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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Saving Our Babies Project - USA

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This project, which culminated in the summer 2004 publication of Saving Our Babies: A Surrogate Embrace - by Writers of the 21st Century, includes a book and documentary geared toward young children (especially those who occupy group and foster homes) and mothers living in the inner city. In the words of coordinators from the Universal Media Exchange (UME), the project is intended "to spawn a movement to save our children. We are introducing new (though ancient) ways of thinking about the African image....[in an effort to] promote communication, exploration and cohesiveness among women, as well as among all other family members in this global village".
Communication Strategies
This project takes a "new age" approach to development. Organisers began by posing the following question to teachers, friends, family, and students: What do we need to do, now, to save babies in our communities? Organisers suggest that "The writers, particularly the women, are advised to begin their journey of communication with a detox cleansing or a fast. In the process of writing, they are encouraged to sit quietly and meditate. They are then asked to simply allow the universal forces to guide their thoughts and hands...and let the inspiration (aka common sense) of the ancients flow on to the paper."

The book appears in three phases:
  • From The Mouths of Babes: reflects the voices of our children answering the question, "What do we (the village) have to do to save you?"
  • Mother Wit and the Original Mother Wisdomcant: a dedication to the "original" mother and her instinctual way of knowing.
  • VOICES, In The Whirlwind: expresses artistic and scholarly presentations in the form of short stories, essays, quotations, poems, drawings, and personal reflections.
Development Issues
Children, Women, Health.
Key Points
Nearly a thousand submissions and hundreds of commitments from writers from around the world were processed after the initial call for participation in early July 2002.
Partners

Numerous community-based organisations working to improve the welfare and living environments of children in America and around the world.

Sources

Press alerts sent by C. S. Turnipseed-Trabi of UME Public Relations Management to The Communication Initiative on August 31 2002 and June 23 2004.