SINGA the Lion is venturing into cyberspace as the Singapore Kindness Movement takes its campaign to the online arena.
The organisation plans to hire a full-time member of staff to conduct research on how people converse using social media.
And in another first, it is setting up a Kindness Day SG on May 31 - the last day of the school term. The aim is to involve children, who may not be able to take part in the existing World Kindness Day on Nov 13.
Dr William Wan, the general secretary of the movement, in an interview with The Straits Times, said he had two main concerns about people acting ungraciously on social media.
These are: "the innocent behaviour of netizens who carelessly post comments...without verifying the accuracy"; and "the minority, who are really angry and use the Internet to vent without listening to reason."
Last month, the findings of the annual Graciousness Index study showed that Singaporeans are generally more willing to speak out on social media but are split on whether they should extend gracious behaviour to cyberspace.
Dr Wan said the new staff member will observe how people converse on the Internet. "We want to understand how we can effectively play a role in encouraging graciousness online," he said.
But he added that the employee will not "spy" on sites and online conversations. Dr Wan said he hopes to see a "critical mass" of people who will promote kindness in cyberspace by posting comments about graciousness, for example.
The Media Literacy Council is also helping the movement - whose mascot is Singa the Lion - to promote graciousness in cyberspace. It has called for proposals from students on ways to encourage young people to "have the courage to stand up for the right behaviour online".
Those whose proposals are approved will receive up to $1,000 to start their projects through the movement's Seed Kindness Fund.
Kindness Day SG - also slated to be an annual event - will involve students of different ages in primary and secondary schools.
By the end of this month, they will be given materials such as activity sheets to spur them to show kindness during the holidays.
"Schools will be involved actively, consciously, in an intentional manner to do acts of kindness," said Dr Wan. "We would like kindness and graciousness, and all the values associated with them, to get to our kids first, while they are still young."
During World Kindness Day in November, fewer students are involved - either due to exams or because their schools close early.
Dr Wan hopes more young people will be able to take part in the new event on the last day of Term Two, later this month, when the organisation will hold a celebration for the public at The Central in Clarke Quay at 7pm.
