Community Information about the Automatic Military Draft

What: The New Draft Law: Why It’s a Problem & What Can We Do
Who: Melanie Siaw from the Alternatives to Violence Project Pittsburgh and Pablo Dordal from Veterans for Peace
When: Friday, July 24, 2026 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM.
Where: Friends Meeting House – 4836 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

COMMUNITIES IN PITTSBURGH ORGANIZING TO DEFEND THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN THE IMPENDING AUTOMATIC MILITARY DRAFT REGISTRATION STARTING DECEMBER 2026

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA July 24, 2026 — An informational session on the implications of the automatic draft registration for young, eligible men starting December 2026 will be held in Pittsburgh. The session will be led by Melanie Siaw from the Alternatives to Violence Project Pittsburgh and Pablo Dordal from Veterans for Peace. The Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Religious Society of Friends, The Pittsburgh Anti-War Committee, and Friends Peace Teams are co-sponsoring the event. It will be a hybrid event attended by people in Pittsburgh and across the United States.

Starting December 2026, the Selective Service System will automatically register male US citizens between 18 and 26 years old, without their consent for military induction. This new law would affect some green card holders as well as some transgender and non-binary people.

Establishing a comprehensive federal database with personal identifiable information from the State Departments of Motor Vehicles, the Social Security Administration, and the Census Bureau, augments the potential for misuse and abuse of the Selective Service System. The capability of the database could facilitate mass surveillance which puts vulnerable communities at risk in the era of aggressive immigration enforcement. The implementation of the draft registration without consent violates the right to choose and freedom of conscience.

The informational session will provide resources and support for communities to organize and defend their rights. Reach out to avpPittsburgh@gmail.com to receive resources and support. Take immediate action to defend the right to choice and freedom of conscience by signing a petition to end the draft (https://fcnl.quorum.us/campaign/32642/). Speak up and share about the implications of the automatic draft registration. Encourage everyone to take a stand for liberty and justice. Get support and build your case file as a conscientious objector to war.