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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Speak Up & Get Out

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Speak Up & Get Out is a film- and internet-based dating violence awareness initiative created by then 14-year-old United States (US) filmmaker and activist Jordan Coleman. His goal is to spark conversation and provide resources to help teen girls and boys deal with dating violence.

Communication Strategies

Originally, Speak Up & Get Out was a fictitious group and organisation featured in the film "Payin' The Price", which deals with teen dating violence. The film chronicles the story of Jazz, a high school student, who is accused of brutally assaulting his girlfriend. The film, which features cast members who are all newcomers to the film industry, follows Jazz's arrest and trial. After meeting several victims of teen dating violence while making his film and previewing it for audiences, Jordan realised that it was important to create a website with resourceful information to help teens who are in abusive relationships. As part of this effort, Coleman is partnering with local teen domestic violence groups and his mother's Just Between Girlfriends Foundation to educate teens. The initiative includes film screenings, town hall meetings, literature, handouts, and online resources to help victims.

Development Issues

Violence against Women, Youth.

Key Points

Coleman was inspired to make the "Payin' The Price" film after the February 8 2009 media report that US artists Chris Brown and girlfriend Rihanna were involved in a dating violence incident in Beverly Hills, California. According to Coleman, the incident brought teen dating violence into the national conversation: "There were debates in the halls at school, on the Internet and every time Chris Brown or Rihanna's names were mentioned everyone had something to say," said Coleman. Soon thereafter, Coleman said he read a local newspaper article about a 15-year-old boy who allegedly raped a girl at a party. He surfed the internet and found that there were more and more stories about teen dating violence. He learned that one in three teens have been victimised or knew someone who had been. "Teen dating violence wasn't just in Hollywood it was all across the country, including my community, but nobody talked about it until the Chris Brown and Rihanna incident. Hopefully, my film will spark a national conversation."

 

For more information:

Sources

Speak Up & Get Out website and Payin' The Price website, both accessed on March 20 2012.