{"id":189449,"date":"2025-05-16T17:44:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T21:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=189449"},"modified":"2025-05-16T17:52:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T21:52:59","slug":"best-buddies-international-at-the-2025-global-disability-summit-in-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/international\/best-buddies-international-at-the-2025-global-disability-summit-in-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Buddies International at the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”189453″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1747421275711{padding-top: 15px !important;padding-bottom: 15px !important;}”]In April, Jennifer Allen, Senior Director of International Programs, represented Best Buddies International at the Global Disability Summit (GDS) in Berlin, Germany, joined by Denise Roza, Country Director for Best Buddies Russia. The Summit, held every four years, brought together more than 4,000 global leaders committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of individuals with disabilities, especially across the global South.<\/p>\n

During the event, Allen met with government officials from Malta, Pakistan, Malawi, Jordan, Scotland, the EU, the USA, Paraguay, and Palestine to discuss potential expansion. She also explored funding opportunities with the World Bank and the UN Disability Fund and identified three major global alliances that could increase visibility and financial support for Best Buddies. Additionally, she connected with corporate leaders from Google, The Valuable 500, and Purple Space, and met with 13 potential partner organizations to discuss collaboration.
\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid element_width=”6″ css=”” grid_id=”vc_gid:1747432341441-6c70ab4b-3935-3″ include=”189458,189459″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1747432369676{padding-top: 15px !important;padding-bottom: 15px !important;}”]Looking Ahead: Building Momentum Through Partnership
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Summit reinforced the global recognition of Best Buddies\u2019 mission. Caroline Casey, founder of The Valuable 500, remarked that she had heard of Best Buddies International and called it a great organization, encouraging a call with their Board of Directors. The CEO of the Zero Project also expressed strong interest in forming a global partnership with Best Buddies International.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1747421487403{padding-top: 15px !important;}”]\n

Join the Movement<\/a>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1747421441048{padding-top: 15px !important;}”]As Best Buddies continues to grow its presence worldwide, we invite organizations, governments, and companies to join us in creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Connect with us to explore how we can work together to make a lasting global impact.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Best Buddies advances global inclusion at the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":189453,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"int-single-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4567],"tags":[87,726,4719,4721,4718,4720,1678,834,1707],"class_list":["post-189449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-newsletters","tag-best-buddies","tag-best-buddies-international","tag-best-buddies-russia","tag-global","tag-global-disability-summit","tag-individuals-with-disabilities","tag-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities","tag-international-programs","tag-mission"],"yoast_head":"\nBest Buddies International at the 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin - Best Buddies International<\/title>\n<!-- Added by HTTrack --><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /><!-- /Added by 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