Simple acts of kindness can change the world

As Ms. Suen mentioned yesterday, acts of kindness happen on daily basis, no matter good or tough times, and every act of kindness is just as important as any other. But some are so profound that they change the world forever. Here are some of the events marked as the greatest reported acts of kindness in human history.

During the Second World War, a German industrialist Oskar Schindler saved the lives of over 1,000 Jews by employing the Jews in his factories. Schindler bribed Nazi officials with large sums of money and luxury goods to protect his workers from being sent to the concentration camps and deaths. Schindler nearly spent all his property to ensure the safety of the Jews from the persecution of Nazis.

Schindler’s courageous story was portrayed in novel Schindler’s Ark, in 1982 and the Oscar-winning film, Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1993.

Let me take another example, in 1987, Princess Diana visited a hospital in London, and while there she was photographed shaking the hand of a patient who had AIDS without wearing gloves.

Diana said: “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. … What’s more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys.”

This single moment changed the dialogue around AIDS, challenging beyond doubt the false belief that the disease could be transmitted through touch. It seems such a simple act of kindness, shaking the hand of a person who has AIDS, but the effects are profound and long-lasting making it one of the most important acts of kindness in history.

Lastly but not least, following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, a group of over 300 volunteers joint together to resolve the nuclear crisis.

They were made up of retired engineers and professionals and all were over the age of 60, some were even over 70. They believed that they should be the ones to face the dangers of radiation, not the young, whose lives would be cut short. This spirit of sacrifice themselves touched the heart of the people in the world.

Shungtakians please remember love is kind, simple acts of kindness can change the world. Today is the First Day of the Junior Form Organized Test. Wish you good luck and try your best to get a good result.

Mr Wong CW
25 October 2022