Massachusetts Peace Action
Walking Away from War: Conscientious Objector’s
Cross-Country Trek Makes an Impact in Massachusetts
This summer, Mass Peace Action
organizers had the pleasure of
hosting several events with Josh
Steiber, a thoughtful, young combat
veteran turned Conscientious
Objector, who is walking and biking
across the United States speaking
out against war. When he came
through Massachusetts in June and
July, we helped organize a range of
opportunities for him to talk about his
experiences joining the military, participating in the “surge” in Iraq, and eventually developing the
conviction that he must refuse to fight. His insightful reflections focused on the destructive
consequences of a foreign policy that is based on fear and greed instead of global cooperation.
Above, even this
summer’s record
rainfall didn’t
stop Josh’s walk
through Mass. on
a dreary June
day. At right, Josh
with Mass Peace
Action staff and
interns after the
Cambridge event
in June.
Josh’s events in Massachusetts included a well-attended talk in Cambridge, which was recorded by
CCTV and Open Media Boston and aired on local cable. His presentation in Framingham on the
Fourth of July led to a front-page story in the MetroWest Daily News, and in Western Mass., he
spoke to a crowd of residents and vacationers in the Berkshires. At the Peace Abbey in Sherborn, he
signed the National Registry of Conscientious Objection. Not only is Josh devoting his travels to
making stops such as these where he can educate audiences about the inhumanity of war, he is also
seeking out positive alternatives to support. As he makes his way across the country, he is visiting
several innovative organizations that are cultivating social justice and building a more peaceful,
sustainable world. He is donating the money he made while enlisted to these causes and raising
awareness of their work. You can learn about these initiatives and follow Josh as his “Contagious
Love Experiment” takes him far and wide at http://contagiousloveexperiment. wordpress.com.
Read more about the Massachusetts leg of his journey at http://justicewithpeace.org/node/300.
Journeying Toward a World Without Nuclear Weapons
Fall 2009 v
Massachusetts
Peace Action
is a nonprofit, nonpartisan
grassroots membership
organization working for the
sustained political power to attain a
just and peaceful foreign policy, an
end to armed conflict and arms
trafficking, the abolition of nuclear
weapons, and an economy that
meets human and environmental
needs rather than military
objectives. The Mass Peace Action
Education Fund is our tax-exempt
501(c)3 sister organization. Mass
Peace Action is an affiliate of the
national Peace Action network, the
country’s largest grassroots peace
and disarmament membership
organization, with over 100,000
members and 30 local chapters
across the United States.
Our work is funded entirely by
private donations from our
members and supporters. Thank
you for making this possible.
Mass Peace Action
11 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
phone: 617-354-2169
fax:
617-354-2146
www.MassPeaceAction.org
Mass Peace Action
Board of Directors
James A. Babson
Steven Brion-Meisels
Matthew Connolly
Shelagh Foreman
Eva Moseley
Guntram Mueller
Susanna Porte, Chair
Mass Peace Action
Education Fund
Board of Directors
Josh Steiber (above) was not the only peace walker traveling across our state this summer. Twelve committed activists
embarked on the Walk for a Nuclear Free Future, initiated by the Peace Pagoda in Leverett and co-sponsored by Mass
Peace Action. Culminating on August 9th, the date the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, the walk passed
through dozens of communities, where the participants joined with local activists for vigils, community potlucks and
discussions, educational events, and meetings with municipal leaders. These photos, above, are from the peace walkers’
visit to Boston City Hall, which included a forum hosted by City Councilor Chuck Turner, who is pictured to the right in front
of a vivid photographic display of the devastating impact of nuclear weapons. Staffers representing nearly all City Council
offices attended the event and were briefed on the work of Mayors for Peace and the anti-nuclear efforts of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors. Mass Peace Action organizers also joined the peace walkers in setting up meetings with the ViceMayor of Cambridge and the Mayor of Newton. Learn more about ways you can engage municipal leaders in building
momentum toward the United Nation’s Non-Proliferation Treaty Review (NPT) Conference this May (back page).
«Vote November 3rd!«
Many cities and towns have municipal elections this fall. This is a
great opportunity to ask your local candidates to support the Mayors for Peace Campaign (MayorsforPeace.org) and
the 25% Solution Campaign (25percentsolution.org) to shift military spending to investments in our communities. Visit
MassPeaceAction.org to see what Boston mayoral candidates have to say about peace issues with local implications.
Rosalie Anders
Christie Dennis, Chair
Shelagh Foreman
Gary Goldstein
Eva Moseley
Ken Thomson
Contact Us
Shelagh Foreman, Board
Program Director
[email protected]
Julia Herzig, Staff
Program Associate
[email protected]
Angela Kelly, Consultant
[email protected]
Susanna Porte
Office Coordinator, Board
[email protected]