This article appeared in our Spring 2017 Newsletter
By Thomas Horn, UMass Boston
I encountered MAPA for the first time when I attended the conference “Reviving Federal Investment in Public Tran-sit: Build Sub-ways, Not Sub-marines”, in December 2016. I was impressed by the energy and decisiveness which the conference evinced and was sure that MAPA is the right place for me to advance my dreams of a loving and caring world.
For my Internship I am working with MAPA’s Economic and Social Justice group to develop a “People’s Budget” for Massachusetts. When I saw the federal budget for the first time I was shocked by the fact that more than half of it is spent on the military. Our goal is it to develop a progressive alternative for MA, away from military expenditure towards housing, education and public transport – for the benefit of the people.
As an exchange student from Europe, and with the current xenophobic drift, and increased military budgets in the US and Europe in mind, we need strong local but also global networks to protect and advocate peace and justice! The internship with MAPA offers me the opportunity to get a better understanding of and new perspectives on the political and social situa-tion in the US, and also to contribute based on my European experience and background.