Man on a mission

Pellicio finds niche in socio-economic development

For many, the chance to get away from work for a week or two conjures up images of lying on a warm beach, or skiing or hiking your favorite mountain, or simply curling up on your favorite chair to read that elusive book. For CCRI professor Bill Pellicio, time away from the college is spent in such exotic locations as Cambodia, Liberia and the Dominican Republic. But his visits are no vacation, not by a long shot.

In 2003, working as a consultant for the Socio Economic Development Center for Southeast Asians, Pellicio got involved with the Black River Project affiliated with Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Black River was organized in 1993 to provide medical supplies and equipment to poor communities around Black River, Jamaica. Since then, the program has expanded worldwide, and Bill was invited on a trip to deliver supplies and medicine to Cambodia.

“I really thought of it as a vacation and an opportunity to visit with an associate who was working at Sihanouk Hospital in Phnom Penh," Pellicio recently recalled. “It was only during the trip that I realized that my background in human services could prove to be of great assistance to the groups I was working with."

Overall, Cambodia’s health care system is one of the worst in the world; recent estimates indicate that there is one doctor for every 1,700 people. In comparison, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, there are less than 500 patients per doctor in the U.S. Cambodia also has the distinction of having the fastest growth of AIDS in Asia.

The shining star in the Cambodia healthcare system is Sihanouk Hospital Centre for Hope, funded by foreign donations and staffed by a mixture of local and international physicians. Unlike other hospitals in Cambodia, it offers free care.

Following his month-long visit in 2003, Pellicio maintained communication with the staff of the hospital and in 2004 he was invited back to make a presentation to hospital staff and patients on the dynamics of dealing with terminal diseases.

“I was concerned about how my Western concepts about this difficult subject would be accepted in this Third World culture," Pellicio admitted. “I was surprised to discover great similarities in the human processes that people go through, whether they live in Cambodia or Rhode Island."

Bill intends to continue to provide his services to Sihanouk Hospital annually, as well as create awareness locally.

“I am hoping to interest the Lifespan hospital network in a mutual program with Sihanouk Hospital, and I’m also looking to create a credit program for CCRI students," Pellicio said. “There is much to do."
For the past 25 years, Liberia has been involved in a civil war, with more than 200,000 killed and many thousands more who have fled the fighting. The conflict has left the country in economic ruin. A recent report from the UN World Food Program says it is running out of food to help nearly one million people stay alive in Liberia.

In 2004, Pellicio was invited by the Liberia Women’s Prayer Vigil to go to Liberia and conduct an assessment of what could be done to help the people deal with the trauma of war. In October and November 2004, he met with dozens of Liberians, including students who witnessed a massacre in the local church.

“There continues to be a great deal of violence in Liberia, and during my visit, the home of a local government leader was burned to the ground," Pellicio said. “I was staying in a private home whose owners were caring for 23 orphans, and I believe that prevented any violence directed at me."
Pellicio has forwarded his assessment to organizations that are now implementing his recommendations. As he did for Cambodia, he is trying to create local awareness of the Liberian situation and is seeking the help of Rhode Islanders in a variety of ways, from teaching to donating books and other supplies.

Having devoted his life to social work, and working as a full-time professor in the Department of Human Services at CCRI, Pellicio explained why he felt the need to practice his profession on this global level.

“My international interest began in 1996 when I supervised a student from Ghana at Rhode Island Hospital," Pellicio said. “Shortly after, I was invited to Ghana to study social policies, and from that point on, I knew that I could excel as an educator and trainer of people, particularly for those living in the most difficult of conditions."

Pellicio is co-hosting a trip to the Dominican Republic this summer. The program for credit is called, “Social Policy from an International Perspective." A group of up to 20 students from CCRI and URI will leave June 28 for a two-week tour of the country studying health care, education, criminal justice, social services and local politics. For more information call 825-1125.