GIVING THE PLEDGE
INDIVIDUALS MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO TAKE THE PLEDGE. THE PLEDGE CAN BE ADMINISTERED IN THREE WAYS.
1. The pledge can be administered privately by a spouse, significant other or a woman who is held in high regard by the individual(s) taking the pledge and in the presence of at least one minor child (17 years of age or younger). Other witnesses may be present as well.
2. The pledge can be administered privately by a woman with child (beyond the first trimester). Other witnesses may be present as well.
3. The pledge can be administered publicly if there are five (5) or more individuals interested in taking the pledge together. The pledge must be administered by a woman with child (beyond the first trimester).
Please note – if this option is chosen please see the Kiyama Pledge Ceremony spelled out below. The proposed ceremony is not set in stone but should serve as a model for those who wish to exercise this option.
Please Note: The Kiyama Movement’s rational in having the “public” pledge administered by a woman with child (beyond the first trimester) is rooted in the symbolism and/or meaning associated with an expectant mother. To be sure, there are many symbols and/or meanings that can be associated with pregnancy. For the Kiyama Movement the symbols and/or meanings we associate with an expectant mother are: sacredness; the future; unconditional love; sustainability; and innocence – to name just a few.
Thus, the Kiyama Movement believes the pledge becomes more consequential for those who take the pledge in the presence of an expectant mother. The same rational, for the most part, extends to private pledge ceremonies in which witnesses must include a woman who the pledge candidate holds in high regard (i.e. wife, companion, friend, upstanding citizen) and a minor child(ren) associated with the candidate.