In his 1996 New Year Message, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong highlighted the need for Singapore to become a gracious society by the 21st century. Considerate social behaviour supported by a strong economy and good government will make Singapore the best home for its people. In line with Mr. Goh’s call to build a gracious society, the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) aims to encourage Singaporeans to make a positive commitment to gracious living through simple acts of kindness in their daily activities.

Interview with Dr Giorgio Aiassa from the Italian Kindness Movement in conjunction with World Kindness Day.

SKM: What is the significance of World Kindness Day for you and your organisation?
Giorgio Aiassa: It is a means for reminding all people, one day out of 365, that kindness is the best of all virtues making human beings the noblest creatures on earth.

SKM: How is your organisation celebrating WKD on 13 Nov?
Giorgio Aiassa: We shall distribute a large amount of flyers to be further relayed onwards to any person thankfully reacting to an act of kindness, thus generating a sort of ‘Kindness chain’.

SKM: What is your wish for kindness?
Giorgio Aiassa: We wish that Kindness becomes deeply and intimately part of all citizens spirit so that social rules and restrictions become redundant and meaningless.

SKM: What can we improve on so we can be kinder?
Giorgio Aiassa: The best way for being kind in a uniform and consistent way is to find a perfect, intimate balance between reason and feelings.

SKM: Can you share a saying or quote about kindness that you follow?
Giorgio Aiassa: Our motto is printed in our logo: ‘Kindness is a flower which brings sunshine to our lives. Let us nurture it!’.

SKM: What is one kind act that we can all do today?
Giorgio Aiassa: The whole world would perform an act of kindness in favour of future generations by promoting serious birth-control programs encouraging lower or higher birth rate in accordance with the different local situations.

The Singapore Kindness Movement Chairman Koh Poh

Tiong (above) remains optimistic that Singaporeans are

innately kind. –ST PHOTO: JOHARI RAHMAT