Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors

The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO) is a United States organization founded in 1948 and dedicated to helping people avoid or resist military enlistment. It was active in supporting conscientious objectors and draft evaders during the Vietnam War.

CCCO's present activities include counter-recruitment activism through its "Military Out of Our Schools" program, production of a youth magazine, AWOL! Youth for Peace and Revolution, in collaboration with the War Resisters League, and a "Third World Outreach Program", which focuses on the issue of the "poverty draft," where some impoverished young people, disproportionately people of color, feel that they are coerced into military service by a lack of options.

CCCO has previously served as the clearinghouse of the national GI Rights Network, which includes the operation of GI Rights Hotline. CCCO formerly performed counseling to military members opposed to current wars as well as civilians faced with decisions regarding what to do about legal requirements for Selective Service registration, and formerly had offices in Philadelphia and San Francisco, but their activities are currently on hold due to the economic slump and now have but one office in Oakland which is currently reorganizing as of 2010. Their former counseling role is currently being filled by the GI Rights Hotline and by the Center on Conscience and War (formerly NIBSCO).

See also

• Laird v. Tatum
• List of anti-war organizations
• List of peace activists

External links

• CCCO's official website (As of 18 February 2015, this links to a Sedo domain-parking page.)
• Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO) Records, 1948-2010 (Collection: DG 073), Swarthmore College, PA