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.
从促进浪漫到提高英语水平，新加坡曾开展过各种全民教育活动。而今，这个“城国”又想让其国民变得更加友善一些。
这项将于本周末开展的“秀出你的友善”活动由新加坡政府资助，旨在鼓励新加坡人公开表达对亲人、同事、同学和邻居的友善。
由政府提供部分资助的慈善机构——“新加坡日行一善理事会（Singapore Kindness Movement; SKM）”计划招募一批“亲善骑兵”来宣传该活动，并将选拔电影明星做公开推广。学校的老师们则将教授与友善有关的课程。
SKM最近委托开展的一项调查表明，不到一半的新加坡人对本国同胞的整体友善程度感到满意。
该理事会主席郭伯炯于本周二称：“我们其实是一个非常友善和友好的社会，但有些国民羞于向他人表达由衷的关爱和做出友善的举动。”
“我希望有一天新加坡人能像日本人那样——十分友善、礼貌、友好。”
理事会的另一位官员郑天耀（音）说：“在艰难时期，我们要更加友善，因为现在每个人的日子都不好过。”
新加坡经常开展促进文明社会行为的活动。由于新加坡有很多政府条例和公民行为准则，因此有时被称为“保姆国家”。
从说流利英语到如厕后冲水再到更多微笑，新加坡开展了很多全民教育运动。一年一度的“浪漫新加坡”活动主要是为了鼓励伴侣间多些浪漫。
几年前，新加坡日行一善理事会甚至开展了一项提高出席婚宴准时性的活动，以解决人们抱怨一些宾客拖拉、不准时到场的问题。
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