Inclusivity

The raison d’être, mission and guiding vision of the Onassis Foundation is to promote the values of social justice. This can be achieved through sparking conversation around glaring social rights issues that ought to be generally accepted, questioning stereotypes, expressing our values, and firing the curiosity of the public. Such actions lead to the formulation of active and engaged citizens.

Through our educational programs, our healthcare strategies, our cultural works and our social welfare initiatives, we are trying to bring about an open society that does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, intellectual beliefs, sexual orientation, geographic origin, socioeconomic background or ideological principles.

Onassis STEGI has been an official sponsor of Athens Pride for many years, supporting equality and the civil rights struggles of the LGBTQI+ community through tangible action.

One of the performances presented in 2018 was Faster Than Light, which included Zak Kostopoulos among its cast members. A few days after his murder, Onassis STEGI took a stand and released an official statement calling for justice, freedom and democracy.

The “I’m Positive” event, organized in collaboration with the Greek Association of People Living with HIV – Positive Voice and dedicated to the memory of Zak Kostopoulos, brought together members of the HIV-positive community and their families with activists and educators, and provided a platform for them to speak courageously and honestly about their lives, through a series of personal testimonies, film screenings and other activities of the social and historical variety. Taking “Science has moved forward, it’s time society did too” as its rallying cry, the aim of the event was to hasten the breakdown of stigma, to champion preventative action, and to help pave the way towards a better society.

Through its educational programs, and its curation of performances – such as those presented by artists from around the world at the Body Politics Festival, works which highlighted the body as a locus of political activism and solidarity – the Onassis Foundation plays its part in everyday life, but also feels the need to do so in ways beyond the performances and art experiences it offers.

Sometimes acting in the public benefit means taking a stand.

Culture is not limited to the arts. Cultivation is not limited to education.

In society, everything is a matter of awareness.