A non-profit foundation with an eye for cultural, health and social programs based on tolerance, ethics and integration for all

he ONA Foundation was created by the ONA Group as a catalyst for national awareness and development. Like its sponsor, the foundation is present in a number of sectors, with its projects and activities falling into three distinct but equally important categories: artistic and cultural; socio-economic; and medical.
The cultural vision of the foundation aims, on the one hand, to create a strong artistic base within the country by encouraging and enabling all citizens to develop a vision of themselves and of the outside world through the use and understanding of art and literature. On the other, it works to promote the diffusion of national culture abroad by empowering national creativity and heritage and using it as a means of communication with other cultures.

As well as providing funds for the preservation of important historical and cultural architectural sites, such as the Tinmel Mosque at the ancient Roman site of Volubilis, the ONA Foundation has established the concept of the Villa des Arts – a center where national artists can explore and exchange ideas and where the general public have access to the results. To this end, the ONA Foundation has acquired two prominent Art Deco-style villas, one in Rabat and one in Casablanca, which now provide permanent space for art and culture exhibitions, workshops and events. Aspects such as the virtual museum provide a link with technological development.
The center for socio-economic analysis provides the foundation with a means to promote another of its visions: positive thinking. The concept of economic intelligence is applied to micro and macro-economic development issues by bringing together academic researchers and business managers in debate and discussion. Open forums encourage wider participation in lectures, discussions and conferences, on such subjects as new voices of growth, consumer safety, cultural diversity, e-marketing, or even the future of reason.

A salient aspect of the foundation’s activities is the promotion of self-empowerment, whether through artistic expression or philosophical debate. In its medical axis, the organization echoes this concept once more, using its resources to facilitate medical research and innovation, creating links between national and international bodies to provide technologically viable solutions to critical human situations.

For the employees of the ONA Group, the foundation has created awareness campaigns on such diverse health issues as fasting during Ramadan or the prevention of Hepatitis C, as well as providing various health checks and inoculations. But there is also a hands-on approach: one project provides insulin for diabetic children across the country, while another gives disabled youngsters the opportunity of an education.