QADER for Community Development Receives “Zero Award 2025” for Its Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities

QADER for Community Development has been awarded the “Zero Award 2025” for its Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities, which the organization has been implementing since 2020. The award was granted following QADER’s participation in the annual conference held at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria, which focused on the themes of “Employment” and “Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).”

QADER was represented at the award ceremony, held from March 5 to 7, 2025, by Dima Giacaman, the Economic Empowerment Program Manager, where the winners were honored and their innovative solutions showcased.

During her participation in the conference, Giacaman delivered a presentation entitled “Inclusive Training and Employment During Humanitarian Crises”, where she introduced QADER, its work environment, and its key programs, particularly those serving persons with disabilities. She also shared success stories of beneficiaries from QADER’s programs, with a special focus on the Economic Empowerment Program that aims to integrate persons with disabilities into the labor market.

The Zero Project Conference is recognized as a unique global platform for innovation in the field of disability inclusion. This year’s conference brought together over 1,000 participants from more than 90 countries, and over 360 speakers from more than 60 countries, representing various sectors of society. The event addressed emerging trends and key areas in disability inclusion, in addition to specific topics related to inclusive employment and ICT.

The winning projects were selected through a comprehensive, multi-step process based on innovation, impact, and scalability. In total, 77 projects from 45 countries were chosen out of 522 projects submitted from around the world.