MAU Central's Anjali guest blogs at 1Sky....

Only 4 days left until Mother's Day weekend! Today's guest blog is from Anjali Kochar of Mothers Acting Up, a mother of two with some inspiring thoughts on our responsibility to our children this Mother's Day. Click here to start or join a 1Sky's Mother's Day gathering near you if you haven't yet!

I was in the backyard with the girls this weekend when my one and a half year old saw a butterfly flutter by. Her eyes grew big and round, her little mouth formed the word "Oh" and she darted after it. The wonder in her eyes, the excitement in her voice were priceless. The littlest things that Mother Earth has put before us can create such joy in the smallest among us!

As I sat watching her trying to catch the butterfly, I thought about my older daughter, who's 6 and a half and how we've been teaching her about preserving and respecting the environment(... more here)

Earth Hour 2008.

Declare Yourself Independent From Junk Mail!

And just think of how much you'll reduce waste and demand for same, thereby protecting the environment For Kids' Sake!

We Heart You, Madam Speaker of the House!!

A great quote from Nancy Pelosi in the Scholastic News for Kids, March 5, 2007 Edition 4:

“When people ask me what are the three most important issues today in Congress, I always say the same thing: our children, our children, our children. Their health, their education, their economic security, their families, their environment...and, of course, a world at peace in which they can thrive.”

Of noses, bums, and tall trees.

As women and mothers, we're the largest consumers for our households and families. Where we put the money speaks volumes about what we value. Which is why, when I look around my own home at the tail end of colds, pollen takeover, ear and upper respiratory infections, I see just how much tissue we've been using.

Adhering to the MAU principle of following the money and affirming with support, I look for ways to throw my monetary and ethical weight behind the Mother Agenda, looking away from Kleenex and toward products that are kind on my wallet, my baby's nose, and ancient forests.

For forest friendly tissue products, when cloth just won't do, I'll be printing this list for handy fridge reference where it can nestle up to my running grocery and household list. I encourage you mamas to do same.

Shut down: build community, save energy.

Here's what this blogger will be doing this weekend instead of spending time here.

Speaking to the call for a Mother Agenda.

THIS IS NOT A CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT, it’s a hopeful sign that when one leads others will follow!

John Edwards is listening to our call for a *Mother Agenda:

Yesterday, I delivered a speech in New Hampshire where I laid out a transformational change agenda to guarantee universal health care, stop global warming, close the education gap, end poverty at home, and make America more secure through an historic effort to reduce poverty across the globe.

Some Highlights:

• I outlined a plan I call "College for Everyone" that will pay for the first year of college for any student in America who needs it and is willing to work part-time.
  
• We need transformational change to stop global warming and create a new energy economy that helps fuel the growth of a secure middle class in the 21st century. By changing our energy infrastructure and investing in research, development and deployment of alternative energy technologies, we can create more than a million new jobs in America. We must set an example for the world by implementing a cap on carbon emissions and through dramatically increasing our national and individual energy efficiency.
  
• There's one other subject I talked about yesterday that is very important to me personally—and to the security of America. And that's global poverty. So yesterday I outlined my plan to tackle global poverty head on. We will launch a worldwide effort to bring primary education to every corner of the globe. We will invest in preventive health care through clean water and sanitation systems to give poor families a chance at healthy lives. We will provide the tools of local entrepreneurship and active citizenry that are the cornerstones of stable prosperity. And we will create a cabinet level position in the White House to elevate all our national efforts at eradicating poverty worldwide.

You can link to Edwards' full speech here.


* MAU is mobilizing the mamas in 2007 to build three major campaigns, collectively called the Mother Agenda: 1) Protect our global family: Champion the MDGs 2) For children’s sake: Preserve our planet, and 3) The true cost of war: Measure the impact on children . We are working in coalition with groups and mamas like YOU to educate our communities and decision makers about these three campaigns and build the political will to shape policies and redistribute money to care for our global family & planet. These three campaigns will run through all MAU’s Web actions, collective actions and field trips — the first action being a letter to our Congressional leaders, introducing ourselves and the Mother Agenda. Sign on to a part of the Mother Agenda here.

Greening up the post.

For a dime a day Greendimes will stop your junkmail, reduce paper use and waste, AND plant a tree for you each month. You can even sign up to give a gift membership.

MAU Majora Carter on PBS's NOW!!

Hurrah!

2007 Mother Leadership Handbook portrait Majora Carter will be on the PBS program NOW, tomorrow, Sunday January 28.

Founder of Sustainable South Bronx, Majora's work is taking great strides toward environmental balance in her densely urban home community. Learn more about her appearance on NOW and tune in!

We're thrilled that Majora's efforts toward a better world for all of us are being celebrated.