Launch of Singapore Kindness Week

“Whenever there is a human being, there is a chance for kindness.” -- Quote by statesman and philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca from ancient Rome

#DidYouKnow that the first Singapore Kindness Week (SKW) was launched #OnThisDay (8 Nov) by then-PM Goh Chok Tong? The Singapore Kindness Movement had decided to designate a week every year as the SKW, to remind and encourage all to make the lives of others more pleasant through kind deeds.

The SKW is not about practising kindness only for a week. It highlights the importance of empathy, understanding, and support for one another. Its launch in 1998 was significant and timely because of the difficult economic climate then – when there would naturally be a higher tendency to have a “me first” mindset as people struggle to get through the downturn.

It is precisely in trying times that our character as a people is put to the test. In fact, kind acts do not require great sacrifice of time or money, and can be done by anyone, any time -- holding the lift door open for others, consoling a child, bringing food to a senior living alone, or simply a word of encouragement for the down and out.

Yes, they often go unnoticed but #DoYouKnow that kindness is and can be a powerful tool to bridge gaps between diverse groups, and create a more civic and harmonious society? In helping others, the helpers uplift themselves with a greater sense of well-being. As then-PM Goh appealed in his speech at the launch of the SKW, “we can do more than just being kind ourselves. We must inculcate such virtues in our young so that they become an integral part of their lives.” Kind children grow into kind adults – the results may not be immediately evident but the efforts will eventually blossom.

What are some kind deeds you have done or seen recently? As the saying goes, “Kindness is Contagious, Catch it.”

#kindness #singaporekindnessweek #Singapore

Visit ConnexionSG Facebook and Instagramfor more content.