“Be kind whenever it is possible. It is always possible.” This sentence attributed to the Dalai Lama is perfect to begin telling about a recurrence that is very dear to us, World Kindness Day.
We can think that kindness is above all linked to human relationships, but it is good that the will and the practice of being kind expand also to nature and to all animals, including of course our four-legged loves who, really too often, unfortunately do not receive the kindness they deserve.
So let’s see what World Kindness Day is, where it was born, what its purpose is, and also how to celebrate it with particular attention to our beloved animals.
Let’s celebrate World Kindness Day!
World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day is celebrated every November 13 and was established in 1997 by the World Kindness Movement, an international NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) without political and religious affiliations.
As read on the movement’s official website, the mission of this day is to inspire people and unite nations to create a kinder world.
This takes shape in the Declaration of Support for a Kinder World, a document signed in 2017 by several states, and on World Kindness Day.
Associations that wish to promote World Kindness Day in their own country can apply to receive approval from the World Kindness Movement and activate events and campaigns in favor of a kinder world.
Kindness Day in Italy
Right from the start, Italy adhered to World Kindness Day, and on November 13, 2023, in our country the OIGEC was also born, the Italian Observatory on Kindness and Behaviors, at the behest of the president of the Italian Movement for Kindness, Natalia Re.
It is an independent study and research body that collaborates with associations, public and private entities, law and consulting firms, institutions, and universities to “implement preventive actions, analysis, monitoring, observation, research, and protection for anyone who requests its support and regarding the behavioral phenomena of individuals when they influence the community.”
Among the many initiatives, on the occasion of World Kindness Day, this year the World Kindness Assembly was held in Palermo, and documents were created to be presented to the UN, the EU, and the Italian government with the evocative name “Kindness will change the world.”
An evocative title that recalls Dostoevsky’s “Beauty will save the world” and which, perhaps, is not so far from the same concept of the search for harmony.
The goal? To request that kindness be recognized as a transformative force in the psycho-social sphere and also as an indicator of well-being, in accordance with the 17 Global Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda (they can be viewed on this page of the Agency for Territorial Cohesion).
All the sweetness of a kind gesture.
What is kindness and why it can probably save the world
Kindness is an attitude, a way of being and of doing, by which we treat others and ourselves with benevolence, generosity, and sweetness.
It is in every respect considered a virtue and is a ‘daughter’ of compassion and empathy, two of the deepest emotions we can feel.
Compassion is the ability to notice that someone is suffering and the impulse to alleviate that pain, while empathy is the emotional ‘resonance’ between person and person and, we add, also between people and animals. (Source Atlas of Human Emotions, Tiffany Watt Smith, 2017 DeA Planeta Libri, Milan).
Compassion and empathy are the seeds from which kindness sprouts, and the reason why it can save the world is both social and ‘physical’.
Being kind is a language of love.
Why kindness is good
That kindness is a positive attitude is undisputed, but why does it make us feel good and make others feel good?
An answer comes from science and involves the physical and psychological sphere, because according to a Mayo Clinic study published on this page, kind gestures reduce stress and improve the psychological well-being of those who practice them.
From here a cascade effect is born that involves the community: in response to kind gestures, the brain of those who receive them produces oxytocin, one of the so-called happiness hormones that create physical pleasure and inner calm.
In essence, being kind can create a positive chain reaction that stimulates people to be so in turn, in a cycle of positivity that could put an end to disagreements, discussions, quarrels and, in the rosiest of predictions, even to wars.
Are we born kind or do we become kind?
Kindness is innate in people, because as people we are programmed to connect and, when we connect, our physiology changes for the better.
Kindness has therefore developed at the genetic level over the millennia and, from this, we can deduce that yes, one is born kind (on this web page of the Kindness Organization there are many references to scientific studies on kindness).
Why, then, are so many people not at all?
Because the world runs too fast to allow us to practice kindness, even when we feel like doing it. Stress and the daily frenzy, in fact, lead us to center on ourselves and to become insensitive to others’ needs.
This was well proven by the famous Good Samaritan experiment. It was 1973 when, at the Princeton Theological Seminary, some students took part in a study that apparently was based on religious education.
Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire and then move to another building to give a sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan.
And here’s where it gets interesting, because some were told to hurry, others that they could take their time.
On the way to the building, an actor pretended to feel unwell, and the students who had to go give the sermon reacted very differently, absolutely disconnected from the theological and spiritual content of the parable.
Those who had the perception of being late (because they had been told to hurry) did not stop to give help, while those who had time available did.
From this we can understand how external factors, for example haste or frenzy, can crucially influence the way we behave, in particular whether we are kind or not.
This, unfortunately, can explain certain attitudes, but in our view it is never an excuse not to take care of others and of all living creatures.
Because it opens the door to something terrible, such as failure to render aid and even the mistreatment of animals.
It is important to rediscover in nature the right rhythm of time, learning to detach from frenzy in order to live kindness concretely both with people and with animals.
Every creature has the right to be treated with love and kindness.
When kindness is completely lacking: the mistreatment of animals
World Kindness Day is an occasion to take stock of the mistreatment of animals.
How are we doing in Italy? The answer, unfortunately, is badly, because cases of mistreatment are still many.
Even one would be too many, but the data from the 2023 Zoomafie Report (based on 2022) gives chills, because in 2022 about 25 files were opened per day, one every 58 minutes; with about 13 people investigated per day, one every 110 minutes, for crimes against animals.
To this unsettling picture we also cross-reference the data from the latest report (Animali in città, that is to say Animals in the City) of Legambiente (an Italian environmental organization), according to which in 2023 in Italy 85,000 dogs were abandoned (+8.6% compared to 2022) and there are still 358,000 little sweethearts living as strays.
Abuse, abandonment, neglect… the Italian law of reference for the mistreatment of animals is Art. 544 ter of the Penal Code, and in this document of the Chamber of Deputies the changes that have been made to stiffen the penalties for those who commit it are well explained.
As reported in the Official Gazette: “Anyone who, out of cruelty or without necessity, causes an injury to an animal or subjects it to abuse or to behavior or to efforts or to work unbearable for its ethological characteristics shall be punished with imprisonment (from three to eighteen months or with a fine from 5,000 to 30,000 euros).”
Kindness creates deep bonds, where words are often unnecessary.
How to help animals in difficulty?
ENPA, the National Animal Protection Agency, is the national reference point for their protection in Italy. The official website offers a lot of information on how to protect them and also on how to act if we witness mistreatment.
In particular, on this page of Enpa Milan dedicated to the mistreatment of animals there is some useful information for filing a report, while on this one dedicated to cruelty to animals there is advice on how to act in order to safeguard their well-being and health, including:
- Reporting to the competent authorities those who mistreat animals;
- Supporting, including by signing, petitions against the mistreatment of animals if we feel we want to back them;
- Reporting to the competent authorities any posted photos or videos that depict violence against animals;
- Taking care of the physical and emotional well-being of our pets, looking after their hygiene with natural products and their diet with good, quality products suited to their needs;
- Preferring, for our diet, plant-based foods or, in any case, foods that do not come from intensive farming.
In particular, the Agency focuses on a fundamental aspect that is little talked about: attention to animal mistreatment carried out in childhood or adolescence, which, in addition to being unacceptable behavior, may be symptomatic of a pathological situation that is dangerous for animals as well as for the community.
Also in this case the advice is to report, should one witness cases of this kind, the event to the competent authorities.
We have no words to describe the sadness and anger we feel when reading about abused animals, defenseless creatures from whom we could and should learn a lot, also in the matter of kindness.
“Wait, let me give you a nice caress!” Even the wildest nature holds a kind heart!
What is the kindest animal in the world?
It really seems that the kindest animal in the world is the elephant. Naturally, we deduce it from its behavior, because these gentle giants use the trunk to caress and support their fellows who need it.
Some marine mammals such as dolphins are also considered kind because, besides assisting their young, they do the same with fellows who may have difficulty swimming.
And, naturally, the dog also falls into this list, because he has the innate instinct to pacify. In fact, as we explained in this article dedicated to dogs’ emotions, his instinct is to bring peace and never to attack or create quarrels.
Is it a form of kindness among animals? We can certainly define it as such, like that among elephants, dolphins, and many other creatures that have an innate instinct to take care of one another.
Certainly, the clearest purpose is that of the preservation of the species, but some animals more than others manifest it with actions so tender that they move us.
Kindness warms the heart, and our little furry ones remind us of it every day.
How to show kindness towards animals?
We can all be kind, and World Kindness Day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate this attitude and share it with as many people and animals as possible.
What can we do on the occasion of this event?
We have gathered 3 simple actions to do on World Kindness Day towards our fellow humans and another 3 to show kindness towards animals.
3 kindness actions dedicated to humans
- Give someone a compliment;
- Send a kind message to a friend or a person in your family (even a simple “how are you?” is enough);
- Say good morning to those you meet on the street, even if it’s someone you don’t know.
These oh-so-sweet big eyes speak of love and kindness: let’s cuddle and protect our furry little sweethearts!
3 acts of kindness for the furry little sweethearts
- Cuddles, cuddles, and cuddles galore;
- Take your pet for a walk, spend time together (as we saw in this article dedicated to gratitude in animals, he will be super happy);
- An extra biscuit today (and tomorrow too) is totally fine, even for some other furry one met on the walk!
Beyond these actions, on the occasion of World Kindness Day we can make being kind a real lifestyle, practicing it always and maybe also giving a little “nudge” to those who have not yet let kindness enter their life.
Naturally, making them understand it in a kind way. 🙂
