Massachusetts
Peace Action is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization
working to develop the sustained political power to foster a just and
peaceful foreign policy
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Current
Campaigns: End the War in Iraq * Stop New Nukes
* Peace with Iran
* Mass Peace Action is seeking a Summer Intern
(includes a stipend from the Randy Forsberg Memorial Fund) *
Click here to learn more and apply today! Deadline: May 14, 2008
»»»
End the Occupation of Iraq* Mass Peace Action is seeking a Summer Intern
(includes a stipend from the Randy Forsberg Memorial Fund) *
Click here to learn more and apply today! Deadline: May 14, 2008
Five years after the
US invasion of Iraq, the death, destruction,
and disastrous occupation continues. More than 4,000 US troops and
one million
Iraqis have been killed. An estimated $3
trillion is being
squandered on war while our communities are in need. Mass
Peace
Action continues to mobilize, organize, and lobby for a rapid end to
the occupation, and for new policies that will promote peace and human
rights in Iraq. 
Help our efforts by contacting Congress. Tell them not to sacrifice one more dollar, death, or day. Call the Capitol switchboard
today (1-866-261-4755) to
speak with your Representative. Urge him to oppose blank checks
for war. And sign the e-petition to
Rep. Murtha (against continued funding of the war &
occupation) here.More links and resources to raise awareness and take action...
Stop Paying for War!
How do the President's latest war budgets
affect our state? (.pdf)Demand that Congress fund only a complete withdrawal of troops from Iraq--and not another dime for war (Peace Action West alert)
Urge Senate leaders (& candidates!) to filibuster war spending (pdf)
Check out the campaign to Withold from War to Pay for Peace
Pressure Policymakers
Legislative Scorecard - House Legislation on Iraq 2007-08 (.pdf)
Find out how your Rep. or Senator has voted on Iraq policy
(plus Iran, weapons spending, human rights, & more)
Find out where the Presidential candidates stand on Iraq and other issues
Demand a commitment from the Presidential candidates to bring ALL the troops home
Latest action ideas and resources from United for Peace & Justice
De-Bunk the Surge
**Questions for Congress to Ask Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker**
"Surge to Nowhere?" An excellent analysis by Dr. Andrew Bacevich
More resources on the myths of "the surge"...
Support Winter Soldiers!
- Visit IVAW or these links to watch, hear or read about their eye-opening hearings, which were almost entirely ignored by the corporate media. It is up to all of us to make sure they are heard!
- http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony
- http://warcomeshome.org
- http://www.youtube.com/user/ivaw
- On the
anniversary of the US
invasion of Iraq, Mass Peace Action coordinated the delivery of CDs
with IVAW's Winter Soldier testimonies on them and packets containing
Winter Soldier quotes and coverage to every Congressional
office
in the state. Contact your Representative and Senators and
urge
them to pay attention to the moving accounts and analysis offered by
anti-war veterans.
- You can also support IVAW's work locally
by donating
to care packages they will deliver to their comrades on military bases
this summer. Contributions can be sent or delivered to: ATTN
IVAW,
Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA. Email boston (at) ivaw.org
for more details and suggested items.
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»»» Promote Peaceful Relations with Iran
Mass Peace Action and our
allies recently published an eye-catching full-page ad in the Boston
Metro to raise awareness about the threat of another deadly war, and to build political
power to push for the "Peace
Option" with Iran.
Check out the ad as it appeared in the Metro - Boston's
most widely-read free daily!
Additional Resources on Iran:
- Urge the House to Support Rep. Lee's bill HR 5566 to foster direct diplomacy with Iran
- Urge Senate to support measures that can prevent an attack on Iran.
- Other national resources on Iran from Peace Action
News:
- Important Development: U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work
- Interview with Scott Ritter on the likelihood of an attack & what we must do...
»»» STOP the New Nuclear BOMB-PLEX!
Defying International Law, the Bush Administration & Department
of Energy propose to keep building nuclear weapons for decades.Your chance to comment is NOW!
The DOE is conducting a public comment period during which we can raise concerns about the negative consequences on this proposal on global security, nonproliferation, and human and environmental health.
You, too, can participate in a unique referendum on
nuclear
weapons policy. This administration's proposal for modernizing
and
revamping the nation's extensive nuclear weapons complex is called
"Complex Transformation". Ending the development of new nuclear
weapons is a practical first step toward a nuclear-weapons-free world. Join
us in opposing
Complex
Transformation, aka "The
Bomb-Plex!" Recent News About New Nukes:
U.S.: $56M Needed To Complete Warhead Study
JOHN T.
BENNETT - Defense News - April 7, 2008
The Bush administration has
left it up to Congress to determine the fate of a crucial study
designed to help military and federal officials determine how the
nation might replace its aging nuclear and conventional warhead arsenal.
Full
Article
NATO, Russia
Reach Land Transit Deal
Peter
Baker - Washington Post - April 4, 2008
The
leaders of Russia and NATO tried to defuse tensions over
missile defense, Kosovo independence and the alliance's expansion in a
tense meeting that yielded a conciliatory gesture by Moscow but no
major breakthroughs.
Full Article
Navy to Flight-Test Controversial Weapon
Next Year
By Elaine M.
Grossman - Global Security Newswire
The U.S. Defense Department
has notified Congress that it plans to conduct a flight test in fiscal
2009 of a controversial weapon designed to fit on the front end of the
Navy’s Trident D-5 missile (see GSN, March 20).
Full Article
Will the Bush Administration's New Nukes
Program Bomb?
Brian Beutler
- The Media Consortium - April 1, 2008
As
the administration continues to condemn countries it believes are
pursuing nukes, it has sought to develop its own new warheads program
despite congressional opposition.Full Article
Important
New Statement on the Need for Nuclear Abolition
"In some respects, the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is
like the top of a very tall mountain. From the vantage point
of our
troubled world today, we can't even see the top of the mountain, and
it's tempting to say we can't get there from here. But the
risks from
continuing to go down the mountain or standing pat are too real to
ignore. We must chart a course to higher ground where the
mountaintop
becomes more visible."
--"Toward a Nuclear-Free World"
By George Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger and Sam Nunn
The Wall Street Journal, January 15, 2008
Mass
Peace Action is proud to be a founding member of the new
Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons
Free World. Click
here for more...
...& check out the YouTube clip the coalition is
using to spread the word!
"Those of us who love peace
must learn to
organize as effectively as those who love war."
Mass Peace Action Remembers MLK
40 years after his assassination, his calls for peace & justice remain.
organize as effectively as those who love war."
Mass Peace Action Remembers MLK
40 years after his assassination, his calls for peace & justice remain.
Help
support our work for peace:
Upcoming Peace Actions and Events
Book Reading & Presentation with Sandy
Tolan, Author of The Lemon Tree: An Arab,
A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
Tuesday, May 13 at 7:00 PM at the YMCA, 820 Mass Ave,
Central Square, Cambridge. Free & open to the public.
For reservations (accepted until 6:45 PM), call the
Cambridge Peace Commission (617-349-4694) or email
Planetwalker-Environmentalist John
Francis Speaks at Cambridge Forum
Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 PM at 3 Church St,
Harvard Square. Co-sponsored by Lesley
University, Green Sanctuary, and the Cambridge
Peace Commission. More info about Planetwalk
Iraq Veterans Against the War Testify Before Congress Thursday, May 15, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.
Check here to see if your representative is a member of the Progressive Caucus; if so, please call and urge him/her to listen on Thursday and show his/her support for the troops by bringing them home now. More information here.
Dying to Come to America: the Humanitarian Crisis on the Arizona/Mexico Border
Friday, May 16, at 7 PM at Friends Meeting, 5 Longfellow Pl, Cambridge, and Monday, May 19 at 7 PM at Beacon Hill Friends House, 6 Chestnut St, Boston.
Lois Martin, an active member of No More Deaths in Arizona (and professor at Salem State College for 25 years before retiring in 2004) will speak about the mounting humanitarian
crisis on the border--and what people are doing to address it in Arizona. Following her presentation, there will be a chance to talk about what people here can do.
Unity Rally for Education
Wednesday, May 21 at 3:30 PM on the Grand Staircase,
The State House, Boston. Co-Sponsored by the Boston Teachers' Union, the MTA, Citizens for Public Schools, & Teen Empowerment. More info
Reports-Back on the Peace & Diplomacy
Delegation to China & Japan
Wednesday, May 21 at 7:00 PM at 217 Concord Rd, Lincoln.
Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM in the Hastings Room, First Church Congregational, 11 Garden St., Cambridge.
Mass Peace Action's organizer Angela Kelly travelled to China & Japan with other representatives from the AFSC, Peace Action, and allies to meet with the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, NGOs, scholars and officials to consider the long-term impact of U.S.-China relations on prospects for peace, human rights, and security. Join us to discuss their findings. RSVP here
"Building a New World" Conference
Thursday, May 22, through Sunday, May 25 in Radford, Virginia. Featuring Cindy Sheehan, William Blum, Kathy Kelly, David Swanson, Alice Lovelace, Robert Jensen, and more. Session topics: The End of Empire, War, Torture & Genocide, Undoing Racism, Climate Change, Talking Back to the Media, Sustainable Communities, & more. More info
Cambridge Teachers & Community Delegation
Returns from El Salvador (Cambridge's Sister City)
Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 PM in the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge.
For more info or to RSVP, email or phone: 617-349-4694.
Donations (which are tax-deductible) appreciated.
| Help support a Mass Peace Action delegate who travelled to China & Japan to meet with peace, diplomacy, &
human rights groups to foster cooperative, sustainable relations across
the Asia-Pacific region. Click here to learn more about the delegation and here and here to learn about the "Global Article 9  Conference for the Abolition of
War"--in which Angela participated in Tokyo. |
Save the Date: Peace Action National Congress and Student Peace Action Network Convergence! July 18 - 21, 2008 in Washington, DC - "Make Peace a Priority in 2008 and Beyond"--with workshops, cultural events, strategy planning, policy advocacy, and great speakers, including Jeremy Scahill, Raed Jarrar, Trita Parsi, Antonia Juhasz, and
Max
Kampel- man. Register today! Stipends will be available for local
students and young activists who wish to attend. Details available in
late May. More infoMass Peace Action members & friends participate in several weekly and monthly peace vigils, walks, and actions throughout the state. Click here to find one near you. (Please contact the individuals listed to be sure they still follow the same schedule.)
Some Recent Actions and Events
FIVE
YEARS TOO MANY!
Mass Peace Action and allies organized several powerful events to mark five years since the invasion of Iraq, and to renew our commitment to ending the US occupation.
- One of the most important elements of our fifth anniversary organizing was the opportunity to amplify the brave voices of Winter Soldiers - Iraq Veterans Against the War who testified publicly about the true horrors of the war and occupations.
- NEW
ENGLAND UNITED RALLY: Thanks to
all who made
the Oct. 27, 2007 Event a Great Success! Learn more and get involved:
Links to Other Past Events:
- Scott Ritter Speaking Tour
- Forum on Militarism with James Carroll
- Scott Ritter and Jimmy Tingle!
- Start the Music, Stop the War!
- Iraqi Labor Leaders Visit Boston
- Mass Peace Action's 50th Anniv. Celebration
Join the Student Peace Action Network --for student, youth & young adult activists! Email us to get involved or go to StudentPeaceAction.org.
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Mass Peace Action is also proud to support youth empowerment against nukes in collaboration with
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Mass Peace Action is also proud to support youth empowerment against nukes in collaboration with
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