Surely world kindness should be everyday! We do have, at the very least, an international observance World Kindness Day scheduled every November 13th. The day is gaining more popularity each year as people worldwide realize how important kindness is to all of humanity. The special day began with one man in Australia….
Michael Lloyd Wright, of the New South Wales (NSW) Australian, Federation Parents and Citizens Association, contacted in 2010 the Minister of the NSW Department of Education. He asked to place World Kindness Day on the school calendar.
Acceptance was immediate and in 2012, was placed on the Federal School Calendar and soon after was on the National School Calendar in 9,000 schools!
In 1998, as a direct response from Wright’s original proposal, a World Kindness Movement took form in a coalition of nations’ kindness non-governmental agencies (NGOs). Today, it is observed in many countries which includes Australia, Canada, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Italy, India, the United Kingdom and the United States. And it’s not just in schools - World Kindness Day is for the people!
People everywhere, no matter their age, color, creed, or culture, know kindness heals, and we the people, as a world population, need to heal now more than ever. All have been traumatized in these past 3-4 years with covid, its lock-downs, and the threats of war.
The objective of the day is to have it officially be recognized and have its members sign a Declaration of Support for World Kindness. The idea of the designated day is to bring to mind and heart how kindness connects all of us as human-beings and how very important it is in our lives. Kindness heals. May we each do our part.
Author
Kristen Farquhar
Photograph
Victoria Cook
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