Session Held on Conscientious Objection for Concerned Adults 6/15/26

By IPN Coordinator and Editor; information gleaned from On Earth Peace is taken with permission

 

Adults gathered on Zoom from across the U.S. to learn more about conscientious objection from On Earth Peace.  Church of the Brethren and Mennonite members were present, maybe others.  On Earth Peace is a Church of the Brethren agency, working on a range of peace issues for children to adult. This session was a follow-up to a session designed for youth and young adults who might want to register as CO if a draft were to happen.  This has come up because of the automatic registration which will probably start December 2026, for men ages 18-26.  This adult session was for concerned adults who care for youth and young adults who might be affected.

Be God's Microphone - Lessons from the life of Saint Óscar Romero

 

by James Gallagher; reprinted with permission; first published for Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Prayers 4 Peace email May 21, 2026; written in the form of a letter; See their website www.cmep.org; and blog, Prayers4Peace:  https://cmep.org/p4p-blog/

 

 After years of unrest in the Middle East, many of us may feel dismayed, or even hopeless. From a Christian lens, witnessing the tragic ongoing humanitarian crises, the horrifying loss of life, armed conflicts, and heightened political tensions ignites a sense of empathy and sorrow for God’s suffering people. The horrific injustices also stir up a desire to bring Christ-like peace to our broken world; however, where do we begin? How can such massive issues be addressed? Today, I would like to provide an example for modern Christians seeking to make a positive difference in a world dominated by political oppression. The life and works of Saint Óscar Romero can serve as a wonderful blueprint for how Christians today can advocate for peace and justice.

Women Leaders Carry on in Tawila Following Displacement

 By Nonviolent Peaceforce; reprinted with permission; first published April 24, 2026; also posted on NP email May 14, 2026; see https://nonviolentpeaceforce.org/women-leaders-carry-on-in-tawila/

 

Just weeks before violent conflict erupted in Sudan, our staff celebrated the achievements of 100+ women in North Darfur. These women spent weeks learning about and practicing Unarmed Civilian Protection. They even received training in mediation and de-escalation techniques to effectively manage conflicts at both household and community levels.

Escalating Violence Threatens Fragile Middle East Ceasefire

 Written by Bryan Bowman and Greg Williams at FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation); reprinted with permission; originally written for “This Week in the World” email from FCNL May 8, 2026

 

 Despite the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, tensions and violence in the region are once again escalating.

 On (last) Thursday (the 7^th), the U.S. military carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities after U.S. Navy ships exchanged fire with Iranian vessels.

Listen to Smedley Butler

By David Swanson; reprinted with permission

https://worldbeyondwar.org/listen-to-smedley-butler/

This is excerpted and adapted from Swanson's new book, War Is Still A Racket.

In the peace movement in the United States—or at least in any antiwar circles that involve Veterans For Peace or other veterans groups, or that take an interest in the financial corruption that surrounds wars—Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (1881-1940) is a mythical and heroic figure and has been for almost a century. He is best known for the text contained in Part I of my new book, a passionate rejection of war penned in 1935 called War Is a Racket. Published as a small pamphlet, War Is a Racket took up the theme of speeches Butler was giving around the country, with the text worked on by newspaper editor E. Z. Dimitman.

Draft Registration Becomes ‘Automatic’ in December

 By Edward Hasbrouck; reprinted with permission; see Original article with links:https://news.antiwar.com/2026/04/09/draft-registration-becomes-automatic-in-december/

 

Amid war build-up, Selective Service System sends the White House its plan to identify and locate potential draftees

 

On March 30th, the Selective Service System (SSS) sent the White House its proposed regulations for “automatic” [sic] draft registration for review and approval before they are made public. This is the first visible step in the transition from trying to get young men to sign themselves up for a military draft, to trying to sign them up “automatically” by aggregating data requisitioned from other Federal agencies.

Electric Vehicles Around the World

 

By Glenn Hurowitz; reprinted with permission; see www.mightyearth.org

 

Last year, I bought an electric vehicle for the first time. I’m glad I did: way less climate pollution, never stopping at a gas station, and you don’t even have to spend a couple of hours every year and a big fee on a pollution inspection.

News from Tent of Nations near Bethlehem, Palestine

 

[Editor’s Note-  The three following writings are from the founder and director of Tent of Nations, an Ameritus member of the FOTONNA (Friends of Tent of Nations North America) Board of Directors, and a volunteer who served in March at TON (Tent of Nations) in that order.  All of these writings are from the Friends of Tent of Nations Newsletter, March 2026.  Read to learn more about TON.]

Alternatives to the Military in the Peace Churches

 By IPN Coordinator

 

Although the U.S. doesn’t currently have a draft, it is still important for those possessing a conscientious objection to serving in combat/ going to war to be prepared.  Generations before me had to deal with the draft, so there are stories about alternative service I have heard from my elders.  Serving in the Des Moines hospitals was a thing in the 60’s (and later) and men both from Iowa and as far away as Pennsylvania served together.  I am told it varied from draft board to draft board (in counties and states) for how far away one would be required to go from home.  Other places a generation went to before, during WWII, included experimental farms in Minnesota and Michigan.

Spring

 by Anne Farrer Scott

 

During the winter of 1982-83, Minneapolis was “bleak and frigid, like on the icy planet of Hoth,” or so my son Timothy, then five, told me. I had not seen “The Empire Strikes Back”as he had (twice), but I couldn’t help agreeing with him. The world had never before seemed quite so cold and desolate.