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Singapore has launched campaigns to promote everything from more romance to better English. Now, the city-state wants its citizens to just be... nicer.
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Singapore has launched campaigns to promote everything from more romance to better English. Now, the city-state wants its citizens to just be... nicer.
"Kindness. Bring It On!" -- to be launched this weekend -- is a government-backed initiative aimed at encouraging Singaporeans to be openly gracious to their relatives, colleagues, classmates and neighbours.
The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), a partly government-funded charity, plans to recruit "kindness troopers" to deliver its message, and draft movie stars to do public appearances. Teachers will give lessons about graciousness.
A recent survey commissioned by the SKM showed that less than half of Singaporeans were pleased with the overall graciousness of their compatriots.
"We are actually quite a kind, gracious society... (but) there are Singaporeans who feel shy about showing spontaneous consideration and acts of kindness," SKM chairman Koh Poh Tiong said Tuesday.
"I want Singaporeans to, one day, be like the Japanese -- very gracious, very polite, very friendly."
Teh Thien Yew, an SKM official, said: "In these trying times, we need to be kinder than necessary because everyone is struggling."
Singapore, sometimes described as a "nanny state" because of a number of government regulations and restrictions on its citizens, often launches campaigns to instill proper social behaviour.
Education campaigns have promoted everything from speaking better English to flushing public toilets to smiling more often. A Romancing Singapore drive is held annually to encourage romance among couples.
A few years ago, SKM even launched a drive to improve punctuality at wedding dinners following an outcry about tardy guests.
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(Agencies)
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從促進浪漫到提高英語水平，新加坡曾開展過各種全民教育活動。而今，這個“城國”又想讓其國民變得更加友善一些。
這項將于本周末開展的“秀出你的友善”活動由新加坡政府資助，旨在鼓勵新加坡人公開表達對親人、同事、同學和鄰居的友善。
由政府提供部分資助的慈善機構——“新加坡日行一善理事會（Singapore Kindness Movement; SKM）”計劃招募一批“親善騎兵”來宣傳該活動，并將選拔電影明星做公開推廣。學校的老師們則將教授與友善有關的課程。
SKM最近委托開展的一項調查表明，不到一半的新加坡人對本國同胞的整體友善程度感到滿意。
該理事會主席郭伯炯于本周二稱：“我們其實是一個非常友善和友好的社會，但有些國民羞于向他人表達由衷的關愛和做出友善的舉動。”
“我希望有一天新加坡人能像日本人那樣——十分友善、禮貌、友好。”
理事會的另一位官員鄭天耀（音）說：“在艱難時期，我們要更加友善，因為現在每個人的日子都不好過。”
新加坡經常開展促進文明社會行為的活動。由于新加坡有很多政府條例和公民行為準則，因此有時被稱為“保姆國家”。
從說流利英語到如廁后沖水再到更多微笑，新加坡開展了很多全民教育運動。一年一度的“浪漫新加坡”活動主要是為了鼓勵伴侶間多些浪漫。
幾年前，新加坡日行一善理事會甚至開展了一項提高出席婚宴準時性的活動，以解決人們抱怨一些賓客拖拉、不準時到場的問題。
相關閱讀：
經濟危機難擋新加坡人愛美之心
“分手”博物館亮相新加坡
新加坡推出周末“換裝”聚會
新加坡：情人節政府當“月老”
（實習生許雅寧 英語點津姍姍編輯）
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