Dubai
While many organisations have been working to promote kindness, in 1997, the World Kindness Movement (WKM) was conceptualised in Tokyo, Japan.
It brought together like-minded kindness movements from around the world. Their mission is to foster goodwill among the global community and to inspire individuals to work towards a kinder world.
Currently, 20 nations are a part of this global movement, including the UAE. But, the WKM continues to encourage individuals of other nations to set up their own kindness movements.
World Kindness Day is marked around the world on November 13. This date was selected because it was the opening day of the first World Kindness Movement conference.
People who are interested to join the movement can apply on the foundation’s official website, www.theworldkindnessmovement.org. The members represent the foundation to the world and are expected to be active participants. They have the responsibility of organising activities related to kindness within their organisations or community.
According to the US chapter, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, the movement aims to help everyone create a better world with kindness. This foundation was established in 1995 in the US, before the global movement became official. They later became delegates of the movement in the US and now works as a resource for people committed to spreading kindness.
On their official website, www.randomactsofkindness.org, one can find ideas for kind actions, activities to participate in, lesson plans and videos. They currently have 1,536 members.
The foundation claims that they do not accept donations, or provide financial assistance to any individual or organisation. They also do not charge for memberships.
Members can submit blog posts, which are accessible by all who visit the website. They are recognised in order to create a community for kindness to flourish. They are encouraged to participate in monthly “Kindness Raids” in their own communities and online.
The Kindness Movement of the UAE is an organisation based in Dubai that has been working for years with government entities, corporations and charities to support them achieve their goals, whether in the form of a rescue operation, aid or relief mission or just to raise awareness for a cause. They represent the Middle Eastern region in the global movement.
The latest social media campaign as part of the movement is #1Act. An organisation called Bystander Revolution, based in the US, launches this campaign on social media channels to take the power away from bullies by showing the power of kindness.
The challenge is simple: do one small act of kindness, take a selfie holding up your index finger and then share it on social media while you challenge another friend to do the same. It could be something as small as holding a door open for someone or volunteering at a community event. Many Hollywood celebrities took part in the campaign to spread the word.
Random acts of kindness have been performed by individuals for centuries. Be it smiling at a stranger, helping an old woman cross the road or buying a homeless person a meal. These small gestures affect you in a positive way or even change your life.
