How You Can Help

• Do you know children who have been bullied?
• Are you concerned about violence in your community?
• Do you just wish the world were a kinder place?

If the answer is YES, then join us in changing the world through the

Invest in a Kinder World Coin-spiracy

"You hear about all the bad things that happen in Israel, Iraq and Afghanistan. If you do this (the Coin-spiracy), there can be a better chance that there won't be bad things that happen."
- Student, Colebrook Elementary, Surrey

The Coin-spiracy

The Invest in a Kinder World™ "Coin-spiracy" is a campaign developed for schools and youth groups to raise awareness for how kind acts can create positive global change. In response to the escalating violence in our schools and terrorism in our world, KindActs, a BC-based non-profit Society, created this grassroots kindness program in 2002 to engage our society, starting with our youth, in building relationships based on compassion, unity and respect, in order that we may realize our greater potential and thrive as a community.

How It Works

The Coin-spiracy revolves around the launch and tracking of a kindness coin called a UNI - short for the universal nature of kindness. To launch the UNI, the participating school or youth group commits three kind acts: one for self, one for the environment, and one for another. Then, the coin is passed on to the recipient of the kind act who in turn commits the 3 kind acts and passes it on. As each UNI Coin is uniquely coded, its amazing kindness adventures can be tracked through the campaign web site, www.investinakinderworld.com.

The Reach & Success of the Coin-spiracy

Between November 2002 and June 2007, over 207 UNI Coins have been invested in kind action, resulting in 282,323 hours invested in service and over $270,143 raised for communities in need locally as well as in over 45 countries around the globe.

Kind acts to self included: celebrating one's cultural heritage, creating a balanced life, adopting a healthier lifestyle, and engaging one's creative self. Participants have also spent tens of thousands of hours improving the environment by planting trees and flowers, cleaning up public grounds, recycling, reducing garbage, and saving energy. Many individual acts of kindness to others involved helping communities abroad by raising funds to build libraries; buy textbooks, school supplies, hygiene kits and fire fighting equipment. Students also raised money for food, clothing, and toys for local food banks, Christmas Bureaus and families in need.

These incredible stories are just the beginning...

In September 2006, a Coin-spiracy "How To" Kit was launched to accommodate expanding interest in the program, as well as various school/youth groups' budgets. The kit contains all the tools necessary for registered participants to launch the program and carries this warning: Participation in the Coin-spiracy may lead to feelings of well being, joy, empowerment and heightened self-esteem. The Coin-spiracy can also be highly contagious with lasting positive effects.

As more schools/youth groups join the Coin-spiracy and UNI Coins pass hands, the ripples of kindness will continue to spread. If 45 countries can be reached with 207 UNI Coins in circulation, the likelihood of the Coin-spiracy touching lives in all parts of the world, as more coins are launched in action, seems within the realm of possibility. Imagine...

How You Can Help

Our goal is to offer the Coin-spiracy program on an ongoing basis to schools and youth groups in BC and around the world. In order to accomplish this, KindActs is seeking donations to build the infrastructure necessary to support the Coin-spiracy program requirements.

While for the past nine years, KindActs has relied on a strong volunteer base and in kind contributions to accomplish its objectives, a project of this scope requires full time staff and financial resources. Your financial support is greatly needed and appreciated.

Ways you can contribute:

• Make a financial contribution. Please contact Anita at info@kindacts.net or call (604) 515-KIND (5463).
• Sponsor a school or youth group's participation in the Coin-spiracy by paying their registration fee. Write info@kindacts.net for details.

Why This Program Is So Important

• The World Health Organization reported that in the year 2000, "an estimated 199,000 youth murders took place globally...as a result of interpersonal violence. For every young person killed by violence, an estimated 20-40 receive injuries that require hospital treatment."
• Canada is one of the countries where youth violence has increased the most. Suicides are also a major concern. Save the Children reports that teen suicide is the second leading cause of death and that the rate has increased dramatically over the past 30 years in Canada.
• A 1997 Canadian study (Craig and Pepler) found that bullying occurs frequently: once every 7 minutes on the playground and once every 25 minutes in class.

What is frightening is that today's youth will soon be tomorrow's leaders. The experiences they live now will influence and ultimately shape the relationships and choices they make for the future. As they contend with increasing levels of bullying at school, the impact of violence is being felt well beyond the schoolyard. Unsafe learning environments are having far-reaching negative effects, impacting not only academic performance and attendance but contributing to psychological effects that add to thoughts of suicide, problems with the justice system, employment and family.

Unsafe environments cost us all - the well-being and success of our youth and our society as a whole.

The Coin-spiracy program is a counter-measure that provides opportunities for positive role modeling, building self-esteem and empowering youth with the knowledge that they have the power to change the world.

"The Coin-spiracy program is really relevant because each child is able to see that their individual actions make a difference, so they are part of the change... What I like about it is that it is simple. It is tangible. It is a nice umbrella to work under as a motivation to do kind acts... It's great because it makes us part of a bigger community because we know that other schools are doing this..."
- Regina Dirk & Charlotte Streicek, Roots and Wings Montessori, Surrey

Go ahead - change the world!

Contact Us:

KindActs Network Association of BC
202 - 2636 Montrose Ave
Abbotsford, BC V2S 3T6

info@kindacts.net
(604) 515-KIND (Vancouver)
(604) 504-4242 (Abbotsford)