Pass Kindness Forward sets global push for 1 billion acts beginning Nov. 11

Pass Kindness Forward is launching a worldwide kindness campaign on Nov. 11, 2026, with a synchronized pause tied to 11:11 a.m. across time zones. Organizers say the effort has already drawn more than 34.5 million pledged acts and is meant to build toward a goal of 1 billion.

Why it matters: - Pass Kindness Forward is trying to turn a single day into a global habit, with a goal of more than one billion acts of kindness worldwide. - The campaign is timed to Veterans Day and the start of the holiday season, giving the effort a cultural and spiritual hook across faiths and communities. - Organizers say more than 34.5 million acts have already been pledged toward the target.

What happened: - Founder Chin Yao launched the Nov. 11, 2026, call to action from the Pass Kindness Forward movement. - The initiative asks people to join a synchronized five-minute gathering beginning at 11:11 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time in Puerto Rico. - That time translates to 10:11 a.m. in New York and 7:11 a.m. in Los Angeles. - Yao called on Pope Leo XIV, the 14th Dalai Lama and the United Nations to pause for one minute at 11:11 a.m. for a moment of kindness. - Participants can watch and pledge an act of kindness at PassKindnessForward.com.

The details: - Global Kindness Season runs from Nov. 1, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027. - The campaign is designed to include holiday traditions around the world as part of a broader season of kindness. - Southern California Kindness Ambassador Dr. Marie Y. Lemelle, PhD, is encouraging participation across faiths and cultures. - Lemelle said the effort reflects a spiritual responsibility to recognize another person’s dignity and respond to human need. - The movement invites individuals, families and organizations of every religious tradition and belief, including people who practice no religion. - The broadcast will feature ambassadors, educators and everyday heroes. - Participants are invited to spend the five-minute pause in prayer, meditation or quiet reflection at home, at work or with a community group. - The gathering will honor Puerto Rico, the movement’s birthplace, through collective stillness. - Pass Kindness Forward began as Puerto Rico’s Pásalo Pa’lante, which means “pass it forward.” - Organizers say the November 2025 campaign inspired 1,135,096 acts of kindness in five days across all 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico. - The initiative is tied to Puerto Rico-based nonprofit Te Amo PR. - Pass Kindness Forward connects individuals and organizations through kindness pledges, shared storytelling and community activities.

Between the lines: - The campaign is built around a simple message: kindness does not require agreement on politics or religion. - Yao said the movement gives people a shared activity while letting each person define love and service in their own way. - The timing beginning in Kiribati and moving through world time zones gives the event a symbolic global sweep. - The broader framing suggests the organizers want the campaign to feel both personal and universal, from one-on-one help to large-scale civic participation. - The appeal to Pope Leo XIV echoes his May 8, 2025, blessing urging people to build bridges through dialogue and encounter. - Lemelle, who said she is the fifth cousin to Pope Leo XIV, framed the effort as a practical response to people who feel unseen. - The release also points to WorldStats population data, citing about 8.3 billion people on Earth, a projected 9.66 billion by 2050, roughly 132 million births a year and about 363,000 babies each day. - The message is that daily acts of care can shape the world children inherit.

What's next: - Participants are being asked to step away from their screens, breathe and reflect when the appointed hour arrives. - Organizers want schools, businesses and faith communities to mobilize their networks throughout the season. - Suggested next steps include asking shelters what supplies they need, giving employees time to volunteer, helping a neighbor reach a medical appointment or including a classmate who sits alone. - After giving, receiving or witnessing an act, participants are encouraged to tell someone else to “Pass Kindness Forward.” - Continued participation can include recurring volunteer work or checking back with someone after offering help.

The bottom line: - Pass Kindness Forward is betting that a coordinated pause, repeated worldwide, can turn kindness from a slogan into a measurable movement.