Executive Summary:
Climate change, unrest and war are closely linked. We cannot address climate change without addressing violence and war, and vice versa. The Peace and Climate (P & C) Group opposes 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. The P & C group advocates shifts towards a sustainable economy, at the federal, state and local levels.
Policy
Long Range Policy Goal: To bring climate and peace activism closer together
Achievable Objectives for 2017:
a) 3 big public-educational events; b) meetings with 5 climate/environmental organizations about their interest in specific kinds of peace activism; c) mobilizing at least 20 MAPA members to participate in major climate actions, e.g. the Climate Mobilization of 4/29/2017; d) in all these activities, explore how to infuse peace concerns into climate and justice thinking; also how to talk about shared MORAL concerns.
Activities planned in 2017 to further policy goal: (See also “achievable objectives”)
1) cospsonsor and participate in 5 March conference by Mass. Toxic Action Center; 2) workshop at MAPA annual conference on 4/1/2017 regarding peace-climate connections and opportunities for action; 3) a major public event in spring 2017 on connections between food, water, climate, migration and violence; 4) discussion with Sophie Robinson (Executive Producer of film THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES which we showed in Dec. 2016) about possible collaboration with active duty or retired military people in addressing climate change; 5) discussion, mostly within P & C group, about long-term policy goals.
Coalition Work:
Continue to seek cosponsorship of major public events, with Physicians for Social Responsibility, 350Mass., Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate etc.
Organization
Co-Conveners: Rosalie Anders & John MacDougall
How to Contact the Working Group?
john_macdougall@uml.edu
How is your group going to grow?
a) public events on topics of interest to a wide range of people; b) coalition work—see above