Launching on World Kindness Day (13th of November), K-tag is a playful kindness movement designed to give you the tools to make a difference in people's lives every day. Because the world needs to be more of what we can be,
which is HUMAN-KIND.
Most of us stare at our phones while we’re in transit. We walk with our eyes down. We rarely speak to our neighbours or spark conversations with strangers. We've become so busy earning money and thinking about our future that sometimes we forget the importance
of stepping back from our busy lives and connecting to others.
If the fabric of our society is relatively disconnected, how are we going to face the local and global challenges that stand before us?
Kindness creates connection. When we reach out to someone through a simple kind gesture, we create a meaningful link with that person, something that will trickle through their day and potentially change their outlook and experience.
And the reality is that giving gives back. The more we give, the better we feel.
This campaign = a solution
Some people think kindness is fluffy or mushy, a nice 'add on', but in fact it is essential and can be given and received in practical, effective ways.
We are going to make kindness the norm... a world where random acts of kindness will cease to become 'random'.
K-tag provides the tools and strategy to give people the ability to 'be the change' on a day to day or week to week basis.
One of our solutions is the K-tag kindness card. We 're raising funds to print 50, 000 of these cards and the money raised from this project will enable us to give out the K-tag cards out for FREE.
Game rules:
It's simple.
- Get your K-tag cards (by donating you'll get the first batch)
- Use a card to 'tag' someone by doing an act of kindness
- The receiver is invited to share their kindness story on social media using #ktagged and then pass the card, and some kindness, onto another person.
But the fun doesn't stop there. We're also producing playing card packs with 52 cards so you can go K-tag crazy and tag someone every week for a year.
Who should I tag?
K-tag a stranger, a classmate, colleague, someone in the coffee queue or even a family member. In fun and original ways, everyone is encouraged to keep the game going.
Need some inspiration?
The opportunites are endless. You could give someone one of your favourite books, write them out an inspiring quote or poem, pay for their coffee, bake them or make them something, or leave some flowers on their desk or doorstep.... Check out our @ktagged
on Instagram for more ideas.
Our style and approach
We've chosen a positive, playful style and approach so that it is accessible to different audiences, particularly young people and young adults.
Research from the Foundation for Young Australians has found that young people are more likely to do an act of kindness than their parents. They are not the steotypical 'apathetic' demographic
that some would have them think they are.Young people want to give, we just need to give them the tools to do it in a way that is easy and makes sense.
And the game doesn't end there...
Tracking Kindness
We're currently doing a feasability study into a K-tag app that will enable you to track where your K-tag card goes and what stories it picks up along the way. In the meantime, we'll incorporate unique hashtags on each card so you can check out who else
is playing the game.
Schools and offices: K-tag Kits
After piloting K-tag in two workplaces, we're currently developing a K-tag Kit. It contains up to 100 K-tag cards as well as a guide on how to run the game effectively in an office environment, how to improve the workplace culture and how to support employees
to be kinder to themselves.
Similarly, we have begun developing K-tag Kits for young people so that they can start the kindness game in their school. We'll also be offering additional training to support young people to be positive leaders in their community.
K-tag Flashmobs: K-mobs
K-mobs are kindness flashmobs where big groups of people are K-tagged at once. We will be running our own K-mobs but also encouraging communities to K-tag other communities through their own big acts of kindness. For example, a workplace might like to K-tag
their local school by planting a herb garden for them. The school then has to decide who they want to give some kindness too. The best K-mobs will be a surprise and will engage different employees, students and community members.
Social Media
We have an active instagram account which we will continue to update daily with ideas and inspiration for K-tagging and also showcasing some of the stories that come out of the game. Our Facebook and Twitter will also be a space where the
community can request cards to be sent to them, engage with our content, request for K-tag Kits for their school or workplace and also organise community K-mobs.
Partnerships
We're keen to partner with ethical and socially conscious businesses to help us to spread our K-tag cards and the kindness movement. We're inviting companies and organisations to use the cards so that they can give their customers or supporters some extra
kindness and encourage them to start the game in their local community.
We'd love to see the K-tag cards included in magazines, diaries, fruit and vegetable deliveries, monthly goodie boxes and so many other things.
Contact me at [email protected] if you have any interest in partnering us. I'd love to hear from you.
Kindness Ambassadors
There are many rolemodels in our society who demonstrate positive values such as kindness and we want them to be spreading the K-tag message with us. We will be engaging bloggers, media personalities and young creatives and musicians to use the cards and
repost our content.
Inspiration for the project
My grandma
Kindness to me is my grandma who embraced my friend Adut, a former refugee from the Sudan, when I first introduced her to my family 10 years ago. She still remembers her birthday to this day, always sends
her gifts, and is now the 'grandma' to her two beautiful children.
Kindness is hope. And without hope there is no life.
My Brother
My brother and I are sometimes a bit of a Ying / Yang because I've always been 'save the world sophie' and he's been 'businessman ben'. However, we do have common values and a similar driven
nature that makes us both want to do something meaningful and impactful with this life.
More than a year ago he called me and said 'Hey Soph, I was just on my way to work and saw one of those fruit stalls and they were selling flowers for $5. Wouldn't it be awesome if I could buy those for people on the street as a spontaneous gift without
it seeming weird? Maybe we could come up with a way for that not to be weird?'
Yes, a businessman can do an act of kindness without there being an ulterior motive.
Ben inspired me to think of a way to make that happen...
Background and Team
I am a changemaker, optimist, visionary, foodie, storyteller, facilitator, speaker, strategist and big hearted believer in the best of people
I have worked with the UN Refugee Agency, The Global Peace Index and Oxfam Australia and currently work at the Foundation for Young Australians. As well as being an 'intrapranuer' (working within organisations to create change), I have a social business
Creative Ventures which produces short documentary films, story recording pods as well as delivers strategic consulting and creative engagement strategies.
The other K-tag team members are Jess Boyden, Lachlan Cheers, Benjamin Weldon, Luke Cheers, Paul Sonsie, Kavi Jarrot and Kelly Tomasich. They come from the creative, business, marketing, program development, sales and NGO world and are working voluntarily
with me to bring this not for profit venture to life.
