features, special reports, and columns published in the Asia-Pacific region and mailed to media clients in that region. Distributed in English, the package is also translated into Bahasa Indonesia, Bangla, Hindi, Nepali, Tamil, Thai and Urdu for local distribution.
  • Rural Development: a monthly bulletin produced by IPS-Africa and the weekly Africa Bulletin.
  • Bulletins: weekly publications focussed on development issues like drugs, human rights, religious affairs, the environment, investment, energy, population, arts and entertainment, technology, and Latin American integration.
  • Columns: written by statesmen/women, officials, opposition leaders, opinion-makers, and leading cultural figures and experts, these columns offer insight, analysis, and commentary on the major issues of the day.
  • Telecommunications Carrier Service: an international information carrier for a variety of organisations.
As part of this news service, IPS launched the 'Human Rights and the Democracy' project in 1999 in an effort to move respect for human rights higher up on the agenda of policy-makers and decision-makers, the media, and civil society organisations. This project was funded by the Commission of the European Communities.
Development Issues
Economic Development, Debt, Rights, Conflict, Environment, Population, Political Development, Health, Education, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Technology.
Key Points
According to IPS, vast areas of the world are often under-reported, ignored, or noticed only in times of emergency or crisis. For this reason, IPS focuses attention on the countries of the South, and the marginalised in the North, and going behind the scenes to help people understand what lies behind day-to-day events.

IPS subsidises most of its customers in the South and has a flexible approach to subscription rates. IPS DAILY news service is available only by subscription. Weekly and bi-monthly bulletins, however, are free.
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