World Kindness Movement, Australia's Goodwill Ambassadors
Be the Gift that Keeps on Giving, Be a Goodwill Ambassador
Michael Lloyd-White created kindness campaigns championed by Goodwill Ambassadors to generate meaningful and positive exchanges within organisations in both the private and public-sector spaces – and the results speak louder than slogans. Secretary General of The World Kindness Movement, Lloyd-White connected the principles of the World Kindness Movement Campaign with the idea of the goodwill ambassador in Australian cities.
Australian Cities Adopt Goodwill Ambassadors
By Michael Lloyd-White
Local Government bodies across Australia have embraced the Goodwill Ambassador concept both at elected councillor and bureaucratic levels. The motion is moved through a “Mayoral Minute” at a full sitting of Council and a bipartisan Declaration of Support is called for from the floor to support World Kindness Australia’s endeavours to make our world a little kinder for our children. A presentation is made, and the Declaration of Support is produced at a signing ceremony for all councillors to sign regardless of which side of politics they may be from. At the invitation of the Mayor and on behalf of the community, a company can have its own board follow suit.
The Gold Coast City Council in Australia, with a constituency of 550,000 and employing over 3,500 staff, appointed their own Goodwill Ambassador in 2012, Councillor Glenn Tozer.
“We saw the appointment of a Goodwill Ambassador as an important part of our city identity and an opportunity to partner with and highlight the already active members of our community contributing positively to overall morale. Our commitment to driving tourism in the Queensland economy is enhanced by a willingness to acknowledge how important kindness and compassion is when promoting our appeal to a prospective tourist. Of course, the everyday community needs a hug too sometimes and acts of generosity and kindness make our city a better place to live, conduct business, and raise a family,” says Tozer.
Fast forward to late 2017 and the City of Gold Coast had not just consistently met its Kindness Performance Indicators, it exceeded them and was recognised by the peak global body the World Kindness Movement by its endorsement as a world first ‘World Kindness City’. This is significant as the Gold Coast is host to the upcoming Commonwealth Games, welcoming 70 nations in 2018.
In January 2018, Variety International become another member of World Kindness USA and we look forward to getting them on board our Kindness Performance Indicators too. Many will be familiar with Variety as the charity for children in operation for over 90 years with 22 offices in the US and a footprint within 20 countries worldwide. Variety will be appointing Goodwill Ambassadors in each of their offices and hosting Signing Ceremonies to assist engaging its staff in a global kindness campaign.
While organisations may have the reach and resources to make a huge impact in kindness, becoming a Goodwill Ambassador can start from the home. The fact is, no one person can do everything but all of us can do something. If we follow this philosophy then we will be one step closer to seeing kindness become our default position. It costs nothing to show kindness, but the return is immense, and enduring…
The World Kindness Movement proposes the following top ten actions for corporates to consider:
- Place Kindness on The Agenda
- Host a regular panel where conversations in kindness can take place
- Develop a Kindness Policy and Workshop
- Create a pledge to always seek the kinder option
- Appoint Goodwill Ambassadors to co-ordinate, acknowledge and reward acts of kindness
- Collaborate in kindness through seeking ideas from all stakeholders, external and internal
- Undertake a quarterly Kindness Index
- Aim for your organisation to become an “Agent for Positive Change” through having a purpose greater than its bottom line
- Encourage the Board to sign a Declaration of Support in an official Signing Ceremony inviting all key stake-holders to witness; and
- Insert a Kindness Clause into your agreements or constitution.
Additional Credits:
Read the entire article: Be the Gift that Keeps on Giving, by Michael Lloyd-White
Read more about the author: Secretary General of The World Kindness Movement
Globcal International, Honorificus and the Goodwill Ambassador Foundation recognize the World Kindness Movement program ambassadors with the official title of WKM Goodwill Ambassador and Australian cities that have a Goodwill Ambassador of __(CITY NAME)__, as an honorific style and form of address.
Hon. David J. Wright
Col. David Wright currently lives on the Orinoco River in Colombia where he works as a thematic consultant to government and commissioner for Globcal International responsible for assisting Pre-Columbian Indigenous Peoples reconcile their autonomy, biodiversity, ecosystem services and intellectual property. He is a Kentucky Colonel and Goodwill Ambassador.
