Resistance Center for Peace and Justice

Financials

In 2023, the Resistance Center reported revenue of $413. All revenue came from contributions. Expenses totaled $8,895, resulting in a net income of -$8,482. The Resistance Center reported total assets and total liabilities of $0, leading to net assets of $0. ²

Programs
The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice oversees four campaigns addressing “social justice” issues. The Divest from War, Invest in Human Needs campaign targets L3Harris, a Northampton-based weapons contractor, urging communities and officials to redirect military funds toward education, healthcare, and “green jobs,” highlighting the 60 percent military share of the U.S. discretionary budget. ³

The Stop Recruiting Kids initiative monitors military recruiter presence in western Massachusetts high schools, advocating for opt-out forms, transparent policies, and records of recruiter visits to limit enlistment efforts towards students. ⁴

Press Pause on Surveillance opposes facial recognition technology, alleging its misuse against vulnerable groups, and has secured moratoriums in Springfield, Northampton, and Easthampton. ⁵

The Safer Communities Campaign collaborates with partners like the ACLU of Massachusetts to address militarism’s local impact through education and policy advocacy. ⁶

People

Jeff Napolitano worked as executive director of the Resistance Center from October 2017 to January 2020. ⁷ Napolitano is still listed on the Resistance Center’s website as the executive director. Napolitano is an ex-officio member of the group’s board of directors. He previously worked as the program coordinator for the western Massachusetts initiative of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). ⁸

As of September 2025, Gladys Franco holds the position of chair of the board at the Resistance Center for Peace and Justice. She is a community organizer and educational leader currently serving as clerk of the Migration Advocacy Committee. Previously, she was vice chair of the board of directors for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Springfield. She has worked 19 years in education, including as a history teacher. She now works as a special education coordinator for the Department of Youth Services and County Houses of Correction across Western, Central, and Northeast regions through the Collaborative for Educational Services. ⁹

Jonathan King is co-chair of Massachusetts Peace Action (MPA) and chairs its Nuclear Disarmament Working Group at the Resistance Center for Peace and Justice. He has been involved with Citizens for Public Schools as a board member and is vice-president of the Cambridge Residents Alliance, focusing on housing and transit. Previously, he chaired the Scientists for Obama Committee in Massachusetts and co-authored the Science for Peace Resolution with the World Council of Churches, advocating for nuclear disarmament and the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention in 1989. ¹⁰

Merriam Ansara is one of the founders of the Resistance Center for Peace and Justice. She has engaged with the Easthampton Community Coalition, Raging Grannies, Western Mass Code Pink, and Enlaces de Familia in Holyoke. Since 2020, she has worked with Massachusetts Peace Action leading the Cuba subteam, representing MPA in the National Network on Cuba, and coordinating MPA’s efforts in Massachusetts Congressional District 1. She also participates in MPA’s Fund Healthcare Not Warfare working group, the Ukraine Emergency Committee, and the Latin America/Caribbean working group. ¹⁰