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This is the second year of the #BeKind21 Campaign which is founded on the belief that if one does something consistently for 21 Days, it becomes a habit; it Calls on Participants to Practice Acts of Kindness for 21 Days from 1-21 September 2019. On October 2, 2018, UNESCO MGIEP launched the #KindnessMatters Campaign that aims to mobilise youth led-action for the SDGs through Acts of Kindness.

New Delhi, India: UNESCO MGIEP joined Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation for its second annual 21 Days to Be Kind Challenge to encourage young people, families, and teachers to build habits that foster kindness and promote the strength and wellness of their communities.

Inspired by the idea that habits are formed by repeating an activity for 21 consecutive days, the challenge calls on participants to practice an act of kindness each day from September 1st to September 21st. The challenge, which will culminate on the U.N. International Day of Peace, is an opportunity for schools and colleges to kick off the new school year by establishing kinder habits that will last all year, and for corporate partners, nonprofit partners, and all other participants to head into the fall with a spirit of compassion and action.

“In a world full of rising intolerance, apathy, indifference, social exclusion, fear, gender-based violence, climate change and extremism, we believe that apart from catering to students’ academic needs, it is equally important to hone their social and emotional capabilities to nurture rational, empathetic and compassionate citizens. Encouraging them to be kind is one of the most effective ways of achieving this. To be kind is about giving without any expectations. MGIEP has embarked on this kindness journey with the youth of the world to achieve the UN’s ambitious SDG agenda. We are delighted to partner with the Born This Way Foundation which is doing wonderful work in spreading the message of kindness and this campaign underscores the power of Acts of Kindness, ” said Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Director, UNESCO MGIEP

Last year, UNESCO MGIEP launched the #KindnessMatters for the SDGs campaign campaign on the International Day of Non-Violence or the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, October 2 last year. The goal of this campaign is to mobilize the world’s youth to achieve the 17 SDGs through transformative acts of kindness We have received close to 5,000 transformative acts of kindness generated through the #KindnessMatters Campaign, it aims to be the foundational step towards the ultimate request (backed by 250, 000 transformative stories of kindness by global youth) for the Member States of the United Nations to Declare a Decade of Kindness for the Sustainable Development Goals – 2020 to 2030.

“We were overwhelmed by last year’s response to our BeKind21 Challenge. This year, we hope to build on the excitement we saw from thousands of people and dozens of partner organizations,” said Cynthia Germanotta, co-founder, and president of Born This Way Foundation.

“Kindness is a simple yet powerful practice. That’s why we’re inviting everyone to join us in establishing kinder habits and building a culture of kindness by putting kindness into action each day from September 1st to September 21st – being kind to your body, mind, and community.”

A growing body of research has demonstrated the tangible benefits of kindness, for communities and for individuals. According to a survey commissioned by Born This Way Foundation, young people who describe their environments as kind are also more likely to be mentally healthy. Performing acts of kindness has also been shown to boost reported levels of happiness, self-worth, and calmness while decreasing symptoms of depression.

Participants are encouraged to pledge their participation in the 21 Days to Be Kind Challenge at www.BornThisWay.Foundation.com/BeKind21. Participants who take the pledge will receive daily emails starting on Sept 1st with exclusive kindness suggestions, tips, and inspiration from Born This Way Foundation’s co-founders and partners, and have a chance to be featured on ChannelKindness.org.

Here is the UNESCO MGIEP Calendar on Kindness for the SDGs: http://bit.ly/2ZVt12U

About UNESCO MGIEP: The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) is UNESCO’s category 1 Research Institute that focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 towards education for building peaceful and sustainable societies across the world. In line with its vision of ‘Transforming Education for Humanity’, the institute’s programmes are designed to mainstream Social and Emotional Learning in education systems, innovate digital pedagogies and to put youth as global citizens at the centre of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. For more information, please visit the website.

About Born This Way Foundation: Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world. To achieve these goals, Born This Way Foundation leverages evidence-based research and authentic partnerships in order to provide young people with kinder communities, improved mental health resources, and more positive environments – online and offline. To learn more, visit https://bornthisway.foundation/.

URL:

https://mgiep.unesco.org/article/unesco-mgiep-and-lady-gaga-s-born-this-way-foundation-join-forces-for-bekind21-and-kindnessmatters