This resource is part of FGC’s Conscientious Objection resources. It you are thinking about applying for CO status, or if you know someone who is, we recommend documenting your beliefs starting at age 14. If you are above age 14 and want to document your beliefs, you can start today with some suggestions here. Documenting is a way to be prepared, and can help you if you are called in by a draft. It is never too early to start documenting your resistance to war.

Document your work, activism, and beliefs in an archive

Create a digital or physical archive where you gather all materials. Update your documents with dated and signed materials. This can help to show a progression of your nonviolent beliefs over time. If applicable, include the names of others who can verify your information.

Then, share this documentation with at least one other person or group, such as your Quaker meeting. It is important to share your document folder with another person to ensure that you have access in the future.

Keep a journal

Write down entries about your beliefs, the influences that affect you, or how your values run against participation in war. If your journal is on a computer, consider leaving old pages untouched so that they reflect the date of the publication and show that thoughts came to you over time.

Take screenshots to add to your digital or physical archive. Share this documentation with at least one other person or group, such as your Quaker meeting.

Write a letter to your Meeting

If you intend to register for the Selective Service System as a Conscientious Objector, then write a letter to your Quaker Meeting. Store a copy of this letter in your digital archive, and ask that the Meeting keep a copy on file, too. Check out FGC’s Sample Letter to a Meeting for ideas to get started. The letter should state:

• that you are conscientiously opposed to participation in war of any form
• that your opposition is based on moral, ethical, and/or religious beliefs, and
• that these beliefs are deeply held.

If you don’t hear back from the meeting within 10 days, check back in. You can also request a clearness committee as a form of support from the meeting. If you wish, the clearness committee can include people in your age bracket as well as people older or younger than you.

Get clear on when force is acceptable to you.

If you meet with a draft board, they may ask you about when it is acceptable to use force. For example, if someone physically harms you, is it appropriate to use force to fight back? Stony Run Friends Meeting advises: “The law permits COs to believe in immediate personal self-defense, but you must be prepared to defend this position given your beliefs, training, and life choices.” Take some time to get clear on when force is acceptable to you.

Participate in peace organizations, demonstrations, and rallies

For instance, take a workshop with Alternatives to Violence Project. Attend college courses on nonviolence, conflict transformation, or democracy — and retain a certificate of completion or a photo of you within the group. If you are in high school, ask your First Day School teacher to write a document certifying your attendance in the program that year. You might attend the Spring Lobby Weekend with Friends Committee on National Legislation, which supports people in standing up for peace.

For each workshop or event that you participate in, document your attendance. Add this documentation to your digital or physical archive, and share the archive with your Quaker meeting or with one other person.

Share your convictions against war to others, either formally or informally

You might:

– Create a presentation and record it.
– Host a private discussion to practice talking about the values that are important to you.
– Describe how do you handle conflict, including specific incidents or actual situations.

For documentation, you might journal about the event, title, date, and things you learned from offering your leadership. Add this to your archive.

Gather letters of reference from people who can speak to your convictions

Gather letters or emails from a wide range of people who can speak to your convictions. Reach out to people who may disagree with you but respect your beliefs. Be sure to save copies of these letters in your digital or physical archive, and to share the archive with your Quaker meeting or with one other person.

Prepare for how you will answer the three questions on a Conscientious Objector application.

In the past, the U.S. Government has asked Conscientious Objectors to

• describe their beliefs
• say how and when they acquired those beliefs
• illustrate why those beliefs are important to them

Here are tips from the Church of the Brethren and the Center on Conscience and War.

1. Describe your beliefs which are the reasons for you claiming conscientious objection to combatant military training and service or to all military training and service.
   • This question asks you to describe, in some detail and as honestly possible, the basic principles by which you guide your life. You should describe those values which are of utmost importance to you, such as God, love, truth, etc., and why these beliefs are in conflict with participation in the armed services. This question asks you to formulate your own statement to conscientious opposition to war. You should begin by saying that you are conscientiously opposed to war, and then describe the beliefs that lead you to such opposition.
     
   • The second part of the question seeks to determine whether you claim noncombatant status in the military or a full exemption from military service. You should specify what it is about noncombatant service that would violate your conscience, if this is the exemption you seek.
     
2. Describe how and when you acquired these beliefs. Your answer may include such information as the influence of family members or other persons; training, if applicable; your personal experiences; membership in organizations; books and readings which influenced you.
   • In answering this question, you should include anything of significance that helped to form your beliefs. Mention any formal religious training you have had, if you feel such training has helped you arrive at your position. If you feel you arrived at your beliefs with no formal training, no need to mention it. Describe the way you were raised, especially if in a nonviolent household that resolved conflict in peaceful ways. The influences of parents and other family members, clergy, teachers, books, television, movies, and membership in organizations are essential to list. Be specific. You need to show that strong influences in your life have stimulated you to think clearly and seriously about participation in war.
     
   • You can mention specific experiences, such as demonstrations, seminars, or assemblies that you have attended. If you’ve spent time with people who are war refugees or veterans, describe that experience. Show that your beliefs are not just academic. In addition, if you have experienced war, be sure to reflect on your direct experience.
     
   • Focus on long-term beliefs, not on current politics. Show how your convictions are consistent through different presidencies or political circumstances.
     
3. Explain what most clearly shows that your beliefs are deeply held. You may wish to include a description of how your beliefs affect the way you live.
   • This question allows you to demonstrate the sincerity with which you hold your beliefs. Select the best examples that illustrate your convictions.
     
   • Think about community service. That could include religious groups, clubs, sports, or relationships with friends. You can always discuss how your future plans are strongly affected by a commitment to those beliefs. Describe your life goals or preferred jobs and how they relate to your beliefs. Discuss any public presentations you have given, or any essays you have written, that relate to your beliefs. Describe your lifestyle as an outgrowth of your beliefs.

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Last updated September 2, 2026.