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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Methodology of Dialogue - Colombia

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After more than 2 years of surviving in a refugee camp in the village of Pavarando, the people of Domingodo and Villahermosa, in Colombia's northwest Uraba (an area defined by the Pentagon as the new Vietnam) are returning to their land, having made the choice of not taking sides, of not struggling in any way, of not becoming another group of displaced, homeless peasants in the city. After 18 months of work and negotiations, the peasants of these villages have created the ‘Peace Communities San Francisco de Asis, small settlements which are politically neutral in order to avoid becoming a military target.
Communication Strategies

They find their strength - as individuals, families and groups - by using dialogue and tolerance, and in the voluntary "acompanamiento" of international organisations and the local church, which has assumed a strong leadership in the midst of the chaos.
Development Issues

Economic development, political development, human rights, peace.
Key Points

"Peace in a country at war" is a 60-minute documentary film which looks at the tragedy of displacement and the hope of reconstruction and peace building in the middle of the bloodiest war in the continent. The film uses the methodology of dialogue to show images of those that suffer the war cut against the thoughts and opinions on peace and war of those that make the war. The film is one of the components of a "peace building kit": a videotape, accompanied by printed support material to be used as a tool for reflection and learning about peace building, conflict resolution, and essentially to approach the situation of war and peace in Colombia with the use of the image of methodology of dialogue.
Partners



People of the communities of Domingodo and Villahermosa & Imaginario - a Colombian NGO.

Sources

"Imaginario: New Communications for Education, Peace and Social Change in Columbia" by Adelaida Trujillo.