I'd like to know if there are equivalents of the Pledge of Allegiance
in countries other than the U.S. I'd like examples of these countries
and the texts of their "pledges." To be equivalent, the text can not
be something like a national motto that may exist officially but which
few people actually recite. It would have to be something that is
recited regularly by ordinary citizens as a patriotic exercise.

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Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 29 Sep 2004 20:17 PDT

Since only one other country aside from the US has an allegiance to
the flag, perhaps you are looking for other kinds of national
allegiance pledges, even if they do not specifically refer to the
flag?

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Clarification of Question by owjo-ga on 08 Oct 2004 12:55 PDT

There is, in fact, more than one other country with a flag pledge, as
the comments to my question seem to confirm. If you can read these
comments, the information regarding Ghana and Indonesia I found very
helpful. In answer to your query, yes, comparable national pledges and
oaths would be of interest. The important factor is that the pledge or
oath be something in common use. And in that regard, information on
how the pledge is used in each country -- as was provided in the
comment on Indonesia -- would be important to confirm that it is in
popular use.

The only other nation with a similar pledge is the Philippines. The
Panatang Makabayan ("Patriot's Oath") is used in flag ceremonies in a
similar manner to the USA's "Pledge of Allegiance."

"Among the nations in the world, only the USA and the Philippines,
imitating the USA, have a pledge to their flag."

ACLU: The Strange Origin of the Pledge of Allegiance 
http://archive.aclu.org/news/move/pledgeorigin.html

"Do all the nations of the world say it is 'patriotic' to talk to a
flag? What about Cuba, Canada, Japan, or all the other countries on
the planet? The only other nation to have this is the Philippines!"

D.I.S.C.E.R.N. Newsletter July/August 2002
http://www.mministries.com/newsletters/July_August02.html 

"It?s worth noting that the only other country in the world that
pledges allegiance to a flag is the Philippines."

The Independent Institute: Rethinking the Pledge of Allegiance 
http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1281

Here is an English translation of the Philippine pledge:

"I love the Philippines.

 It is the land of my birth;
 It is the home of my people.

 It protects me and helps me to be strong, happy and useful.

 In return I will heed the counsel of my parents;
 I will obey the rules of my school;
 I will perform the duties of a patriotic, law-abiding citizen.

 I will serve my country unselfishly and faithfully.

 I will be a true Filipino in truth, in words and deed."

Filipino Student Association, Florida State University: Philippine
Pledge of Allegiance
http://fsufsa.tripod.com/Resources/pledge.htm

Another translation:

"I love the Philippines
 This is the land of my birth
 This is the home of my race.

 I am watched over
 And being helped by her
 To be strong, happy,
 And useful. 

 In return, I will listen
 To the advice of my parents.
 I will obey the rules and regulations
 Of my school.

 I will carry out the responsibility
 of a nationalist
 and follow the laws.

 I will serve my country unselfishly
 and with all honesty. 

 I will try to be a true Filipino,
 in my thoughts, in my words,
 and in my actions."

Filipino American Association of Carson City, Nevada: National
Allegiance and Anthems
http://www.fil-am-carsoncity.org/Anthems.htm

And yet another translation:

"OATH OF A PATRIOT

 I love the Philippines. 
 This is the land of my birth. 
 This is the home of my race. 
 By her (the land) I am watched and helped 
 To become strong, happy, and productive. 
 In return, I will listen to the counsel of my parents, 
 I will obey the regulations of my school, 
 I will fulfill the responsibilities of a patriotic citizen, 
 obedient to the law, 
 I will serve my country without selfishness 
 and with complete integrity, 
 I will try to be a true Filipino 
 In thought, in word, and in deed."
 
Filipino Canadian Online Community: Politics & Government Forum
http://www.filipino.ca/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=17269&start=76

Google Web Search: philippines pledge allegiance
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=philippines+pledge+allegiance

I hope this is precisely the information you need. If not, or if
anything is unclear or incomplete, please request clarification; I'll
gladly offer further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

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Request for Answer Clarification by owjo-ga on 27 Sep 2004 08:53 PDT

I appreciate your timely response. However, I don't see any primary
research cited and I am concerned that the citations you list all come
from the same unsubstantiated source - John Baer (Baer's book is, thus
far, the only published history of the Pledge of Allegiance.) 
Unfortunately, there is no data to support Baer's assertion. I was
expecting that my query would yield solid empirical evidence derived
from some formal survey or from a reliable compilation (e.g. from the
U.S. State Department). The validity of the claim that the Phillipines
is the only country with a similar Pledge is contested by the comment
I received to the effect that Indonesia has something very comparable.
Can you come up with something that is clearly derived from original
research and explains how the research yielded its conclusion?

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 27 Sep 2004 10:20 PDT

I am truly sorry that my answer does not meet your needs. I hope that
another Researcher will be able to provide the kind of original
research you desire. You may request a refund here:

http://answers.google.com/answers/refundrequest

~pinkfreud

I don't see any primary
research cited and I am concerned that the citations listed all come
from the same unsubstantiated source - John Baer (Baer's book is, thus
far, the only published history of the Pledge of Allegiance.) 
Unfortunately, there is no data to support Baer's assertion. I was
expecting that my query would yield solid empirical evidence derived
from some formal survey or from a reliable compilation (e.g. from the
U.S. State Department). The validity of the claim that the Phillipines
is the only country with a similar Pledge is contested by the comment
I received to the effect that Indonesia has something very comparable.
Can you come up with something that is clearly derived from original
research and explains how the research yielded its conclusion?

For the fee offered, I expect a more stringently discerning review of resources.

While not exactly an allegiance to the flag, Indonesia also have the
'Sumpah Pemuda' (The Youth Pledge).

KAMI putra-putri Indonesia, 
berbangsa satu, bangsa Indonesia
Kami putra-putri Indonesia, 
ber-Tanah Air satu, Tanah Air Indonesia
Kami putra-putri Indonesia,
berbahasa satu, bahasa Indonesia

Translated:
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia
Have one nation, the nation of Indonesia
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia
Have one homeland, the homeland of Indonesia
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia
Have one language, the Indonesian language.

This was motivated by the extremely diverse of Indonesia in ethnic
groups and language. This pledge was started in 1928 as a rallying cry
for the country to unite against colonialism. A brief explanation of
the role of this pledge in terms of promoting the language:

http://nlp.aia.bppt.go.id/seminar2003/intro_leftmenu_eng.html
http://www.indostreets.com/about/about_language.htm

And yes, as schoolkids we would all gather for the mandatory flag
ceremonies every Monday morning in the schoolyard and recite the above
pledge, and this pledge is still read as part of formal national flag
ceremonies.

Unofficial Pledge to the Canadian Flag:

"There is no official pledge to the Canadian flag; however, there are
no laws or statutes which prevent an association or an individual from
adopting a form which will suit the purposes"

http://flagspot.net/flags/ca.html       (bottom of page)

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"The Spanish pledge to the flag is called the Jura de Bandera (meaning
"oath of the flag")."
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/europe/spain/flag/ 

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Pledge to the Flag of Ghana:

"I promise on my honour to be faithful and loyal to Ghana my motherland.
I pledge myself to the service of Ghana with all my strength and with all my heart.
I promise to hold in high esteem our heritage, won for us through the
blood and toil of our fathers; and
I pledge myself in all things to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana.
So help me God."
http://www.africawithin.com/tour/ghana/ghana_anthem.htm

The "Jura de bandera" is only recited by soldiers, probbably just once
in their lifetime, when they end their training during military
service. No non-soldier knows this text.