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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Midiativa - Brasil

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Founded in April 2002, Midiativa is a non-profit organisation made up of a group of Brazilian professionals working in the areas of communication and education. Its main objective is to promote critical thinking on media in general and to contribute to improved quality of television programming and electronic media for children and adolescents. Specific objectives include:
  • to promote activities directed to the critical reading of the media: seminars, congresses, publication of texts, research, and development and dissemination of articles through the Internet.
  • to stimulate and to carry out inquiries on the relation between the media and children and youth.
  • to promote independent media productions of quality for children and adolescents, and to contribute to its broadcast in Brasil and abroad.
  • to encourage child and youth participation in media production.
  • to organise supportive spaces for media professionals to learn about and focus on social issues.
Main Communication Strategies

Midiativa conducts the following activities:
  • "4th World Summit of Media for Children and Adolescents" (2004): for the first time in Latin America, The World Summit of the Media for Children and Adolescents will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, as a collaboration of MultiRio and Midiativa. Special sessions will be held to discuss the alliances Midiativa has formed, and the activities it has conducted, with TVE Brasil (Public TV), Ministério da Cultura (Audio-visual Secretary), and Fundação (Foundation) PRIX JEUNESSE. In order to stimulate discussions for the Summit, Midiativa conducted a seminar ("TVQ: Criança, Adolescente e Mídia") in December 2003 in São Paulo; approximately 600 media professionals and others attended.
  • MÍDIA Q: a project led by Midiativa and supported by the Fundación Avina and the Empresa Multifocus. The objective of this yearly award is to recognise and give visibility to high-quality television productions oriented to children and youngsters in 3 different age groups. Research is being conducted with parents so that the award might accord with their vision of what kind of programming is healthy and valuable for children.
  • "TVQ - Encontro Latinoamericano sobre TV de Qualidade" [TVQ - Quality TV gathering"]: an event organised by the SESC and the Goethe Institute, with the coordination of the president and founder of Midiativa. The objective was to support and contribute to the development of more responsible television production.
  • Project "Suitcase Midiativa/Prix Jeunesse": The "Suitcases" are sample programmes selected in the Festival "PRIX JEUNESSE" with the objective of enriching critical thinking of media professionals. Midiativa holds the exclusive collection in Brasil of the programmes selected for that Festival, and has extended the reach of the "Suitcases" to professors, communication students, and parents of young people. In 2002, after producing the Portuguese version of shows selected during the last edition of PRIX JEUNESSE, there were workshops for media professionals and 400 communication students from Paulista universities, as well as an exhibit for children in Rio de Janeiro. In addition, with UNICEF's support, the "Suitcases" have traveled to 4 Brazilian States, with the aim of developing a methodology to enable teachers to reflect on television and to take this discussion into classroom. In 2004, through a partnership with Museu da Imagem e do Som of São Paulo (MIS), exhibits of quality shows will also be developed and will be open to the public, constituting another Suitcase for media professionals.
  • Midiateca - Tradition of Quality for Children & Youth: produces a wide variety of materials that focus on the media and that are directed toward youth and children (national and international television programmes, books, publications, articles, and other sources for the educators and professionals).
  • Shows: Midiativa develops and organises showings of film, video, and TV programmes in schools, communication organisations, and cultural spaces. The shows are intended to stimulate the debate on the quality of programming for children and youth on television.
  • Workshops: Midiativa organises workshops for media professionals and educators.
  • Informational Electronic Bulletins: including special materials, interviews, events, actions, and other news.
  • Midiativa website: in addition to an institutional area, this website has daily coverage of events related to media and childhood taking place in Brasil and elsewhere. The Midiateca section also includes a databank of audiovisual files and other information.
Development Issues
Children, Youth.
Key Points
Organisers indicate that almost a third of the Brasilian population comprises children and adolescents up to 14 years old. Television is present in 89% of Brazilian homes. Recent research indicates that Brasilian children and youngsters watch 3.5 hours of TV daily, on average. There are 2.8 million Brasilian young people navigating the Internet for approximately 14 hours and 23 minutes per month.

In this context, Midiativa has worked to advance discussion of the role of the media in the development of children and youth. Besides focusing on child and youth programmes, Midiativa distinguishes itself by not being focused on critique, but instead, by identifying and stimulating successes in relation to the media. Its actions are focused on debating parameters of quality, appreciating quality programmes, and recognising deserving sponsors, radio stations, and media professionals producing quality programmes.
Partners

Partners and founders are: Beth Carmona (Director - President), Claudius Ceccon (Vice - President), Sirlene Reis (Director - executive), Ambar de Barros (Director), Rosa María Crescente Comerlato (Director General of TVE Brasil), Adriana Fernandes, Angela Santos, Ana Helena Meirelles Reis, Geraldo Vieira Filho, Marcos Fuchs, Renata Dias Mundt, Rosely Carmona and Solange Jabim e Souza. Mediativa has received support from UNICEF, UNESCO, Fundação PRIX JEUNESSE, and Fundação Avina.

Sources

La Iniciativa de Comunicacion; and letter sent from Beth Carmona to The Communication Initiative on March 24 2004.