Massachusetts Peace Action understands that the current US political system gives to the wealthiest 1 percent and the multi national corporations enormous control of US foreign policy and domestic budget priorities. Only when large numbers of people from every walk of life — rich and poor; black, white, Latino, Asian, and Native American; men and women; straight, gay, and transgendered; documented and undocumented mobilize can our voices be heard around specific issues.
The fight against corporate control and inequality is part of the struggle for peace and against wars designed to protect corporate profits and control of oil and other natural resources. Public opinion polls consistently show that Black and low-income communities stand strongly against war and militarism. Peace Action stands with labor, community, people of color, and faith groups that work for economic and social justice. By fighting inequality and strengthening the voice of those deprived of power in our society, we also strengthen the peace movement.
Our Economic Justice program includes many efforts:
- The People’s Budget campaign which grew out of our Budget for All campaign to divert funds now being spent on the U.S. war machine to invest in social programs, jobs, housing, education, transportation, and transition to a clean, green economy. We have brought this message to movements for affordable housing and public transportation.
- RaiseUp Massachusetts, a coalition of community, church, and labor which campaigns against inequality and for basic economic justice. After winning a campaign for a strong state minimum wage and is now earned paid sick time for Massachusetts workers, we are now working for a Fair Share tax on incomes over a million dollars a year to spend on education and transportation. RaiseUp is also campaigning for paid family leave and $15 an hour for workers of large low-wage corporations.
- Stop the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), trade deals which will enrich he 1% in the U.S. and other countries and continue to impoverish the 99% and will shift power from local, state and national governments and public authorities to multinational corporations.
- Convergence: Efforts to build unity across labor, community, social justice, and other movements for progressive social change. Peace Action sponsored a Convergence Conference in 2013, Foreign Policy for All Conference in 2014, and Building Sustainable Security Conference in 2015, all of which emphasized this effort for unity.