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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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The Team Television Series - Zimbabwe

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The Team in Zimbabwe is a television series that uses the theme of football to tackle issues such as ethnic and socio-economic differences, intergenerational relations, gender equality and the power dynamics between young men and women, and the importance of unity and working together to succeed at the individual, family, community, and national levels. The series is a local adaptation of a multi-national television drama initiative being undertaken by Search for Common Ground, which is designed to use sport as a unifier to transform social attitudes and diminish violent behaviour in countries dealing with deeply rooted conflict in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The drama is complemented by community outreach.

Communication Strategies

The Zimbabwean version of The Team tells the story of two young men - Pablo and Beans - who are from different backgrounds but both have little money and plenty of energy and dreams. The smooth talking, handsome Pablo is a natural footballer, and is the local hero of every young kid in his neighborhood. His single mother is a cross-border trader, who wants Pablo to get a job rather than play football. Beans is the oldest of eight children, a good student who wants to get out of poverty through education. However, his father expects him to take care of his younger siblings and work on behalf of the family.

 

When a big city team comes to town to hold a scouting contest, Pablo schemes to put together a team, no matter what it takes, so he can finally get the shot he deserves. He cons Beans into joining him in the scheme. By sheer nerve, they convince a down and out former superstar player with a dark secret into coming out of retirement to help them achieve their dream. The drama is designed for the characters, and the viewing audience, to learn from the obstacles and challenges they face along the way.

 

The television series is complemented by a three tier communication strategy:

 

  • Marketing and Media Campaign - this includes building a buzz in the national and local media about the show; creating a visual brand and publicity materials to be distributed throughout communities; and organising a launch event and subsequent screenings of the show in Harare and in specified locations.
  • Outreach on Community Peacebuilding - SFCG explains that immediately after The Team completed broadcasting in December 2011, an outreach programme was launched in which mobile cinema screenings brought together 50-70 people over three days to watch the series and participate in professionally led dialogues.
  • Leadership Development for Peacebuilding - Using the Common Ground approach to peace building, leadership development for peace building followed the outreach work.
Development Issues

Conflict Resolution, Youth, Sport

Partners

Search for Common Ground, The International Video Fair Trust, Mai Jai Films, and the Zimbabwe Young Women's Network for Peace Building. 

Sources

Search for Common Ground website on April 23 2012.