SEED’s President, Sherri Kraham Talabany, was part of Kurdistan’s first TEDx Nishtiman event on the first of April, in Saad Abdulla Hall in Erbil, Kurdistan. The theme for TEDx Nishtiman was rehabilitation and development.

Sherri spoke about how we can best support the recovery of survivors of conflict and violence in Kurdistan through comprehensive, long-term, mental health and psychosocial support services.

“Fighting ISIS through airstrikes is important, but helping survivors build a future is just as important.”

Watch Sherri’s interview with Rudaw here:

To do this effectively SEED follows three strategies: understanding the context we’re working in; delivering holistic services that help the whole person and family; and investing in building local capacity to deliver quality services.

“We started this work with the displaced but we know that the whole society has suffered from traumatic events, not just the displaced. We found that the mental health needs are deep, enormous and complex.  This poses a great challenge for Kurdistan’s development.”