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 lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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DRC Speaks

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In September 2010, more than 4 million Congolese received an SMS (text) message asking them to take part in the largest mobile polling ever conducted, asking for their input on the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and their ideas for change. With mobile GeoPoll technology powered by Mobile Accord, the responses to weekly questions allowed the Congolese people to tell the world their thoughts, opinions, and even their hopes for a better Congo. DRC Speaks was conducted in conjunction with the release of the World Development Report (WDR) 2011 of the World Bank.

Communication Strategies

Each week, Mobile Accord sent text messages to more than 4 million people in DRC and received more than 1.2 million text messages in return. According to the organisers, "the messages were astounding. They were raw, and at times horrifying. They are the authentic voices from the heart of one of the most deadly conflicts on earth."

The survey asked 10 questions, and the responses were collected and mapped, as can be viewed here [PDF]. At that time, visitors to the Geopoll website could click on map markers to see pie charts of answers, then look below to see original SMS responses. The questions and answers were available in French as well as translated into English through Google translations.

Mobile Accord describes Congo as Ground Zero of one of the world's worst conflict zones. News agencies report on atrocities, experts write reports, and charities send appeals, but none of these communications allowed people to speak for themselves. DRC Speaks was initiated to give the people of Congo their say. In addition to DRC Speaks!, the WDR 2011 featured an open consultation website where anyone could submit material answering the question, "What does conflict mean to you?" This was an open forum that was then shown within the World Bank and throughout the world, and at various summits.

Development Issues

Post-conflict, Political Empowerment

Partners

Geopoll, Mobile Accord, World Bank

Sources

Geopoll website and Movements.org website on February 20 2012; and email from Roxana Elliott to The Communication Initiative on November 13 2015.