Massachusetts Peace Action currently has 7 volunteer-led working groups and one standing committee, reflecting our priorities and the energy of our volunteers. (Plus 7 campus clubs and a faith communities network) Join a working group today! We coordinate our work with national Peace Action and its national network of 20+ state affiliates.
Nuclear Disarmament: We are engaged in developing and growing a campaign whose target is restricting the funding of the proposed $Trillion dollar nuclear weapons escalation. The emphasis is on building a social movement from the grassroots up.
Middle East: We focus on education on Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It also engages in lobbying to maintain pressure on the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, and promotes efforts to question Congressional reauthorization for the use of military force in the Middle East.
Peace and Climate: Climate change, unrest and war are closely linked. We cannot address climate change without addressing violence and war, and vice versa. We oppose the US’s reliance on military-based economic growth, which wastes billions of dollars; which kills millions of people; which through war and war preparations seriously aggravates climate change; and which deprives the US and other governments of critically-needed funds for addressing climate change. We advocate shifts towards a sustainable economy, at the federal, state and local levels.
Economic and Social Justice: We work at the intersection of the movement for Peace and the struggles for justice. We support campaigns that address inequality and promote democracy such as RaiseUp MA and Our Revolution MA. We fight for a Peoples’ Budget to spend state and federal taxes on meeting human needs, instead of spending the people’s money on militarism designed to defend and promote the rule by the 1% and undermine democracy.
Palestine/Israel: We focus on legislative action, often in the form of action alerts sent to members, asking them to contact their representatives about an urgent issue. We think this is an important component of the Palestine solidarity movement, since, in our view, it will be difficult to improve the circumstances of Palestinians in the occupied territories, in the Palestinian diaspora, and within Israel, until there is a major shift in US policy.
Racial Justice: We believe that racism and white supremacist ideology are operative in the US government and society at large. We educate and agitate to raise the consciousness of MAPA members and the broader society on the relationship between white privilege and structural racism.
Boston Downwinders: We believe that nuclear energy and climate change are equal threats to earth’s survival and need to be addressed by a unified environmental movement. We educate and agitate for the immediate shut down and safe/responsible decommissioning of Pilgrim Nuclear Plant (rated among the 3 worst in the country and located 35 air miles from Boston). We also work to dispel misconceptions that nuclear power is a clean, safe alternative to fossil fuel and investigate connections between nuclear energy and nuclear weapons.
Legislative/Political: We identify legislation relevant to our policy goals, as well as candidates and elected officials who can help us achieve those goals. Through coordinated communications with our Members of Congress and State legislators we seek to increase our political power and build strong relationships with our elected representatives. With the new administration in the White House our electoral work in MA and nationwide will be crucial leading up to the 2018 elections.