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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Rural Voices of Youth

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The Rural Voices of Youth project reaches out to young Nigerians in rural areas using face-to-face communication and information and communication technologies (ICTs) to give them "a voice" on various development issues and challenges. A young Nigerian who is a member of the global United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) project Voices of Youth (VOY) launched this initiative to reach out to his peers in rural areas who do not have easy internet access, but who still wish to take part in VOY. (VOY is an effort to connect youth with their counterparts from around the world through the internet and email; its purpose is to use technology in an effort to ensure that young people from all countries learn more, say more and do more about the world they live in.) As part of Rural Voices of Youth, every month, the project volunteers visit rural areas to have discussions with young people and to record their thoughts and feelings on different topics.
Communication Strategies

Rural Voices of Youth is a youth-led effort that uses face-to-face exchanges to seek and share the insights of young people in rural areas who cannot easily access ICTs - and who thus might otherwise find VOY participation difficult or impossible. The young volunteers visit schools and interview local young people in the Yoruba language, asking about their experiences with development challenges such as water, environment, and sanitation; intergenerational dialogue; conflict; and HIV/AIDS.

The young people's responses are then translated into English and then posted on the UNICEF website. In addition, they are also posted to the VOY web discussion forum; these discussion boards aim to make it possible for young people around the world to talk to one another, over the internet, in English, French, or Spanish about child rights and other development-related issues. Click here to join in.

Rural Voices of Youth volunteers have also engaged young Nigerians through various essay contests, such as one focusing on the theme “Things I know about the United Nations” for students at Mopelola Nursery and Primary school. Children at the school made more than 60 entries to the contest, and recited their entries before a panel of judges. The children also participated in a workshop where they learned about the United Nations, as well as how they can take action in their communities to contribute to UNICEF’s goal of helping children. To cite another example, in collaboration with the Youth MDG Campaign in Nigeria, Rural Voices of Youth volunteers organized an essay contest and workshop on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for secondary school students. The young people also participated in a workshop in which they learned about the MDGs from a guest speaker who stressed the importance of taking responsibility and working together to meet the Goals. Rural Voices of Youth founder Oyebisi Oluseyi also spoke about the importance of volunteering in achieving the MDGs.

Development Issues

Youth.

Key Points

VOY was launched in 1995 as a way for more than 3000 young people from 81 countries to send messages to world leaders at the World Summit for Social Development, held in Copenhagen in 1995. It was also developed as part of the celebration for UNICEF’s 50th Anniversary.

Partners

UNICEF.

Sources

UNICEF website on October 5 2005; and UNICEF website on September 5 2006.