International Conscientious Objection Day 2026

On May 15th, International Conscientious Objection Day, we join together to send a clear and powerful message: we reject militarisation and affirm the right to refuse to kill, in response to growing efforts to promote military service as a solution to today’s crises.

Organising against conscription

What would happen if there were a war, countries called people up and no one showed up? This well-known idea captures, in many ways, one of the strongest horizons of CO movements.

We see it everywhere, all the time: in the news, on our feeds, in the streets. Militarised responses to every kind of conflict and crisis, big and small. And who’s behind it? The usual suspects, of course: powerful states with long histories of militarisation and economic power, and corporations whose only real interest is profit no matter the cost.

We’re told this is inevitable. That there are no alternatives. That we just have to get used to it.

But WE REFUSE that logic. Because beyond governments, war profiteers, and systems that feed on violence, there are people resisting; every day. Movements that challenge these dynamics and keep alive tools that have long been powerful in times of war. One of those tools is Conscientious Objection.

In the face of multiple wars unfolding at once, governments are increasingly turning to conscription, reintroducing it or seriously considering it, especially in places where it was suspended years ago. Lawmakers and politicians justify this by claiming it will “strengthen” young people, or that it is the only way to make them participate in society.

But this discourse ignores reality. It ignores the deep psychological and physical impact conscription has had and continues to have on young people. It also imposes a narrow, militarised idea of what it means to contribute to society, as if younger generations were not already building communities, caring for one another, and creating change in countless other ways.

This current reality is concerning, but history has shown that refusal is also an answer. An answer that usually comes with many challenges. And this is precisely why organising against conscription is urgent and more relevant than ever.

This is the focus of this year’s International Conscientious Objection Day, and a call to act.

This May 15th, take action!

Across the world, people are organising against the return and expansion of conscription. International Conscientious Objection Day is a moment to make this resistance visible, collective, and impossible to ignore.

We invite individuals, groups, and movements to take action:

Make refusal visible

Organise public actions, protests, vigils, or creative interventions that challenge conscription and affirm the right to refuse.

Shift the narrative, support conscientious objectors

Use social media, stand in solidarity with those refusing military service, help us amplify their voices via sharing their stories. Follow WRI website and social media for further stories and resources.

Build networks of resistance

Connect with others in your country or region. Create or strengthen groups that can respond collectively to conscription policies.

Raise awareness

Organise workshops, teach-ins, or (if possible) school-based discussions to inform young people about their rights and alternatives.

Link struggles

Connect resistance to conscription with broader struggles against militarisation, war, and violence.

No matter how large or small, every action contributes to building a world where war is not seen inevitable, and supported.

Share your actions and join a global wave of resistance this May 15th.