TAPS Media Availability on Memorandum of Agreement with the International Welfare Foundation and TSG Global Holdings to Provide Bereavement Support in Mosul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 13, 2017
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), providing comfort and care for all who are impacted by traumatic death in the military since 1994, participated in a TSG Global Holdings (TSG) sponsored gathering in Istanbul, Turkey on July 7 and 8th that brought together leaders from the International Welfare Foundation (IWF) and TSG with the focus on securing stability in Mosul, Iraq, and bringing together resources to connect the bereaved with an international community of support.
The CEOs of the three organizations combined forces to form the Mosul Reconstruction and Development Group (MRDG) to coordinate the humanitarian effort and facilitate the reconstruction of Mosul. The organizations will utilize their extensive network of multinational companies and organizations to assist with this tremendous effort. These leaders have already reached out the international community and have received a significant response.
TAPS currently has partnerships with 16 nations, benchmarking international best practices, creating hope and healing, honoring and memorializing the deceased, and providing their surviving loved ones with resources and support. TAPS has been working with surviving families in Iraq since 2003.
In the partnership with the TSG and IWF, TAPS will have teams supporting those grieving the death of their family members, their homeland and their sense of security as the rebuilding of Mosul post-IS begins.
IWF, founded by His Excellency Mikdad Hashim Yahya, is an international humanitarian non-profit organization whose mission is to meet the critical needs of victims of conflict, disasters, famine, and epidemics throughout the world by providing quality healthcare, food and shelter to those in need, and quality education to help the community strive. In addition, IWF is a major contributor to causes supporting the environment, and developing sustainable communities.
TSG is an international multi-disciplinary family of companies that has completed many projects throughout the world. TSG has been heavily involved in the reconstruction of Iraq since 2003.
One of the major contributors to the rebuilding effort will be Identity Data, National Automated Systems (ID-NAS), an affiliate of TSG. ID-NAS is a security technology firm that has created a robust, intelligent, holistic approach to identity management. For Mosul, the need for humanitarian and reconciliation services is of utmost importance. ID-NAS enables the nation to identify deceased persons and reunify lost family members, wherever they may be, with a sophisticated, state-of-the-art, scientifically-valid technology.
As the construction of a new Mosul begins, TAPS is already partnering with leading international nongovernmentalorganizations (NGOs) to assist in basic humanitarian aid for widows struggling tosupport their families, innovative education programs for surviving children, and emotional support for trauma survivors provided in partnership with the Center for Mind Body Medicine.
In partnership with TAPS, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are stepping forward to bring veterans of these conflicts to Iraq to carry out the mission of securing a stable society and aid in the rebuilding post-IS.
Operations will initially be conducted at the camps between Erbil and Mosul and from IWF and TSG’s headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey.
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
Bonnie Carroll, TAPS President and Founder and 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
H.E. Mikdad Yahya, International Welfare Foundation
MEDIA CONTACT
Email christine.fuentes@taps.org or call 540.905.8448 to request an interview.
ABOUT TAPS
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national organization providing compassionate care for the families of America’s fallen military heroes and has offered support to more than 70,000 surviving family members of our fallen military and their caregivers since 1994. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, grief seminars and retreats for adults, Good Grief Camps for children, case work assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and a 24/7 resource and information helpline for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free TAPS resource and information helpline at 1.800.959.TAPS (8277).
ABOUT BONNIE CARROLL
Bonnie Carroll, a 2015 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is President and Founder of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), America's frontline resource providing compassionate care for all those grieving a death in the Armed Forces and serving more than 70,000 survivors with 24/7 support services and programs. Ms. Carroll founded TAPS in 1994 following the death of her husband, Brig. Gen. Tom Carroll, in an Army aviation crash. Ms. Carroll retired after over 30 years of service in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. In her professional career, she worked as a defense consultant on Capitol Hill, a senior appointee in the Reagan and both Bush Administrations, Deputy Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Communications in Baghdad, Iraq, and she currently serves on the Defense Health Board. She was the 2015 recipient of the Association of Death Education and Counseling Clinical Practice Award and the 2015 Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award for her work to support the Armed Forces and surviving military families. She is the co-author of the book "Healing Your Grieving Military Heart" and numerous articles on coping with traumatic grief. Ms. Carroll holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science from the American University, and in International Conflict Resolution from the Kennedy School at Harvard.