A Journey of Peace, Justice, Culture, and Environment
May 15th is recognized each year as International Conscientious Objectors Day, a day to remember past and present conscientious objectors, those who refuse to participate in war due to moral, ethical, or religious reasons. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has declared that conscientious objection is protected as an inherent part of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that countries must provide for conscientious objectors.
Global and national organizations support the rights of conscientious objectors and their goal of peace. For example, American Friends Service Committee was founded in 1917 to support conscientious objectors and alternatives to military service. War Resisters International, operating out of London since 1921, is a global network of grassroots antimilitarists and pacifists who work together for a world without war. Their founding declaration states, “War is a crime against humanity. I am therefore determined not to support any kind of war, and to strive for the removal of all causes of war.” Founded in 1940, the Center for Conscience and War, operating out of Washington, D.C., works to extend and defend the rights of conscientious objectors. These organizations and others are dedicated and powerful voices for peace in an increasingly violent, militarized world.
In 1970, I declared myself a conscientious objector (CO). I refused to be drafted to participate in the Vietnam War, or any war. Following a complex process of application, appearance, and appeal to my local draft board, I was granted a CO classification by the Selective Service, and performed two years of alternative civilian service (1971-1973) in lieu of military service. I stood up for my peaceful convictions, regardless of the possible consequences of criminality and prison. At the time, the Center for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO), operating out of Philadelphia, was available for personal and legal assistance. Although I represented myself in the process, CCCO provided helpful counseling. Their archives are housed at Swarthmore University.
Now, fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War in April 1975, I reflect on how this decision changed my life. I performed my civilian service focusing on environmental issues at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. I have been dedicated to the environment throughout my professional life, and I remain a peace activist. My memoir, “Conscientious ObjectorA Journey of Peace, Justice, Culture, and Environment,” recently won two prestigious awards: Literary Titan Gold Book Award and International Impact Book Award, providing a broader audience to which I can address peace, conscientious objection, and environmental concerns. I am honored to have these additional opportunities and platforms to speak out against war.
Today, I call for an immediate halt to the military conflicts that plague our world, nearly too numerous to mention. Of particular concern are the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel invasion of Gaza, resulting in vast destruction and loss of thousands of lives. The decades old conflict between Pakistan and India has flared again, as well as ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Sudan, and elsewhere. These wars and conflicts are exacerbated by renewed tensions among the global superpowers, in particular China and the United States, which must end.
Unfortunately, we have been here before, and the outcome is never an end to warfare, nor an end to the loss of life, destruction of countries, and vast environmental devastation. These disastrous outcomes to war, repeated time and again, are an enormous price to pay for no promise of long-term-peace through military might. Compassion, including respect and understanding for others, the appreciation of diversity, and much needed equity among all peoples are the fundamental solutions to the causes of war, which focus on revenge, greed, envy, and bigotry in its many forms. Why are we so quick to hate our fellow humans? We are all children of the same universe, and we must learn to love each other and to live together peacefully.
On this day of conscience, when we remember and honor conscientious objectors throughout the world, let us strive for a lasting Peace on Earth through the embrace of peaceful means. Only peace can bring about peace. We must reject militarism and war as failed alternatives.
Wayne R. Ferren Jr.
May 15, 2025
https://www.ppu.org.uk/international-conscientious-objectors-day-may-15th#
https://centeronconscience.org
https://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/171/Conscientious-Objection
https://literarytitan.com/2025/01/06/i-had-to-tell-our-story/
