Need Help Becoming a CO?
There are many organizations that help conscientious objectors, including churches, synagogues and mosques, religious nonprofits, secular pacifist organizations and political and community groups.
Military CO's
A military CO discharge is not easy and not automatic, but it is an honorable discharge. The largest organization that assists military conscientious objectors is the GI Rights Network, a nongovernmental network of local and national organizations and volunteers that counsel military personnel on issues related to conscientious objection discharges. They also provide counseling on other military-related legal issues and assist callers with pursuing other types of discharges. The phone number to call for help is 1-800-394-9544.
Draft Resisters
Some young men find that they cannot, in good conscience, register for Selective Service. Some men who do register choose to prepare a statement of conscience in case a draft is called and they need to prepare a conscientious objector application quickly.
The Center on Conscience and War is the largest organization that assists draft resisters. They provide assistance in preparing a CO file based on the military's own CO application and also provide information on the consequences and penalties associated with refusing. The Center on Conscience and War will keep a statement of conscience on file if the individual who wrote it does not have a "home" religious or other institution that will keep it on file, including objectors who do not identify with an organized belief system. www.centeronconscience.org
For military conscientious objectors, Center on Conscience and War offers support by participating in the GI Rights Hotline.
Where Can I Find Further Help?
The following organizations may be able to help you prepare a conscientious objector file documenting your beliefs and may also keep a registry of CO's. This is not a guarantee that the application would be approved by the military in the event of a call-up, but it provides some measure of reassurance for people who want to document their beliefs before they are tested. These organizations may also be able to provide spiritual guidance to military CO's seeking discharge. Some participate in the GI Rights Hotline and have trained military counselors on staff.
If you belong to a religion, one of the best things would be to find out is it has a Peace Fellowship that will help you discern and document your beliefs (many are listed below). Most major religions have an active Fellowship that helps conscientious objectors.
Religious Groups
The first step would be to contact your religious institution or a congregation or group which practices the faith you are drawn to. Even if you are not a member, they may be able to help anyway if they have a strong peace witness. The following religious groups and Peace Fellowships support objectors in a variety of ways, including writing Letters of Support and providing information, referrals and spiritual support:
Jewish Peace Fellowship - www.jewishpeacefellowship.org
Catholic Peace Fellowship - www.catholicpeacefellowship.org
Pax Christi USA (Catholic) - www.paxchristiusa.org
Adventist Peace Fellowship - www.adventistpeace.org
Buddhist Peace Fellowship - www.bpf.org
Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship - www.pcpf.org
Episcopal Peace Fellowship - www.epfnational.org
Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA - www.peace.mennolink.org
Zen Refuge (Buddhist) - www.zenrefuge.org
Nonreligious Organizations
The following nonreligious organizations offer help for religious and nonreligious CO's:
The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors has been supporting conscientious objectors since 1948, especially nontraditional CO's. They also administer the GI Rights Hotline and are engaged in empowering youth in saying no to militarism.
Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors - www.objector.org
If you are stationed in Germany, contact the Military Counseling Network - www.getting-out.de
War Resisters League - www.warresisters.org
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