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 cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Published 24 years ago
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Gardening, Not for Leisure - Bolivia/Romania

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Traditional horticulture skills are revived with profitable gardening programmes, one of which used an inexpensive solar tent which maximized the periods of sunshine & protected from near arctic conditions.
Communication Strategies
Through interpersonal communication & support, the Spanish title of the Centre for Research & Educational Advancement (CIPE) & the local Alzheimers Society in Romania work with the elderly & other community members creating new oportunities where the ageing population is able to contribute in a meaningful way, while making a profit.
Development Issues
Ageing, Population, Agriculture, Economic Development
Key Points
In the following 2 programmes, the elderly members of society are able to use traditional horticulture skills which give them a future & positive self-esteem in addition to creating a profit:

  1. In the Altiplano of Bolivia where land is poor & the climate is extreme, the elderly make use of a solar tent introduced by CIPE which maximizes the periods of sunshine & protects from the harsh weather conditions. This method uses less land & yields a better profit.

  2. In Romania, a project initiated by the local Alzheimers Society used a plot of abandoned land where a creche was built as a day care centre for children of working mothers. The day care providers were elderly communitymembers who also created a profitable vegetable & flower garden of such beauty that it was promoted as a local sightseeing destination. The older members are rarely seen relaxing as they are "constantly busy, & financially rewarded, not only in the active work of food production, but as caretakers of the 'leisure part', repairing fences, working on paving, decorating the building & 'owning' the project".Busy hands & minds give the ageing population a feeling of belonging & contributing to their community.
Source
The UN Compendium of Community Programmes for Older Persons in Newly Ageing Countries Website
Compiled by Dr.Ken Tout, Consultant, ConsultAge, United Kingdom, 1999
Partners

The UN, The Spanish title of the Centre for Research & Educational Advancement (CIPE), The local Alzheimers Society in Romania