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Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
Speeches

Kindness Day SG 2026

Sectors

Resilience & Engagement

29 May 2026

Speech by Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Senior Minister of State for Education, at the Singapore Kindness Movement’s Kindred Spirit Circle Induction Ceremony & Appreciation Dinner, on 29 May 2026

Ms Junie Foo, Chairperson, Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM),

Ms Michelle Tay, Executive Director, SKM

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

  1. Good evening.

  2. It is my pleasure to join you for the Kindred Spirit Circle (KSC) Appreciation Dinner and Induction Ceremony, as we celebrate Kindness Day SG 2026.

Building a culture of kindness is a collective effort

  1. This year’s theme – “Let’s Be Greater Together” – reminds us that building a kinder society is not a one-person job. It takes all of us – individuals, communities, and organisations – to make kindness part of our everyday.

  2. Tonight, we welcome 24 new members into the Kindred Spirit Circle (KSC), consisting of:

    1. 15 Ground-Up Movements (GUMs),

    2. 5 Organised Kindness Initiatives & Enterprises (OKIEs), and

    3. 4 Voices of Loving Kindness (VoLKs).

  3. Each of them represents a continued commitment to building a more gracious and caring society. When individuals, organisations and communities come together, small acts of kindness create a much bigger impact.

  4. To achieve this, Ground-Up Movements, which are informal, self-organised groups or individuals, identify needs on the ground and create volunteer-based opportunities that bridge gaps where they are needed the most.

  5. An example is Healthy You & Me, founded by Mdm Marlina Yased.

    1. Having experienced food insecurity herself, Marlina started a community fridge just outside her front door so that no neighbour went hungry. Her act of care has grown into a team of dedicated volunteers supporting up to 50 families.

    2. Her 12-year-old son, Rafieq Sahin Rafizal, was so inspired by his mother that he started the Emergency Response Team, where children patrol their neighbourhood and report suspicious activities with the help of adult coordinators.

    3. Mdm Marlina and Rafieq remind us that kindness knows no age, and that leading by example inspires others to care for those around them.

  6. To make it easier for Singaporeans to contribute, SKM has partnered with the Singapore Land Authority to feature Ground-Up Movements on OneMap, helping people discover and volunteer for causes that are close to their hearts.

  7. We also have Organised Kindness Initiatives and Enterprises which are registered entities such as non-profits, societies, charities or social enterprises that work with partners to foster a culture of kindness.

  8. One such example is Kids PlaySafer, which is founded by Ms Sandra Low.

    1. Kids PlaySafer equips children with skills to recognise potential dangers in online environments through interactive games that reinforce online safety principles.

    2. This initiative nurtures a generation that is not only online-savvy, but they are also kind – carrying values of graciousness and respect into the digital space.

  9. We also have Voices of Loving Kindness who are self-driven individuals who lead by example and advocate for kindness.

  10. One such individual is Ms Eunice Yeo, founder of Peace of Art SG, who uses her art to raise funds for vulnerable children.

    1. Eunice also contributes to the Singapore Red Cross’ Young Heart Programme to support children affected by challenging family circumstances. Her work reminds us that kindness opens doors for those who need it most.

  11. While all these initiatives differ in form, all new KSC members are connected by the same spirit of kindness. They all show us what a culture of kindness looks like when we build it together.

  12. We also want to thank our longstanding KSC members whose dedication has helped us shape a kinder and more gracious Singapore. The Stickability Award honours those who have served alongside SKM for 10 years, recognising their resilience and perseverance in championing kindness.

  13. This year, the award goes to Air Amber.

    1. Air Amber is a social enterprise founded by Mr Suraj Upadhiah and Mr Shahril Hassan.

      1. Through Intergen EdVentures, Air Amber fosters meaningful connections between youth and seniors through shared learning experiences.

      2. Through the Blank Space programme, Air Amber partners youth to raise awareness of social challenges and co-create solutions, developing the next generation of changemakers.

  14. Thank you for your dedication and tenacity over the past decade. Your contribution reminds us that kindness is not only about starting things, but it is also about keeping them going and sustaining them.

Kindness is built by small habits

  1. While most Singaporeans value kindness, the busyness of everyday life means that kind intentions can take effort to translate into action.

    1. The latest Graciousness Survey shows that fewer Singaporeans report having done, witnessed or received acts of kindness compared to the previous year1.

  2. While kindness is often not displayed in a loud manner, it can be quietly powerful.

    1. When people feel appreciated, respected and valued, they feel that they belong – and that sense of belonging makes us want to contribute to our community.

    2. That is why we should be very intentional in choosing kindness daily and across various settings.

    3. It may just be a little act from you, but it may mean the world to somebody else.

  3. At the workplace, kindness often manifests through simple everyday moments.

    1. A colleague stepping in to help,

    2. Someone buying small treats for the team during a busy day, or

    3. Simply checking in on a fellow colleague to see how they are doing.

  4. One good example is Commonwealth Concepts, a Singapore-based hospitality group, who has been running a month-long campaign for Kindness Day SG 2026.

    1. Team members wear Kindness Month badges to spark conversations with customers, while their headquarters staff visit outlets to appreciate employees on the ground.

    2. Diners are also encouraged to express gratitude towards staff.

    3. These are simple but meaningful efforts to show how kindness can become a shared norm, uplifting everybody in our everyday interactions.

  5. This year, we are also placing a greater focus on workplaces.

    1. Because this is where most of us spend most of our time and where small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference.

    2. A kinder workplace is also a better workplace. Employees are happier to go to work, more willing to connect with colleagues and they feel more supported2.

    3. And when I talk to young CEOs who have been part of this kindness movement, they tell me that their workplaces are more productive too – so what is there to lose?

  6. To support kindness efforts in workplaces,

    1. SKM has piloted Lunch and Learn sessions at workplaces to share practical ways employees can practise kindness, and commit to one kind action that they can do more often.

    2. SKM plans to expand these sessions, because when kindness becomes part of our corporate culture, the impact flows very naturally into our communities.

  7. Within the communities, I am encouraged to see improvements in neighbourliness based on the Graciousness Survey.

    1. As compared to the past year, there has been greater willingness amongst neighbours to reduce unintentional noise, give others advance notice of noise-producing activities, and resolve issues amicably3.

  8. These may seem like small actions, but they reflect a growing culture of mutual respect and kindness. It takes little effort to be a good neighbour – for example:

    1. Holding the lift door open, or

    2. Asking a neighbour how they are doing.

  9. Small gestures like these strengthen our kampung spirit and build close-knit community ties where people share not just spaces, but each other’s lives – creating harmonious neighbourhoods that we are proud to call home.

Conclusion

  1. In closing, my heartiest congratulations once again to all the inductees and award winners, and thank you for all that you do. Your contributions embody the “We First” spirit that we are stronger and kinder together.

  2. I also strongly encourage everyone to build kindness as a daily habit through small but consistent acts of care. Kindness can be practised anytime, anywhere and everywhere. Let us be intentional, start small, play our part, and grow the spirit of kindness through workplaces, neighbourhoods and communities. Let’s all start this movement to be greater together!

  3. Thank you and have a good evening.

1 Based on the Graciousness Survey 2025, the majority of respondents continue to report doing (80%), witnessing (61%), and receiving (58%) acts of kindness in the past six months.

2 Most respondents said that experiencing kindness at work had a positive effect on their overall work experience, with 65% reporting they were happier to go to work, 59% more willing to socialise at work and 43% feeling more supported by their organisation.

3 68% of respondents were satisfied with neighbourly relations, broadly in line with last year’s 71%. Across all measured behaviours – reducing unintentional noise, advance communication about noise-producing activities, willingness to approach one another to resolve issues directly, and openness to mediation – each indicator improved by 2 to 5 percentage points, suggesting incremental progress in everyday neighbourly conduct.