The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
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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Young Voices for the Planet

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Launched in 2011, this advocacy initiative revolves around a series of short films featuring young people around the world who use science and data to reduce the carbon footprint of their homes, schools, communities, and states. The films present replicable success stories. The message is: "The Young Voices for the Planet movies allow your young voices to be heard. Seeing what other young people have done and are doing will inspire you to action! Say Yes to Action! Say No to Fear." Amongst the goals of the project are to:

  • alleviate children's fear about climate change and move them toward hope, empowerment, and action by inspiring them through these youth success stories;
  • document stories of youth using scientific data to argue their positions in order to help other young people and adults understand the role of science in sound decision making;
  • reach and encourage a critical mass of young people to teach their parents and schools how to reduce their carbon emissions in order to galvanise the United States (US) public - adults and youth alike - and create a paradigm shift in the way that society views, and acts to abate, global warming; and
  • encourage youth and adults to speak to elected officials about supporting sustainable energy.
Communication Strategies

These films focus on youth participation in, and engagement with, science - sharing what are intended to be inspiring success stories of children and youth shrinking their carbon footprint, finding solutions to the global warming crisis, banning plastic bags, planting trees, reducing waste, experiencing the excitement of scientific discovery through citizen-science, and conducting energy audits that save energy and money. For instance, in one film, Anya, an indigenous Siberian girl, sees her world literally melting away. She joins Arctic scientist Max Holmes' research team and enlists schoolmates in collecting water samples from the Lena River. In another, we learn about 12-year-old Alec Loorz, who created Kids vs. Global Warming, the Sea Level Awareness Project, and the Declaration of Independence from Fossil Fuels campaign. For synopses of all the films and to watch them, click here.

 

The DVD of the films is available for purchase on the Young Voices for the Planet website, which also provides teachers with materials (including curricula) to augment the films to facilitate students' involvement in carbon reduction projects and offers youth-oriented information and links for ways to get involved. The project also has a Facebook page.

Development Issues

Environment, Children, Youth

Key Points

The Young Voices for the Planet films have been screened at science centres, conferences, sustainability days, environmental festivals, green festivals, workshops, and schools. They have been on exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the United Nations Climate Council Meetings (COP15) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

Author and Illustrator Lynne Cherry, originator, producer, and director of the Young Voices for the Planet films, has written several children's books, including The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild.

Sources

Email from Gary Braasch to The Communication Initiative on March 18 2013; and Young Voices for the Planet website, March 19 2013.