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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Voice of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (VOVC) – Nigeria

3 comments
The Voice of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (VOVC) is a radio programme that gives voice to and addresses the needs of children, especially those who are living with or have lost parents to HIV/AIDS.

The programme was formed by six Nigerian news editors, from radio stations in Abuja, Lagos and Kano after they attended an Internews Nigeria Local Voices workshop in Abuja, in April 2004. The six editors were the guests at the workshop for gatekeepers in partner radio stations in the three cities.
Communication Strategies

Although Nigeria passed the Child Rights Act to protect children from abuse, particularly sexual abuse and early marriage, and to guarantee their education, workshop participants agreed that the act has not been sufficiently implemented.

The editors therefore decided to use the power of the news media to advocate for a better environment for children in general. The VOVC uses the Internet to recruit new members and maintain their network.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS, Children

Key Points

"Children are often forced into early marriage, prevented from attending school, or used as street hawkers, according to UNICEF's Joshua Emmanuel, who addressed the workshop. Other vulnerable children include those living on the street, those in crisis-prone areas such as the Niger Delta and those in war ravaged countries. Emmanuel feels that the children's issues have been under-reported and trivialised by the news media."

Partners

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Internews Nigeria,

Sources

Inter News website on May 19, 2004.

Comments

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 00:45 Permalink

my name is Abdulwarees Solanke, a lead participant at the Internews network workshop that led to VOVC. Quite unfortunately, I have been busy with so many strategic assignments at Voice of Nigeria which took me offbeat reporting HIV-AIDS. Now enjoying a scholarship of Commonwealth Broadcasting Association-Universiti Brunei Darussalam for master of Public Policy, much of the development issues discussed at the 2004 workshop in Abuja forms the fulcrum of my public policy programme in Brunei. And I'm more prepared and challenged to advance the objectives for which we initiated VOVC. At the end of the workshop and on return to Lagos, I also inspired the formation of Muslims Action Against Aids which Dr. Lakin Akintola of lagos State University now coordinates. USAID can partner with MAIDS to reach the central muslim students body in Nigeria, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria with membership in all higher institutions (secondary and tertiary) and as well as Al-Muminnat (A women's Group)
Hopefully, I will soon return to Nigeria to pick up from where I left the HIV/AIDS Awareness Advocacy through VOVC and MAIDS.

I can be reached via email: korewarith@yahoo.com and surface mailcan be addressed to: Abdulwarees Solanke
Dept of Public Policy and Administration
Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies
Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Tungku Link
Gadong B1410
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei Darussalam

Thank you, as I expect your response.

Abdulwarees Solanke

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Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 09/08/2009 - 09:55 Permalink

hi guys, great thing i came across you guys today. can you please brief me on how you can be of help to orphans in Plateau state especially ours in Joshua Generation foundation schools where we offer education to orphans and vulnerable children free or at almost no cost.

Alfred