Just last Friday, celebrations marking the second Kindness Day SG culminated in a concert at the Shanghai Dolly that showcased the talents of local performers to a packed crowd that included Guest of Honour, Member of Parliament, Mr Baey Yam Keng. The concert climaxed a day of celebration that began at West View Primary School this morning with Minister for Education, Mr Heng Swee Keat as Guest of Honour.
The highlight of the show was the debut of the Kindness Song, “Kindness is in Me” by Lorraine Tan, specially commissioned by the Singapore Kindness Movement. The audience was treated to a high-octane show that included performances by local entertainment company Dream Academy featuring the Dim Sum Dollies, Robin Goh and Hossan Leong.
Also on stage were Vocaluptous, Elson Soh, singing duo Jack and Rai and Ocean Butterflies artistes Juno, Jacky and Stella. While the evening was a treat to the senses, kindness was not far from everyone’s minds. Ground-up initiatives that have championed kindness over the past year were honoured as part of the Kindred Spirit Circle at the event. Among those recognised were Diamonds on the Street, a group that brings hope to vulnerable communities by teaching them skills related to music and drama, and the organisers of The Hawker Sessions, an initiative which raises funds for the less privileged through its makan fundraisers at local hawker centres.
The affirmation of their organic efforts to bring kindness to the community inducted them into the circle which was started in 2013. “Singapore is constantly moving towards becoming a more gracious society and there are some encouraging signs of improvement, such as commuters adopting more considerate behaviours. While there is still much to be done and new challenges will constantly emerge, there is still reason to celebrate how far we have come”, said Dr William Wan, General Secretary, Singapore Kindness Movement.
“People like our Kindred Spirit Circle honourees today are proof that kindness starts from the individual and has a really infectious quality of inspiring others to do the same. A nation of kindness can only come about when we choose to first start with one – ourselves,” Dr Wan concluded.
Dr Wan’s enthusiasm was shared by the Guest of Honour for the concert, Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC, Mr Baey Yam Keng, who commented, “It is heartening to know that there is a growing space for ground-up initiatives that actively champion kindness in Singapore. In time to come, I hope that these volunteer-led movements would inspire a stronger sense of ‘kampung spirit’ among us and we can be better neighbours to one another.”
Kindness Day SG festivities kicked off this morning at West View Primary School, where the extended school community, including parents and non-teaching staff, came together for kindness-centred family bonding activities. Students and their teachers also demonstrated the embedded value of kindness to Guest of Honour, Minister for Education, Mr Heng Swee Keat, as they went about their extra-curricular activities.
SKM encourages everyone and organisations to join Kindness Day SG in the coming years, not only on the day itself, but also throughout the year to fuel the kindness spirit in Singapore. SKM hopes Kindness Day SG will serve as a reminder, celebration, and continuing encouragement of kindness. Kindness Day SG will return annually on the last Friday of May, coinciding with the conclusion of Term 2 of the academic calendar.
For more information, please visit www.kindness.sg / www.kindnessday.sg .
To view the Kindness Song, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzj-R3Tygck
(Image by Singapore Kindness Movement)
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