Peace Economy

Massachusetts Peace Action understands that we cannot win peace without the participation of 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 transgender; documented and undocumented. 

Background

Public opinion polls consistently show that it is Black and low-income communities that stand the most strongly against war and militarism.  But the continued impact of racism and bigotry and extreme economic inequality means that large numbers of peace supporters face a struggle for community survival.  In the interest of justice as well as peace, Peace Action stands with labor, community, people of color, environmental groups and faith groups that work for economic and social justice.   By strengthening the voice of minority, low income, working people, and marginalized people in our society, we also strengthen the peace movement.

Our Peace Economy program includes work in support of:

  • Fund Healthcare Not Warfare, a collaboration between peace and health justice groups that works to cut the Pentagon budget to fund recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen our health and public health systems for the future.
  • Tax Day, an annual series of events that focus attention on the need for deep cuts in the gigantic Pentagon budget to meet the needs of our people.  In 2021, our Tax Day events included a Put People and Planet before Profits educational webinar and a rally at the Tip O’Neill Federal Building.
  • The Moral Budget, a proposal by the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, to reprioritize Federal budget dollars to redress racial injustice, poverty and economic inequality, ecological devastation, the war economy, and a false moral narrative.   The Moral Budget campaign carries on our work for the Budget for All and the People’s Budget.
  • RaiseUp Massachusetts and the Fair Share Amendment, a November 2022 ballot question which will raise up to $2 billion a year for transportation and education by adding a tax surcharge to those with incomes over $1 million.
  • Peace economy legislation, including the Moral Budget and Taxpayer’s Right to Know bills in the Massachusetts legislature
  • Progressive Unity: We work to build unity across labor, community, climate justice, racial justice, peace, and other movements for progressive social change.   With coalition partners we have organized an annual series of progressive strategy conferences since 2013, mostly recently Where do We Go from Here? Preparing our Movements for the Next Four Years on December 5-6, 2020.   The Massachusetts Progressive Action Organizing Committee, consisting of eight progressive groups, have sponsored a monthly series of Progressive Action Table meetings since March 2021; view videos of those meetings.

Events

News

Fukushima: A Lasting Tragedy

Tens of years on, the United States, the largest owner of nuclear power plants, still promotes nuclear power as “safe and clean energy.” by H. Patricia Hynes  Then In 2011 the Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated northeast Japan, taking the lives of

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Stop Line 3 protest, Jamaica Plain, Aug 25, 2021
Jamaica Plain Rally to Stop Line 3

Article and photos by Howie Rotman Wednesday evening, August 25, 2021 hundreds of supporters in solidarity with the First Nation Indigenous-Led movement against the Enbridge Corporation’s construction of the Line 3 tar sands crude oil pipeline held a rally and vigil at the Jamaica Pond

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Climate Justice is Anti-Militarist

by Nick Rabb When considering the climate crisis and its numerous intersections with other movements for justice, one that is often overlooked is the role of militarism. At first glance, it may seem that the two are worlds away, but a deeper analysis reveals that

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, kicks off the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2021. [White House photo by Adam Schultz/ Public Domain]
Biden’s Climate Plan: Unprecedented Yet Insufficient

by Maryellen Kurkulos This point cannot be overemphasized: The earth’s climate is changing irreversibly, while the window of opportunity to keep global heating to less than 1.5ºC is closing fast. Droughts, floods, wildfires, and storms are ever more frequent and more intense. Atmospheric CO2 levels

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