British Quakers are planning an online storytelling project entitled The White Feather Diaries to mark the Centenary of World War I.

The real-time story will be told online through the story of five Quakers. It will follow them as the war progresses and explore their daily thoughts and issues via a daily blog and Twitter feed.

The project will run over three years (2014-2016) up to the anniversary of the 1916 Military Service Act, which introduced conscription and recognised conscientious objection.

The stories will follow the individuals’ lives as they take the brave decision to oppose the war and refuse to join the armed services. The project’s creators hope it resonate with people today and make valid points about the futility of war and the difficulties of opposing it.

Jane Dawson, of Quakers in Britain, said: ‘We want people to understand choosing to be a pacifist is never easy in a culture of war. It is always a brave and difficult decision. Some people suffered, some were imprisoned and died there.’

The tribunals which heard the cases of conscientious objectors were not necessarily as fair as they could be, but Britain should be proud it gave people the chance to opt out, she added.

To find out more about the project, click here.