The Virgin Islands pledge is a pledge of allegiance to the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Croix ...

, a

British overseas territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

. It was officially adopted by the territory's House of Assembly on 23 June 2016. It's intended to be commonly recited by Virgin Islanders in unison at public events, especially in schools, and during public celebrations. The pledge was first publicly recited on 1 July 2016 at Territory Day celebrations by Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith and members of the government. The pledge reads: {{quote, I pledge to my country, the Territory of the Virgin Islands, to encourage national pride and dignity, render patriotic service, promote justice for all, be true to God and remain dedicated to these Virgin Islands. Adoption of the pledge was a project of

Myron Walwyn Myron Walwyn (born February 22, 1972) is the former Minister of Education and Culture and a Territorial At-Large Representative of the British Virgin Islands. He was elected as an "at-large" representative in the 2011 British Virgin Islands gener ...

, the territory's Minister for Education and Culture. He explained that its adoption was part of the government's efforts "to build a nation of citizens and residents that understand and have deep reverence for our heritage as Virgin Islanders". In the same vein the government adopted a territorial song and an official territorial uniform. The government also erected flagpoles at each school and public schoolchildren now sing the territorial song as they raise the UK and VI flags each school day morning. The pledge has received a mixed reaction. Some questioned the need for a pledge at all. The reference to God in the pledge is a source of some element of controversy too. House of Assembly member, Alvera Maduro-Caines argued it was appropriate. She said she saw 'nothing wrong with God being a part of the pledge as we are a Christian and God fearing society'. Others felt the overtly religious reference infringed their rights. The leader of the People’s Empowerment Party, Natalio D. Wheatley, said there was a "glaring problem" with the pledge: that it is "oxymoronic" to refer to a territory as a country.Virgin Islands News Online report 'Should ‘God’ be in a national pledge?'; 4 July 2016 The use of the capitalised term "Territory" suggests the word is part of the territory's name when it's not. Grammatically, the reference to "these Virgin Islands" rather than "the Virgin Islands" at the end of the pledge renders the pledge ungrammatical when recited outside the territory. There was little public engagement concerning the wording of the pledge before its adoption.

References

British Virgin Islands culture

2016 in the British Virgin Islands