Afghanistan

  • Check out a Primer on Afghanistan, created by Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, an organization founded by family members of 9/11 victims, to find out why the current military strategy in Afghanistan is ineffective.
  • Rethink Afghanistan, a documentary by Robert Greenwald,  asks us to rethink both U.S. foreign policy and recent decisions that have been made concerning Afghanistan.  Mass Peace Action and allies are continuing to show screenings of Rethinking Afghanistan to  educate the public on the dire situation and need for peace.    Please contact us if you would like to organize an event at a local community center or place of worship.  You can also host a house party!  All of the resources you need to pull it off can be found at PeaceForAfghanistan.org – including the film, sample invitations, and much more.
  • Filmed in refugee camps of Pakistan and the war-torn city of Kabul, View from a Grain of Sand profiles three remarkable Afghan women who lead us through the maze of Afghanistan’s complex history, informing this examination of how international interventions, war and the rise of political Islam have stripped Afghan women of their freedom over the last thirty years.  This film is available for loan from Mass Peace Action – show it in your community!
  • Click on the map of Afghanistan for a much larger image.


How should the US leave Iraq?  “Quickly, Carefully, Generously”, according to a report that Mass Peace Action helped produce and distribute to Congress.  Download the .pdf full report and the .pdf Executive Summary.

Cost of the Iraq War to the US

See the great National Priorities Project counter for the amount of money the US spends, and a breakdown of state-by-state spending.

US and Iraqi Casualties

See Iraq Coalition Casualty Count for a breakdown of names and numbers.

US Troops Killed (as of 6/24/2010)

  • US: 4726
  • Massachusetts: 76

US Troops Wounded (as of 6/24/10)

  • US: 31,808
  • Massachusetts: 509

Iraqi Civilians Killed

Cost of War to Iraqis

  • Millions displaced
  • Unemployment
  • Millions of refugees
  • Emigration of Iraqi professionals

Click on the map for a larger image.

More resources on Iraq:

For more detailed information, visit: Iraq: In Focus.

statistics from icasualties.org. Wounded does not include psychological wounds.
Last updated 5/10/10



The New York Times has a great explanation of Iran’s recent history, their relations internationally, and nuclear weapons/sanctions. Read that here.


What can we do to de-escalate the current tensions, yet still move towards preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?


1. Get further informed. See National Peace Action’s background on Iran and further reading. Do your own research and keep up to date on news articles.

2. Explain to others, be it in conversation, op-ed articles, or letters to Congress, that there are better solutions to the Iranian nuclear issue than sanctions or war.

3. Call or write your Senators or Congress people to voice your support for intrusive inspections, instead of sanctions or war.


Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

The Non-Proliferation treaty, which entered into force in 1970, is the most comprehensive nuclear weapons treaty, and the only one to include provisions for nuclear weapons states, and non-nuclear weapons states. It includes three “pillars” -

1.) pursuit of the disarmament of nuclear weapons by nuclear weapons states (NWS)

2.) non-proliferation, prohibiting signatories of the NPT from exchanging nuclear weapons technology and

3.) the peaceful use of nuclear energy, allowing for the transfer of nuclear energy technology between nations.

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

Under the CTBT, signatory nations commit to refraining from any nuclear explosions and work towards disarmament. The treaty has been signed by 180 nations including the United States. However the United States has yet to ratify the CTBT to make it legally binding. By not ratifying the CTBT the United States undermines global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Nuclear Posture Review

The Nuclear Posture Review will outline U.S. nuclear weapons policy for the next five years,  and will show whether the Administration is ready to take concrete steps towards disarmament, turning impressive anti-nuke rhetoric into reality. The NPR will specifically lay out the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. foreign policy, determine the size of our nuclear arsenal, and shape the role and size of the nuclear complex (research, production, and waste sites across the U.S.).  This excerpt was taken from the article “Your Contributions Needed for NPR (No, Not National Public Radio)” by Lisa Putkey and Kevin Martin and can be found at  http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/17-7

 

Massachusetts Legislative Grid 2011 compares the records of Massachusetts members of the U.S. House of Representatives on selected peace legislation in 2011, and for members of the Senate in 2010-2011. Updated July 25, 2011

US Congressional Elections – Fall 2010

The Peace Voter Guide for Congressional District 5 lists the positions on peace issues of the House candidates in the 5th Congressional District.

The Peace Voter Guide for Congressional District 10 lists the positions on peace issues of the House candidates in the 10th Congressional District.

The Fall 2010 Massachusetts Congressional Scorecard lists the votes and other actions of Massachusetts members of Congress on important peace issues during 2010.



The 25% Campaign:

“We support a 25% reduction in military spending, with the savings put toward meeting urgent needs, including the funding of jobs in housing, health care, education, clean energy and infrastructure repairs — and preventing the layoff of State and local public workings in the Commonwealth. The call for a 25% reduction is a practical step. Just ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, cutting unneeded weapons programs, and eliminating wasteful spending would easily meet the goal without compromising our security in any way.” – http://www.25percentsolution.org/

Debt, Deficts and Defense: A Way Forward.  Report of the Sustainable Defense Task Force (June 11, 2010).  The report presents options for reducing DoD’s budget — saving nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.

Reports from the Project on Defense Alternatives:

– Trillions to Burn: A Quick Guide to the Surge in Pentagon Spending
– Defense Budget Resources 2011: Critical Perspectives on the Pentagon Budget and US Military Spending

http://www.comw.org/pda/budgetreview.html