Photo by: Harvard Human Initiative

Seeking to better the human condition, Vincezo Bollettino uses the skills and passions he developed as a DU graduate student to provide and improve humanitarian aid in war and relieve human suffering.

Bollettino graduated from DU in 2001 with a Ph.D. from the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), now the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

His work with faculty deeply influenced his understanding of how academics could improve lives.

Last Thursday, Bollettino spoke at Korbel as the Humanitarian Assistance Program Korbel alumnus guest speaker of the week.

He spoke about his career path, his current position at the Harvard Humanitarian Innitiative (HHI) and the work HHI is doing with DU’s Humanitarian Assistance Program.

“Faculty that I worked with like Jack Donnelly and Paul Viotti inculcated in me a deep appreciation for the contribution academia could make in improving the human condition. It was the courses that I took at GSIS that inspired me to pursue a career in the humanitarian field,” said Bollettino.

Bollettino is the executive director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, established at Harvard in 1999.

 The organization’s purpose is to diminish the suffering caused by war and disease by enhancing the practice of humanitarian response. Bolletino explained how the organization goes about their work.

“We do this through a series of research and educational programs geared toward improving the effectiveness of humanitarian relief strategies and through educational initiatives focused on providing tomorrow’s humanitarian leaders with the skill sets they will need to make evidence-based decisions on humanitarian operations,” said Bollettino.

HHI works with organizations like CARE, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children and World Vision.

Some of their most recent work focuses on public health needs in Africa, especially relating to the LRA violence in many African countries as it has recently become a popular topic of discussion and concern in the media.

Bollettino’s experiences at DU contributed to his desire to help his fellow human beings and end their suffering.

He says his classes, fellow students and the faculty he worked with shaped his interests as his passion and interest in the development of effective humanitarian relief grew.

DU is well-known for its large study abroad program, of which Bollettino took part.

Bollettino studied abroad for a year in Bologna, Italy. He attributes this experience with furthering his interests in international affairs.

“[Studying abroad] taught me the importance of developing an understanding of local context before attempting to undertake programming, research or any other activity abroad,” Bollettino said.  

Bollettino is married and has a nine-year-old daughter, Sibora. His wife, Brenda, also a DU alum, graduated with a master’s degree in Economics and International Development.

Bollettino continues to seek new methods and techniques for humanitarian relief.

Bollettino is currently partnering with Chen Reis, a clinical associate professor at DU and director of DU’s Humanitarian Assistance Program.

Their organizations are collaborating as they  work towards their common goals of ending human suffering caused both by disaster and war.

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