Conscientious Objection & the Selective Service System Training
“The presentation was super informative, and I'm glad I went. I didn't really understand conscientious objection before going, but now I feel I have a good grasp of it.”
- Baltimore Yearly Grad Con Youth Attendee
On Sunday, May 17, 2026 over fifty participants (not all pictured here) gathered to learn about conscientious objection to war and registering with the Selective Service System - or not registering - at Stony Run Friends Meeting in Baltimore City. Almost 60% of the participants were youth and young adults, many joined by their parents/caregivers and other adults who support them - folks were from Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia and beyond. From the feedback shared after the training, it was clear that youth and young adults between the ages of 12-25 left the training feeling empowered to start, keep and/or maintain documentation of their beliefs as a conscientious objector, and those of all ages felt knowledgeable and able to assist youth of any gender in understanding and acting upon this important issue. All participants left feeling more confident in their understanding of the Selective Service System and conscientious objection, and confident in their ability to document their beliefs for a potential draft.
While a hypothetical draft can oftentimes not feel like a reality, exploring the issue of conscientious objection for youth - and people of all ages - can bring real clarity to understanding the practical steps to object to war.
“I felt the real weight and responsibility of CO, especially on an absolutist level, more than before.”
- Baltimore Yearly Grad Con Youth Attendee
The training was led by Andrew Gorby, a Stony Run Friend, former Center on Conscience & War staff member and military conscientious objector (CO); and Bill Galvin from the Center on Conscience & War, who was a Vietnam-era CO and graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary. This was Bill’s final "official" presentation before retirement - we are certain it won’t be his last - after half-a-century of supporting conscientious objectors and the issue of conscientious objection. While it had been many years since Bill and Andrew had presented together when they both worked at the Center on Conscience & War, they reconnected to make the presentation a success!
“It was excellent! I noticed that the way that you and Bill began with stories really brought my teens into the reality of this possibility and made it personal, meaningful and actionable. Really well done! Thank you.”
- Adelphi Friends Meeting Adult Attendee
The presentation is a work in progress (and will always be!). Sections will be condensed, reworked and expanded based upon feedback and cultural shifts - to also include more opportunities for group collaboration and built-in breaks. However, the disciplined focus on conscientious objection will remain the same! It was unanimously agreed upon that the one-page companion leaflet titled, “Registering With The Selective Service System As A Conscientious Objector To War” moved youth forward with confidence in being able to document their beliefs as conscientious objectors to war in the event of a draft, along with calling out how more work needs to be done within communities of peace in assisting youth with such documentation. Highly actionable - and reassuring in its simplicity - the one-page leaflet is designed to be used and shared: printed, displayed, posted and discussed. Please get this out in your Meetinghouses, churches, places of peace and beyond - click to download and share:
While the leaflet doesn't include details about the broad spectrum of conscientious objection such as taking an absolutist position and refusing to register, or in some cases even refusing to use the word conscientious objection (as covered in the presentation), nor the very important history of conscientious objection, it meets many, many youth where they are in their search for living in and creating a just and peaceful country and world. It brings clarity around a topic that is concerning to many thoughtful and action-oriented youth of conscience. Here is one parent's reflection:
“The speakers were engaging and interesting and clearly knowledgeable. I appreciated that there was so much practical information and concrete steps we can take...But what a gift to give to the older boys and young men! I'm so grateful for this program. My boys have felt very anxious about all this stuff and they went home feeling much more informed and knowledgeable about what they can do to live in alignment with their values. Their energy when we talked about it was MUCH calmer than it has been in the past. Thank you.”
- Friends Meeting of Washington Adult Attendee
Youth and young adult attendees were provided with the opportunity for a check-in virtually or in-person for a review of their conscientious objection documentation in June. Stony Run Friends Meeting of Baltimore, MD will hold a yearly up-to-date “Conscientious Objection and the Selective Service System” training on the first Sunday – First Day – after every International Conscientious Objector on May 15th. It has already been scheduled for Sunday, May 16, 2027 - please put it on your calendar now. For returning participants, a new training will be offered at the same time titled, “Alternative Service Deep-Dive: Exactly what "work of national importance" looks like and how to find qualifying organizations.” This was overwhelmingly selected by participants in this year’s training as a topic to explore next!
I have never been to a better or more well organized presentation! From check in, to handouts, to standing in self sorted groups, to next steps it was wonderful. So many questions were raised; my child and I have been discussing our thoughts and feelings daily ever since. Thinking about the different classifications and examples (unarmed medic vs tending agriculture, etc) helped solidify how we think. I can not thank you enough for this experience.
- Friends School of Baltimore Adult Attendee
Much work needs to be done around this important issue. While peace isn’t simply the absence of war, a world without war is a huge step toward making life better for all living things. It is a foundational topic for anyone who cares about peace and justice. And the issue is an important springboard for examining beliefs about war, peace and humanity, particularly when we are inundated with messages about the inevitability and necessities of war - from the way history is taught, organized and celebrated, to a 24/7 news cycle across the political spectrum that normalizes and accepts war and violence with disregard for both the immediate and long-term effects on all life. We are strongly marketed war in so many aspects of our life from the moment we are born - we are a militarized society - and the effects of this on the development of conscience must be examined and challenged in a direct way to prevent war and challenge the culture that supports war. This is not an issue to approach with complacency, ambiguity or minimize, particularly as the Religious Society of Friends.
I liked the different perspectives that I learned about conscientious objection…
- Baltimore Yearly Grad Con Youth Attendee
Stony Run Friends Meeting looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the Center on Conscience & War as we build out and share resources. Please continue to support the Center’s work here as they move into a new era of committed leadership:
https://centeronconscience.org/donate/
Keep up-to-date, and don’t forget to check back here to sign-up for next year’s training in Spring 2027:
https://stonyrunfriends.org/co/
https://centeronconscience.org/
Conscientious objection is not passive. It is an active and deliberate engagement with one of the most serious questions a person can face: Would I participate in organized killing if my government told me to? If the answer is no, build the evidence for that answer now.
This can be an act of integrity, civic engagement, and deep personal reflection. It honors the tradition of many people across centuries who have stood by their convictions at great personal cost, and the efforts of many to ensure our government has a process to acknowledge conscientious objection to war.