Jamaica is taking a battering surrounding the bad press it has been receiving stemming from the many horrendous crimes being committed and other atrocities.
For an island with a prayer for an anthem and a pledge asking God to bless the land, it is inconceivable that Jamaica could have wandered so far away and abandoned the sentiments carried in both the anthem and pledge.
It is this kind of mindset that has led to the formation of The Pledgekeepers. The group is spearheaded by an ever-increasing team of Jamaicans and is aimed at creating a consciousness of the Jamaican national pledge in the hearts and minds of every citizen in a manner that will make them consciously commit to carrying out their promises under the pledge.
Commenting on the catalyst behind the movement, Milton Maye, one of the directors of this move, said that Pledgekeepers is not an organisation; it is an organism. It is a platform on which every Jamaican can engage in what we all carry and are accountable for: our national pledge. This catalyst to see the impact of the solution to our nation as crafted in our emblems is our motto, Out of Many One. This is a move for all Jamaicans to be engaged, and therefore, the initiative, which was rolled out last October, is a vision to unite Jamaica around a common cause and obligation: the National Pledge.
“This is a call for everyone to become consciously aware of a responsibility we all carry, to take ownership of all the initiatives of Pledgekeepers, and to participate in the many ways available,” he noted.
Maye asserts that the national pledge is not something we can ignore; it is an obligation made before God. Any covenant made before God is an oath or a vow and carries consequences. It is impossible for God to answer our prayers in the anthem if we do not keep our pledge made before Him. Maye referred to a Biblical illustration in 1 Samuel 14. Israel’s army was in disarray. They trembled before the Philistines and ran to hide. They had no weapons. Jonathan, with his armourbearer, attacked the Philistines and, with the help of God, created a mighty turnaround. Saul made a covenant before God that anyone who tasted food before they had complete victory that evening was cursed. Jonathan did not know about this covenant. As he returned from fighting, he dipped his staff in honey and tasted it. God turned away from Israel and helped them no more. He shut up the heavens and refused to answer Saul when Saul requested direction. Saul searched out the matter, and God showed him that his son Jonathan had sinned. He had failed a national pledge. Jonathan was not a party to the pledge; it was made by his father, the leader of his government, solely and independently. He did not know about the pledge, no one told him, yet he was under a sentence of death for disobeying.
Maye asserted that our national pledge cannot be ignored and lack of knowledge is no excuse; we have an obligation to educate, inform, and perform our pledge made before God. It has personal and national consequences.
Maye believes this is an obligation for all Jamaicans. A website has been created with the many ways participation can be done, and the Pledgekeepes team is confident the impact will transform individuals, families, institutions, communities, and the nation in a targeted timeline.
“The pledgekeepers mentality is diligence and patience working at all levels, with special emphasis on our toddlers, as we allow time to heal a nation. Time has diverted and damaged. The short-term measurable gains will be on our schools, communities, families, and individuals as we begin to think differently and to embrace the possibilities,” he pointed out.
Among the anticipated measurable changes are:
- Reduction in idleness and increase in attitude towards work and success through enacting our pledge to work diligently and creatively.
- Financial, business, and international success
- A fall in crime through awareness and enacting our pledge for brotherhood, peace, justice, and loving, caring, committed service. A loving, caring nation helps each other.
- A working template for culture change as crafted as the reasonable outcome of the performance of our pledge: “So that Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship, and prosperity and be an international juggernaut.”
George Scott, who has aligned himself with the vision, shared with Freedom Come Rain that it is not about any one individual. He has been a member of Hands Across Jamaica for Righteousness, whose founder is Yvonne Coke, for some time now.
The vision of hands he highlighted is to see its mandate, “Motto Anthem Pledge” (MAP), represented in the nation.
“From praying for the nation constantly, the book, Covenant and Call was born.” The inspiration from this book is that God cannot answer our prayers in the pledge until we keep our covenant in the nation pledge,” he noted.
He observed that although many movements have started and have done great work in the country, achieving the impact designed demands the enactment of our motto, Out of Many One People.
“On close observation, we realise that the nation is out of order with its covenant to God and mankind to contribute to advancing humanity. We have established strategic partners to facilitate Pledgekeepers clubs and programmes for schools, but also for the church and wider community to include the corporate and productive sectors. Our desire is a Jamaica where the pillars of the pledge form the lifestyle of its people in all sectors,” he stressed.
Scott, who shared that he has been working in community leadership since the age of 12 with his church and the wider spaces in which he has lived and worked, stated that he believes in the innate good of mankind as created by God.
Scott is of the firm belief that if communities work together, positive social morals can be regained. He said he is using the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19—Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost—something he believes is achievable.
Pledgekeepers Club
Expounding on the club in schools, Scott said the mindset is to have an impact nationally and globally. It is envisioned that there will be comraderie, reduction in bullying and gangs, general increase in student performance, general improvement in student attitude, enthusiasm, and vision. It is also anticipated that there will be general improvement in classroom management and fewer disciplinary issues to resolve, among other things.
Maye, in urging the nation to embrace the initiative, reminds them that they have an obligation, as long as they are sons and daughters of the soil, to let their generation know that they are part of the vision of change.
This, he said, can be done by logging onto the Pledgekeepers website and endorsing it.
