Upbringing plays a big role

I BELIEVE environment and upbringing play a huge part in moulding the character and values of young people - not just a Kindness Movement. For example, my secondary school embraced traditional Chinese culture and hence, imbued in us the values of filial piety and benevolence.

We greet our teachers with a bow as a sign of respect. We sincerely believe in these values, given our deep sense of belonging to our school.

My parents also have always inculcated in me the importance of going beyond my comfort zone and helping others in need.

When I was in Secondary 2, I was pleasantly surprised to receive the Friend of Singa Award from the Singapore Kindness Movement. It dawned on me that my everyday actions were in accordance with what my parents and school taught me. Since then, I have made a conscious effort each day to be kind.

Nicholas Lim, 20, has a place to read business at Nanyang Technological University.

Expose unkind acts

YOUNG Singaporeans care a lot about 'face', but it seems subtle persuasion is lost on them.

The very fact that the Singapore Kindness Movement has been going on for years simply emphasises its lack of success. If it were successful, we would not need to maintain its presence annually.

Instead, we should adopt another approach: shaming unkind youths in the mass media.

Online platforms like Stomp are already exposing youths who ill-treat animals and behave badly in public. They should keep up the good work - albeit in a responsible manner.

Or how about publishing the photos of such youths and detailing their unkind acts for all to see? These can be featured in a weekly column. At the end of the month, let readers vote for the most unkind act, with the winner getting the award for the Most Unkind Singaporean Youth Of The Month.

If positive campaigns are not working, perhaps something draconian is in order.

Calvin Ng, 22, is a third-year mathematics student at the National University of Singapore.

Still much room for improvement

THE fact that we still have a Singapore Kindness Movement speaks volumes about how little we have achieved so far.

It is already into its 12th year, but I still see MRT commuters pretending to doze off in their seats when an elderly passenger hobbles on board. I still see teenage girls pushing others on the bus for the choice aisle seat, and plonking their Mango shopping bags on the window seat, oblivious to how crowded the bus is. I still hear 14-year-old princes in crisp uniforms demanding that their maids carry their school bags - as well as the umbrella, two grocery bags and a 10kg sack of rice.

I am not sure why the Singapore Kindness Movement has not worked after all these years. After all, aren't we supposed to be highly educated and civilised? Why is it that we can score As in the General Paper on human rights but we cannot give up our seats to elderly passengers?

I guess there is still much room for improvement in the morals department.

Kym Ng, 21, a recent graduate, now works as an assistant production editor.

Show some appreciation

MUCH as I agree with campaigns to encourage kindness and graciousness, I feel they do not emphasise enough the need for reciprocation.

What makes our day is not just the act of doing good, but getting a simple 'thank you' for our efforts. I have read many Straits Times Forum letters complaining about acts of kindness being taken for granted.

I witnessed one such incident a week ago. A young girl sitting next to me on the MRT gave up her seat - a 'priority' seat - to an older man, who simply took it without a word or expression of thanks.

Minutes later, just before she got off the train, she passed a piece of paper to the man. It read: 'A word of thanks would be nice.' The man was surprised at first, but smirked and folded the paper away.

To those who are on the receiving end of kind acts: Please, show some appreciation. If a word of thanks is too difficult to utter, at least give us a smile. That would keep our faith in human nature.

Michelle Virgiany, 21, is a second-year law student at NUS.

Campaigns are just reminders

I DO not believe that a movement alone can make young people kinder. Any change resulting from an advertising campaign is likely to be short-lived.

Instead, what is more important is to remember this simple rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This is why I try to practise kindness every day while travelling to and from work.

At the MRT station, I keep to the left of the escalator. I allow alighting passengers out of the train first instead of trying to push my way past them, and I do not hog seats at the expense of those who need them more.

A movement can only provide us with gentle reminders, and not the impetus, to change our mindsets and actions for the good.

Andre Oei, 23, recently graduated with a master's degree from Harvard University.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.