Kindness Day SG 2020: Celebrating Kindness wherever you are

May 19, 2020

Kindness Day SG 2020Singapore Kindness Movement invites you to connect virtually to celebrate kindness

SINGAPORE – 19 May 2020 ━ In light of the heightened social distancing measures, Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) will hold its first-ever virtual Kindness Day SG celebration on Friday, 22 May 2020. Through various online channels, SKM has planned a series of online activities leading up to the virtual ceremony, to show that kindness and gratitude can be expressed anywhere.

Kindness Goes Social with Augmented Reality Filters + Tik Tok Dance Challenge

Utilising Augmented Reality Filters, “Virtually Everywhere” is activated through sign language, and encourages users to show kindness on their own social media platforms. Launched on 18 May 2020, Facebook users will need to sign “Thank you”, “Hello” and “You’re Welcome” using Singapore Sign Language to start the animated filter. There will also be a Random Act of Kindness generator, which is hosted on Instagram, where users will be prompted to perform one random kind act. Users who activated the filters and hashtag #KindnessDaySG and #BeGreaterSG, may be featured in SKM’s compilation video. The demonstration video can be viewed here.

Users can download the “Virtually Anywhere” AR filters  from SKM’s Facebook and Instagram account

SKM will also be launching its first dance challenge on social media platform, TikTok, on Friday, 22 May 2020. The #KindnessDaySG TikTok Hashtag Challenge rallies Singaporeans to portray kindness in a lighthearted and fun way. To join in the TikTok challenge, users just need to wear yellow, follow the choreography to “La La Land (Part 2)”, hashtag #KindnessDaySG and tag @KindnessSG. Spread the joy by tagging a friend to join in the challenge! The sample video can be viewed here.

Make Singapore Shine with yellow outfits or props to post on social media

SKM will also be encouraging Singaporeans to wear yellow on Friday, 22 May 2020, to celebrate Kindness Day SG. Named “Make Singapore Shine”, this online activation aims to fill Singaporeans’ social media feeds with the brightness of kindness. Members of the public can print out props, or simply download the zoom backgrounds from SKM’s website.

“Make Singapore Shine” encourages Singaporeans to brighten up their social media feed with the brightness of kindness

15 Ground-Up Movements (GUMs) and 4 Voices of Loving Kindness (VoLKs) are to be inducted into the Kindred Spirit Circle

Instead of a physical ceremony, SKM will premiere a video on their Facebook page on Friday, 22 May, 12 noon, to commemorate this year’s Kindness Day SG. It will feature the GUMs and VoLKs who will be inducted into the Kindred Spirit Circle, as well as a message from Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information.

Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information joined in the Kindness Day SG 2020 virtual celebrations with fellow Kindred Spirit Circle inductees

This year, 15 GUMs and 4 VoLKs will be inducted into the Kindred Spirit Circle. To date, 115 GUMs and VoLKs have been recognised for their efforts towards building a nation of kindness since 2012.

One of the GUMs is Friendzone SG, a community-building organisation dedicated to fostering a culture of friendship, connectedness and care through gatherings. The group hopes to connect young adults with their neighbours and inspire them to care for their community. Through their activities, participants are able to connect with people from different social circles who might have otherwise never met before; and recreate the kampung spirit that was prevalent in the formative years of the country. The GUM has recently also launched Friendzone Online, connecting young neighbours through video conferencing, and it was met with a healthy response. Friendzone hopes to expand further to support the strengthening of communities across generations, and beyond neighbourhoods in spaces such as workplaces, schools, and societies.

Friendzone Online allows young adults in the neighbourhood to connect (Photo Credit: Friendzone SG)

There has been a flurry of fake news floating around on social media, especially those pertaining to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Sure Anot, one of the inducted GUMs, is a non-profit, student-led campaign, that seeks to empower older adults in Singapore to partake in the fight against fake news. The group encourages them to perform the “Be Safe, Be Sure” routine, and also creates engaging social media content, seeking experts’ opinions to dispel online falsehoods. In the near future, Sure Anot hopes to incorporate their ‘Be Safe, Be Sure’ Routine with relevant companies and partners, and share with more Singaporeans on how to fight against fake news.

This year, 4 VoLKs will be celebrated for embodying the spirit of kindness and graciousness. One of them is Cassandra Chiu, a psychotherapist who wants society to see that people with disabilities can do things given the right tools and opportunities. The first woman to become a guide dog handler in Singapore, Cassandra started a movement K9assistance to promote the use of assistance dogs for the disabled. Cassandra acknowledges that she has been very blessed and hopes to pay it forward by advocating causes that are close to her heart.

Staying positive during tough times

SKM will also be distributing 50,000 #StayAtHome Kindness Kits to households with young children and business partners, to remind them to spread positivity during these extraordinary times. Items in the Kindness Kits will be randomised, which may include DIY windmill daisies, magnet sets and stickers, as well as postcards made from plantable seed paper for an eco-friendly touch to kindness.

Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran said, ‘The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a test of our healthcare response system, it is also a measure of the mettle and character of our society. Kindness and compassion are key to our collective fight against COVID-19, and how well we stand together and support one another in a crisis defines us as a people. I am heartened that Singaporeans’ response to the pandemic attests to the kindness, cohesion and resilience of our society. On the occasion of Kindness Day SG, we celebrate the kindness of every Singaporean; which is even more important amid our fight against COVID-19.’

“I am encouraged to see Ground-Up Movements showing Singapore’s kampung spirit, stepping up to help those in need. COVID-19 has made 2020 a trying time for Singaporeans, and the world. While we still have to keep a safe distance from one another, technology has made it possible to show kindness anywhere and at any time. Let’s be a ray of sunshine to those around us to brighten their day, and I am certain that we can overcome COVID-19 as one.” Dr William Wan, General Secretary of SKM remarked.

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