May 15 of every year is International Conscientious Objection Day

President Kennedy said wars will continue until conscientious objectors who refuse to fight are appreciated as much as soldiers are.

Most nations celebrate their people who make war, but almost no nations celebrate their people who make peace.  Grassroots people who organize to urge their nations to create nonviolent foreign policies deserve respect and appreciation.  So also do those people — those in the military and those facing the military draft — who REFUSE TO FIGHT BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSCIENCES.  These Conscientious Objectors are recognized on May 15 of every year.

If you want information about Conscientious Objection — either for yourself or to share information with people facing a military draft or who might already be in the military — contact the Thurston County Draft Counseling Center at (360) 491-9093.  We provide free, confidential, non-directive information and counseling, and referral to other sources of information and help.

Additional sources of information include:

Center on Conscience and War:  www.centeronconscience.org

War Resistors International, https://www.wri-irg.org/en/taxonomy/term/6

Courage to Resist, https://couragetoresist.org/intl-co-day-2013/

Dissident Voice, https://dissidentvoice.org/2014/03/why-i-am-a-conscientious-objector-to-the-aca/

About GlenAnderson 1499 Articles
Since the late 1960s Glen Anderson has devoted his life to working as a volunteer for peace, nonviolence, social justice, and progressive political issues. He has worked through many existing organizations and started several. Over the years he has worked especially for such wide-ranging goals as making peace with Vietnam, eliminating nuclear weapons, converting from a military economy to a peacetime economy, abolishing the death penalty, promoting nonviolence at all levels throughout society, and helping people organize and strategize for grassroots movements to solve many kinds of problems. He writes, speaks, and conducts training workshops on a wide variety of topics. Since 1987 he has produced and hosted a one-hour cable TV interview program on many kinds of issues. Since 2017 he has blogged at https://parallaxperspectives.org He lives in Lacey near Olympia WA. You can reach him at (360) 491-9093 glen@parallaxperspectives.org