Center on Conscience & War
Encyclopedia
The Center on Conscience & War (CCW) is a United States
non-profit
anti-war
organization dedicated to defending and extending the rights of conscientious objector
s. The group is located in Washington, D.C.
, and attempt to find creative ways to support anyone who opposes participation in war. The group participates in the G.I. Rights Hotline
, and works against all forms of conscription
. There are no charges for any of CCW's services.
The group was organized as National Council for Religious Conscientious Objectors on October 5, 1940 by the three historic peace churches
in response to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
, which introduced the first peacetime draft in the United States. The Selective Service Act provided for work of national importance and an alternative to military service for conscientious objectors. The immediate task of this group was to advise conscientious objectors and create a structure for the proposed alternative service. On November 26, 1940, National Council for Religious Conscientious Objectors was merged with a similar organization, Civilian Service Board to become National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NSBRO).
In the following months additional groups became interested in the work of NSBRO and positions on the governing board was expanded to include representatives from the Fellowship of Reconciliation
, Fellowship of Peace of the Methodist Church, Disciples of Christ and Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. During this first year a total of fifteen groups became members of NSBRO and by the end of the war this number grew to thirty nine.
During its first year, 3000 conscientious objectors were referred to NSBRO by Selective Service. In all, nearly 12,000 WWII COs would be handled by NSBRO. The program for conscientious objectors, Civilian Public Service
(CPS), was under civilian control with NSBRO responsible for working with the government and representing the interests of the churches and other groups involved.
The work of NSBRO was divided into three sections. The Camp Section selected sites, often former Civilian Conservation Corps
facilities, for use as CPS base camps, The Assignment Section matched men with camps and units, keeping detailed records of the assignments and projects. The Complaint Section worked with cases of men who were denied conscientious objector status. Later an Advisory Section was created to track the changes in Selective Service regulations and interpret them to NSBRO constituency. Regular contact was made with COs who chose prison over CPS.
Conscientious objectors were required to serve into 1947, past the end of the war. Member groups who disagreed with this policy or the cooperation required with a system of conscription began to withdraw from the organization. War Resisters League
pulled out early in the war, followed by Fellowship of Reconciliation, American Friends Service Committee
, and Association of Catholic Conscientious Objectors. The last CPS camp closed in April 1947, completing this phase of NSBRO work.
In 1964 the name was changed to National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO) and in 2000 became Center on Conscience & War.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
organization dedicated to defending and extending the rights of conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s. The group is located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and attempt to find creative ways to support anyone who opposes participation in war. The group participates in the G.I. Rights Hotline
GI Rights Network
The GI Rights Network is coalition of nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide free and confidential information to United States military servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Most of the work of the Network is done through the GI Rights Hotline, but the Network also provides...
, and works against all forms of conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. There are no charges for any of CCW's services.
The group was organized as National Council for Religious Conscientious Objectors on October 5, 1940 by the three historic peace churches
Peace churches
Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: Church of the Brethren, Mennonites including the Amish, and Religious Society of Friends and has...
in response to the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
Selective Training and Service Act of 1940
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act, was passed by the Congress of the United States on September 17, 1940, becoming the first peacetime conscription in United States history when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law two days later...
, which introduced the first peacetime draft in the United States. The Selective Service Act provided for work of national importance and an alternative to military service for conscientious objectors. The immediate task of this group was to advise conscientious objectors and create a structure for the proposed alternative service. On November 26, 1940, National Council for Religious Conscientious Objectors was merged with a similar organization, Civilian Service Board to become National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NSBRO).
In the following months additional groups became interested in the work of NSBRO and positions on the governing board was expanded to include representatives from the Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is the name used by a number of religious nonviolent organizations, particularly in English-speaking countries...
, Fellowship of Peace of the Methodist Church, Disciples of Christ and Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America. During this first year a total of fifteen groups became members of NSBRO and by the end of the war this number grew to thirty nine.
Civilian Public Service
The Civilian Public Service provided conscientious objectors in the United States an alternative to military service during World War II...
(CPS), was under civilian control with NSBRO responsible for working with the government and representing the interests of the churches and other groups involved.
The work of NSBRO was divided into three sections. The Camp Section selected sites, often former Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
facilities, for use as CPS base camps, The Assignment Section matched men with camps and units, keeping detailed records of the assignments and projects. The Complaint Section worked with cases of men who were denied conscientious objector status. Later an Advisory Section was created to track the changes in Selective Service regulations and interpret them to NSBRO constituency. Regular contact was made with COs who chose prison over CPS.
Conscientious objectors were required to serve into 1947, past the end of the war. Member groups who disagreed with this policy or the cooperation required with a system of conscription began to withdraw from the organization. War Resisters League
War Resisters League
The War Resisters League was formed in 1923 by men and women who had opposed World War I. It is a section of the London-based War Resisters' International.Many of the founders had been jailed during World War I for refusing military service...
pulled out early in the war, followed by Fellowship of Reconciliation, American Friends Service Committee
American Friends Service Committee
The American Friends Service Committee is a Religious Society of Friends affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world...
, and Association of Catholic Conscientious Objectors. The last CPS camp closed in April 1947, completing this phase of NSBRO work.
In 1964 the name was changed to National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO) and in 2000 became Center on Conscience & War.
External links
- Official site
- National Service Board for Religious Objectors in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online