LOBBY DAY 2008:  MILITARY CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR ACT
May 15-16, 2008

We need your support!  As you know, conscientious objection needs to be brought to the forefront of the current political agenda. The rights currently “given” to conscientious objectors within the military are simply not enough, and extending and defending these rights has been CCW’s primary goal since 1940. We all recognize that to write the Military Conscientious Objector Act into law, we have to work with care and unity in lobbying Congress to realize these inherent rights.

Please join the Center on Conscience & War as we seek to extend and defend the rights of conscientious objectors.  We will host our annual Advisory Council gathering and Military Conscientious Objector Act Lobby Day on May15-16, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST at the Methodist Building in Washington, DC.  This is a wonderful way to celebrate International CO Day, which falls on May 15, and support conscientious objection...so mark your calendars!

This year’s speaker will be Peter Goldberger.  Peter is the attorney for military CO Agustin Aguayo, a former Villanova Law School and Whittier Law School professor, and an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, Military Law Task Force, and ACLU.   He has been listed for more than 10 years in "Best Lawyers in America."  His experience actively supporting conscientious objectors, both military and civilian, since graduating Yale Law School in 1975, has qualified him as an expert in his field of supporting this religious freedom.  Other events of the day will include workshops addressing the Supreme Court petition of Agustin Aguayo by Peter Goldberger and J.E. McNeil, a history of conscientious objection in the United States by Bill Galvin, an update on the state of counter-recruitment by John Judge, and an introduction to our new lobbying campaign for the Military Conscientious Objector Act (MCOA) by Andrew Gorby.  On May 16 there will be a brief discussion on the MCOA, which seeks to make the military CO process fair and smooth as well as protect the religious freedom of selective conscientious objectors, followed by lobbying your member of Congress.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Center on Conscience & War at 1-800-379-2679 for more information.  Look for further updates soon at www.centeronconscience.org