Massachusetts Peace Action

U.S. Policy of Regime Change in Cuba
2026-06-01 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Online Event
Peace & Justice Conversations

Join us to review the history of hostility and potential in U.S.-Cuba relations. Peter Kornbluh and William LeoGrande will help us to better understand Washington’s current economic warfare that has created a dire humanitarian crisis for the Cuban people and how it may evolve into more direct U.S. military attacks against the island nation.
Peter Kornbluh is a senior analyst at the National Security Archive and the director of the Archive’s Cuba Documentation Project. He is a contributor to The Nation, Foreign Policy, Responsible Statecraft, Cigar Aficionado and other media outlets. He is a co-author, with William M. LeoGrande, of Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana. Kornbluh is also the author of The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability.
William M. LeoGrande is a professor emeritus of government and former dean of the American University School of Public Affairs. He is a specialist in Latin American politics and U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America and has been a frequent adviser to government and private sector agencies. Professor LeoGrande previously worked on staff for the Democratic Policy Committee of the U.S. Senate. His articles have appeared in various international and national journals, magazines and newspapers. He has written five books, the latest being Back Channel to Cuba.
Sponsored by New Hampshire Peace Action, cosponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action
Email doreen@nhpeaceaction.org if you don’t receive the Zoom link after RSVP’ing.
About NHPA’s bi-weekly Zoom Peace & Justice Conversation Series: 2020’s upheavals brought us to a new moment of reckoning and possibility. How do we want to live in the world? What do we value? How can we make the changes we’ve been yearning for? NH Peace Action has been engaged in working for change for decades. We’d like to bring you into these conversations about issues and options for the future. There is no charge to attend, but your contributions in any amount are greatly appreciated.

No Fear with Street Theater
2026-05-30 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-23 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-16 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-09 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-02 11:00 - 13:00 | 1000 District Avenue Burlington, MA 01803 United States, 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, 01803, United States
Join the new protest group, “No Fear Street Theater” for weekly protests on Saturdays starting October 11th from 11am to 1pm. Stand up for immigrants two blocks from the Burlington ICE office. All are welcomed and encouraged to support our immigrant community. The protests will be held at Burlington Mall Rd. at District Avenue.

Cuba After Castro
2026-05-29 19:00 - 21:00 | St James Episcopal Church – Parish Hall, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140
Join us for a unique opportunity to learn about what really is happening in Cuba and just who the top leader of the country is. Massachusetts Peace Action is holding an exclusive showing of the film, “Cuba After Castro”, to be followed by a discussion facilitated by me, Merri Ansara, just returned from many months in Cuba.
Months before NBC and Kristen Welker made popular headlines with their interview with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal, Abby Martin and Matt Belen with Breakthrough News made their nterview with President Diaz-Canal, an indepth view beyond trite headlines and questions like “will you step down,” revealing more fully who he actually is and represents and what actually is going on in Cuba.
The first leader of Cuba born after the Cuban Revolution, President Diaz-Canal came into office confronting a perfect storm of intensified U.S. sanctions, a media war, a devastating pandemic, and historic domestic protests. Díaz-Canel reflects on navigating these existential crises for the nation he has come to lead.
Miguel Diaz-Canal was nominated by and succeeds Raul Castro, last of the Castros to hold power in Cuba. Now Raul Castro has been indicted by the United States for a fatal incident in 1996 when 2 American planes piloted by Cuban Americans from Miami, flew right into Cuban airspace despite many warnings to the U.S. from Cuba.
Based on the indictment of Raul Castro, reminiscent of the kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Maduro, the United States is threatening to invade Cuba, making it more of an imperative than ever to understand what is happening in Cuba, and just who the President of this country is.
Join us for the film and for a discussion at Mass Peace Action in Cambridge May 29, 7:00 pm.. Sign up to attend.

Justice 4 All Thursdays
2026-05-28 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-21 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-14 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-07 11:00 - 13:00 | 1000 District Avenue Burlington, MA 01803 United States, 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, 01803, United States
Via Turn Purple 2 Blue:

Greater Assabet Indivisible Network (GAIN) invites you to stand in solidarity with immigrants and resistance to ICE and their cruel and lawless detention of our neighbors Thursdays from 11am-1pm. Regardless of any other political views, you are welcome to join us and demand Justice 4 All so long as you do so non-violently.
Our friends at Bearing Witness have been hosting gatherings at this location for many weeks. We are an unaffiliated group, but very much aligned with their values and mission. Our goal is to add to the total number of hours that citizens stand in non-violent opposition to the deplorable detainment conditions at this location. If you have been to Bearing Witness on Wednesdays, we would love to have you at Justice 4 All Thursdays.
Schedule (Starting Thursday, September 4 – more dates to follow)
11:00-11:30 Welcome; music; announcements
11:30-12:30 Stand with signs along District Ave
12:30-1:00 Optional short march down to Mall Rd.
What happens at this ICE office?
ICE personnel depart from District Ave. in unmarked vans with tinted windows on missions to abduct immigrants across New England. Immigrants may also show up at the office for appointments. The facility on District Ave was never intended to be a detention center, yet immigration lawyers and media interviews reveal that people are now being housed here in conditions that have been called “abysmal” and “unsanitary.”
What to expect at Justice 4 All?
We are committed to nonviolence, and we stand peacefully with signs outside the facility. We do not block the entrance, we do not physically approach ICE agents as they walk to/from the parking lot, and we do not block traffic on District Ave.
Signs
This is a very targeted action outside the ICE facility, so it’s not the venue for protesting other causes. Even though we care deeply about other issues, while outside ICE we must remain focused on immigration.
Parking and other tips
For parking, please use the Macy’s overflow lot (75 Burlington Mall Road, follow signs for Macy’s, see map). For those with mobility challenges, please keep in mind that the lots closest to ICE — the FAA lot beside ICE and the BAE Systems lot directly across the street from ICE — have both been blocked off. There are restaurants nearby (Clover, Pressed Cafe, Chipotle) to get food and use the bathroom. Before arriving, please consider your own self-preservation (citizenship status) and self-care (sunscreen, hydration, etc.)

Stand up for Palestine at Harvard Commencement
2026-05-28 07:30 - 09:30 | Harvard Square T Entrance, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA, 02138
Gather in front of the Harvard Red Line entrance
Join us to be present as people from all over the world arrive!

Bring signs consistent with our message to Harvard:
• End Harvard’s complicity in the Palestine Genocide
• Divest Harvard from weapons for Israel
• Support Palestinian self-determination
• Stop erasing Palestine
• Stop crushing dissent on campus
• Opposing genocide is NOT antisemitism!
Sign up at masspeace.us/harvard-comm to let us know you’ll be there!
Sponsors: MAPA; Community Encampments for Palestine; Vahavtah: A Judaism Beyond Zionism Synagogue; Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment; Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine; Cambridge for Palestine; Somerville for Palestine; Jewish Voice for Peace Boston; Diana’s List/ Theodore Parker Church, Southeast MA for free Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement

Just Sustainabilities in Policy, Planning, and Practice Webinar
2026-05-27 16:00 - 17:00
In his talk, Julian will outline the concept of just sustainabilities as a response to the ‘equity deficit’ of much sustainability thinking and practice. He will explore his contention that who can belong in our cities will ultimately determine what our cities can become. He will illustrate his ideas with examples from urban planning and design and the ‘Minneapolis Paradox’ that shows that green doesn’t mean socially just
Speaker :
Julian Agyeman Ph.D. FRSA FRGS is a Professor in the Department Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, a Secondary Professor at The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and is the Fletcher Professor of Rhetoric and Debate, an endowed professorship at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, USA.

Bearing Witness @ ICE
2026-05-27 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-20 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-13 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-05-06 11:00 - 13:00 | 1000 District Avenue Burlington, MA 01803 United States, 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, 01803, United States
Join Bearing Witness @ ICE outside the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) New England Headquarters office in Burlington, next to the Burlington Mall, every Wednesday from 11am-1pm.
Stand with us in solidarity to show our love & support, express our shame at ICE, and bear witness to the cruel and unconstitutional actions of our government. Regardless of your views on any other political issues, if you support immigrants and their constitutional rights and are committed to nonviolence, join us.
Schedule (every Wednesday)

11:00-11:30, Welcome and announcements
11:30-12:30, Stand or sit with signs; option to read the U.S. Constitution to ICE
12:30-1:00, Short walk along the sidewalk on District Ave to Mall Road

NOTE: Please sign up for our email list as we may cancel due to severe weather or other circumstances.
If you’re never attended a standout and are curious about signs, parking and more, click The Standout

Antiwar Memorial Day Observance
2026-05-25 12:30 - 15:00 | Boston Common, near Park Street Station, Park St and Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02108, United States
Smedley Butler Veterans for Peace (VFP), About Face Veterans Against War, Mass Peace Action, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and Military Families Speak Out (MFS0) will have a MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE ON MONDAY 5/25/26 AT 1PM... Meet up at Boston Common Park St station, Boston Mass to start the Memorial March.

The Memorial March through the Boston Common to MA Memorial Flag Park at Soldier & Sailor Hill and to the NEW About Face /MFSO/NIAC Display at Boston Common. The display, EYES WIDE OPEN, will honor Iranian children killed in the initial US/ISRAEL school strike at Shajareh Tayyebeh Primary School in Minab, southern Iran.

Bring your VFP flags, banners & posters. All are welcome. Please pass this on.

Emergency Rally for Cuba
2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Park St Station, Park & Tremont Streets, Boston
Emergency: The Trump administration has just indicted Raul Castro and five other Cubans – possibly a move leading to another military operation to kidnap them, following in the steps of the Maduro Abduction in Venezuela. And the danger of all out military action against Cuba hangs over the heads of the Cuban People.
Sign up to let us know you’ll be there — or to register your organization as a cosponsor.
Download and Print our Stop Trump’s Threats against Cuba pamphlet
Initiated by MAPA, cosponsored by July 26 Coalition. Cosponsors list in formation

The Deep Roots of the Ukraine War, with Richard Sakwa
2026-05-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Online Event
While all eyes are focused elsewhere, the war in Ukraine rages on. And the distortion of the war and its causes continue to lead the U.S. and the west down a road that has led to catastrophe for Ukraine and that continues to feed the danger of nuclear war. Professor Richard Sakwa helps us break through this distorted narrative about the war to a deeper understanding of this tragic conflict that is wreaking such human, physical and ecological damage in Ukraine.
On May 19 at noon join Professor Richard Sakwa, among the leading authorities on Ukraine and Russia, to delve deeper into understanding the war, diplomacy, and peace movement priorities in this continuing dangerous time. Richard Sakwa is a professor of Russian and European Politics at the University of Kent and is widely recognized as the leading Russia scholar in Europe. The webinar begins at noon eastern time because of the difference in time zones in the U.S. from those in Europe.
Professor Sakwa will be discussing the subject of his new book, The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire. The number of casualties in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is rapidly approaching 1.5 million, with no resolution in sight … a staggering reality. Seeking to make what sense is possible of this catastrophic conflict, Richard Sakwa meticulously explores the origins, course, and consequences of the war in the sweeping context of global and domestic politics since 1945.
Sakwa’s balanced analysis centers on what he perceives as the five levels of the conflict: the dynamics of Ukrainian politics, the evolution of Russo-Ukrainian relations, the relationship between Russia and the West, broad changes in international politics, and the prospects for a viable and sustainable peace. In explaining—without endorsing—the logic behind actions on all sides, his goal is to contribute to a path toward that peace.

Richard Sakwa is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. After graduating in History from the London School of Economics, he took a PhD from the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Birmingham. He held lectureships at the Universities of Essex and California, Santa Cruz, before joining the University of Kent in 1987. He has written widely on comparative politics, international relations and political philosophy, with a focus on Russian and European affairs. His latest books are The Putin Paradox (Bloomsbury, 2020), Deception: Russiagate and the New Cold War (Lexington Books, 2022), The Russia Scare: Fake News and Genuine Threat (Routledge, 2022), The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War (Yale University Press, 2023) and The Culture of the Second Cold War (Anthem Press, 2025). His book The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire was published by Lynne Rienner Publishers in March 2026.

Sponsored by MAPA’s Ukraine: A Time for Peace Campaign.

What does Seth Moulton Stand For?
2026-05-17 13:45 - 15:30 | American Legion Post 156, 215 Waverly Oaks Rd, Waltham, MA, 02452
Seth Moulton is claiming in the current Senate campaign to be pro-peace, but his hawkish, pro-corporate record tells the real story.
Join MAPA members at Moulton’s campaign event on Sunday, May 17 to make sure voters understand Moulton’s long record of supporting weapons to Israel, the genocide in Gaza, and nuclear weapons. We’ll hold signs, distribute flyers, and ask questions in an orderly manner.
Moulton’s campaign event begins at 2:30; arrive at 1:45 to reach attendees as they enter.

Ghost Hunting: Palestine Film Series
2026-05-15 19:00 - 21:30 | St James Episcopal Church – Parish Hall, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140
In order to confront the ghosts that haunt him, Palestinian director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of ex prisoners to recreate the Al-Moskobiya, Israel’s main interrogation centre, where he was himself jailed at age 18. Day after day, these construction workers, a blacksmith, an architect, an assistant director give shape to their memories of how they survived with grit and a sense of humor. As the walls of the cells rise, the tongues and the emotions loosen.
Ghost Hunting is a 2017 Palestinian documentary film directed by Raed Andoni and starring Ramzi Maqdisi. It was awarded the best documentary at the Berlinale 2017. Also, it was selected as the Palestinian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. The film runs 94 minutes and will be followed by discussion.
Directions: The film will be shown in the Parish Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, three blocks north of Porter Square in Cambridge. The location can be confusing. If you have not been to the venue before, please review these directions and arrive a few minutes early to make sure you find us! When you arrive, call 617-466-9274 to get in the building.

Antiwar Open House
2026-05-14 18:30 - 19:30 | St James Episcopal Church, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140
We are Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA), the largest peace organization in Massachusetts. We work to end the wars surrounding us, and to support immigrants and social justice here at home. And we would love to explore with you the
kinds of actions that would be of interest to you. One way to do so is to come to our Antiwar Open House next Thursday. That would give us the opportunity to find out your interests and to see if there is a match between what you are looking for and what opportunities for involvement we can provide.
The Antiwar Open House will be next May 14 at 6:30. The meeting will be held in the Lounge of St. James Episcopal Church, three blocks north of Porter Square in Cambridge. The location can be confusing. If you have not been to the venue before, please review these directions and arrive a few minutes early to make sure you find us! (The directions page are for the Parish Hall which is right across the hall from the Lounge.) When you arrive, call 617-466-9274 to get in the building.
If you want to get involved and can’t make it in to Cambridge, drop us a line by email at info@masspeaceaction.org or call our office at 617-354-2169.
We are faced with enormous challenges in today’s world. We would love to work with you to confront them together.
Click here if you can attend.

Book Launch: "Other Paths for Shahrazad"
2026-05-09 14:00 - 16:00 | Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, 02116, United States
Book launch event for Other Paths for Shahrazad, an Arabic/English anthology of contemporary poetry, produced by the Her Story Is collective.
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Commonwealth Salon, Central Library at Copley Square
This event is in-person and registration is required. Please click here to register for the event.
Join us at the end of Women’s History Month and just before the start of National Poetry Month in celebrating the publication of Other Paths for Shahrazad: a Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by Arab Women, produced by the Her Story Is collective. The celebration will include beautiful poetry readings in Arabic and English. This event is presented at the Boston Public Library in partnership with the Her Story Is collective, the Center for Arabic Culture, and Tupelo Press.
Anthology editor Jennifer Jean, Her Story Is organizer Amy Merrill, Center for Arabic Culture director Alma Richeh, and Tupelo Press publisher Jeffrey Levine will be joined by anthology poets, co-translators, and other local artists and poets to share stories about, and poems from, this important book.
Sponsored by the Her Story Is collective and published by Tupelo Press, Other Paths for Shahrazad: a Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by Arab Women features work from by forty poets from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Tunisia.

Worcester: Japanese Hibakusha Delegation
2026-05-05 19:00 - 21:00 | First Unitarian Church of Worcester, 90 Main St, Worcester, MA, 01608, United States
Engaging Hibakusha: An Evening with Japanese A-bomb Survivors (Hibanksha)
Join us for exchanges between Japanese A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) Hiroshi Kanamoto and Yoshinori Ohmura, and Gensuikyo Assistant General Secretary Yayoi Tsuchida. They are in the US to participate in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Review Conference at the U.N. They are leaders of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient organization Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- & H-Bomb Sufferers Organization.) Throughout the day, they will be meeting with students, faculty, and community leaders.

Cuba after Castro
2026-05-04 17:45 - 19:45 | Easthampton Library Annex, 52 Main St, Easthampton, MA, 01027
Cuba in the Valley Film Series
NBC and Kristen Welker made popular headlines with their interview of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal Bermudez and cynical questions such as “will you step down”, also claiming their interview was “first” and “exclusive”.
But just days before Welker and NBC came Abby Martin, Matt Belen and Breakthrough News with an interview with Pres Diaz-Canal revealing who he actually is and represents and what actually is going on in Cuba.
The film chronicles Diaz-Canel’s formation as the first and to some an unexpected successor to the Castros — an unassuming organizer molded by the revolutionary process, the first leader born after the Cuban Revolution. Confronting a perfect storm of intensified U.S. sanctions, a media war, a devastating pandemic, and historic domestic protests. Díaz-Canel reflects on navigating these existential crises for the nation he has come to lead.
Through his eyes and words we see a vision of revolutionary Cuba that you don’t get in the US press: a nation of collective values and defiance in the face of constant threats from the United States.
Sponsored by Easthampton Public Library, cosponsored by MAPA

Bridgewater: Japanese Hibakusha Delegation
2026-05-04 10:00 - 19:30 | Heritage Room, Maxwell Library, Bridgewater State University, 131 Summer Street, Bridgewater, MA, United States
Meeting and Engaging with Japanese A-Bomb Survivors: Nuclear Disarmament and Peace Movement Leaders
Join us for exchanges between Japanese A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) Hiroshi Kanamoto and Yoshinori Ohmura, and Gensuikyo Assistant General Secretary Yayoi Tsuchida. They are in the US to participate in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Review Conference at the U.N. They are leaders of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient organization Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- & H-Bomb Sufferers Organization.)
Throughout the day, they will be meeting with students, faculty, and community leaders, and campaigning. For schedule details, contact Fran Jeffries c/o MAPA at info@masspeaceaction.org or call 617-354-2169.

Cambridge: Japanese Hibakusha Delegation
2026-05-03 14:30 - 16:30 | St James Episcopal Church – Parish Hall, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02140
Disarmament and Peace Movement Exchange with Japanese A-Bomb Survivors
Join us for an exchange between Japanese A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) and Boston area peace and nuclear disarmament activists. Hiroshi Kanamoto and Yoshinori Ohmura, and Gensuikyo Assistant General Secretary Yayoi Tsuchida are in the US to participate in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Review Conference at the U.N. The are leaders of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient organization Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- & H-Bomb Sufferers Organization.) Join us and Boston area peace and justice movement leaders describe their commitments and campaigning.
See directions to the St James Church parish hall.

Wake up the Earth 2026: Volunteer for Peace!
2026-05-02 11:00 - 17:00 | near Stony Brook MBTA Station, New Minton St and Lamartine St, Jamaica Plain, MA, United States
The 48th annual Wake Up the Earth Festival will take place on Saturday, May 2rd, 2026, from 12 PM to 4 PM.
MAPA will set up our peace and justice outreach table on the field across from Stony Brook Station on the Orange line in Jamaica Plain. Join us for an hour or two to distribute pamphlets, buttons, and Stop the War on Iran signs, and ask people to sign the latest peace petitions.
Additionally, we will set up the Eyes Wide Open exhibit at the festival, reminding everyone of the civilians killed in the war, including 165 elementary school girls killed in Minab, Iran, on the first day of the war. This exhibit will be at the basketball court.
We will be working in shifts, so sign up here if you are available, and be sure to indicate which shift you can join!

Boston May Day 2026: Book End Rally!
2026-05-01 16:30 - 18:00 | Boston Common, 139 Tremont St, Boston, 02111
Friday May 1st, 4:30pm – 6:00pm
Boston Common
139 Tremont Street
May Day will be a day of action in and around Boston, all culminating to a final rally at the Boston Common! Workers have the power, not the billionaires!
Trade unions and allied peace and justice organizations will be marking International Workers Day this Friday, May 1, with marches, rallies and, in some cases, work stoppages in communities across the country. Join us, and other MAPA members, for actions in Boston and across Massachusetts!
May Day is historically a time to celebrate the solidarity, dignity, and fight for the rights of workers and immigrants, but this year the stakes are higher than ever. Attacks on every aspect of working people’s lives – decent wages, education, health care, affordable housing, food security, voting rights, and the ability to live on a peaceful and healthy planet – are rampant.
The calls of resistance this year will include such messages as “Workers’ Needs, Not Billionaires!” and “No Work, No School, No Shopping!”
Other actions in Boston can also be found here: https://linktr.ee/BostonMayDay2026
For a list of Mayday actions across the country, as well as toolkits, and other helpful resources visit:
www.maydaystrong.org
