World Kindness Day

Race, religion, gender, politics, country of residence, and other cultural differences can keep people apart, and World Kindness Day uses kindness to bridge the gaps and eliminate the boundaries these differences create so that people can see they have a common human bond. A goal of the day is for people to look beyond themselves to realize they are citizens of the world. Commonalities that people share are focused on, to help make peaceful coexistence possible between people of different backgrounds.

The day was started by the World Kindness Movement, on the first day of their conference in Tokyo, on today's date in 1998. The conference was held on the 35th anniversary of the start of Japan's Small Kindness Movement. The World Kindness Movement, which connects nations to form a kinder world, was formed in Japan in 1997, out of a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) focused on kindness. World Kindness Day is observed internationally. For example, it is officially celebrated by schools in Australia, and Australian Councils have signed declarations in support of it; it is celebrated as Kindness Day UK in the United Kingdom, and schools in the United States celebrate it while working with NGOs such as Be Kind People Project and Life Vest Inside.

World Kindness Day is observed next on Friday, November 13th, 2020. It has been observed annually on November 13th since 1998.

Observe the day by reaching out and making connections with someone of a different background as yours, such as someone of a different race, religion, or different political persuasion. Use the day to show kindness to everyone, whether they be someone who appears to have much in common with you or someone you don't think you have anything in common with at all. You could also become a member of the World Kindness Movement, the group that started the day.