Mother's Day wrap up!

Dearest Joy Warriors & Apron String Revolutionaries; The MAU Mother's Day stories and photographs keep rolling in! Thousands of mothers acting up gathered in cities and hamlets across the nation to celebrate the day in the spirit of Julia Ward Howe: advocating for the world's children. We've gone public with press aplenty, witnesses to the powerful force that is mother leadership! And in a year when many events partnered with 1Sky on their collective Mother's Day Action, it's no surprise that the weather played a large role in the festivities. Here are a few reports: From Teresa in Snohomish, WA: Our Mother's Day Gathering for Peace was a huge success! We had well over 125 people and it didn't rain! Our tradition is to have a girl/woman from every decade read a portion of the Mother's Day Proclamation by stepping up onto a tree stump. We even had our spry, mid-70s grandmother step proudly up on the stump! From Kate in Northern Michigan: A great group of area women came together to celebrate and collaborate during our annual Northern Michigan MAU Mother's Day event. This year, we focused on a simple recipe for success with our theme, "Just Add Water." We honored five local women who have been passionate advocates for our lakes and rivers, and were fortunate enough to hear their inspiring stories of activism. Our bazaar brought in $8,000 -- a fantastic kick off toward our $14,000 goal to bring a PlayPump well system to a village in Tanzania. From Paige in Nashville: Gale force winds (up to 30 miles per hour) radically altered our plans for our 3rd Annual Peace Parade. Two trees fell while we were at the park to set up. Mother Nature was to be respected and lived with in all her wonder. We opted to go out for coffee instead of setting up, then gathered for our parade and cake and a spirited reading of the proclamation. We had a surprisingly large crowd, given the weather. It was wild and great and we went from one stilt walker last year to two this year. We nearly blew away. But didn't. From Juliana in Boulder: Mother's Day began the week before in Boulder with Girlcotts celebrating local fair trade stores, a performance of (M)other and Janna on TV! Then on Sunday, the Raging Grannies led a parade of stilt-walkers and strollers to gather for music, kids activities, cake and a thousand fair trade roses from Transfair/USA. Eight other organizations joined MAU in the celebration; talking with participants and hearing the eloquent words of MAU Co-founder Erica Shafroth and Jen Parsons. The entire crowd enjoyed stirring music from Danea Shanti and Ancestral Voices, including a troop of belly dancers! A festival atmosphere prevailed, culminating in an hour-long interview with Dr. Daddio! From Kate in Bend, OR: I am very inspired and unbelievably satisfied: we had a splendid Reclaiming Mother's Day event. Our first annual MAU celebration of Julia Ward Howe's original vision started off with gusts of wind, snow and chilly temps. No matter though: families still came to picnic, play and participate in the movement. David in Oklahoma City: In the midst of a rainy month we were blessed with an absolutely beautiful sunny afternoon and had a crowd of 75-100 people -- women, men and children -- who enjoyed being on the grass and even under a large shade tree, so everyone stayed comfortable. [We had] a wonderful speech by State Senator Connie Johnson, whose birthday it also happened to be. Our two elementary-school essay contest winners read what they had written on the subject, "I Want To Live In a World In Which . . . " and they each received $40 in gift certificates for their efforts. Laura in Austin, TX: Adorned in colorful tutus, feathers, and flowers, Austin mamas marched across the pedestrian bridge, which spans our beautiful Town Lake, declaring, "There ain't no power like the power of the mama, and the power of the mama don't stop!" Cheers to mamas, papas, mini-MAUs and all who answered Julia's call to "Arise!" Yours for the JOYFUL revolution, The Mavens at MAU Central P.S. MAU Central gives a huge shout out to Paige for all the encouragement, support and guidance she dispatched along the planning route to Reclaiming Mother's Day. On June 1 MAU Central will say goodbye to Paige as Outreach Coordinator, sending love and blessings to her next adventure. On behalf of all MAUs who have been touched by her spirit, we thank Paige for her incredible leadership, passion, exuberance and her wonderful laugh! We hope to hear it often in the years to come...

Barack Obama sits down with BlogHer....

In breaking news over the weekend, presidential candidate Barack Obama is the first and only of all invited candidates to sit down on camera to answer policy questions from BlogHer, a growing force of women / mama power on the internet.

The moms came marching one by one....

Publish Date: 5/12/2008

Jennifer Parsons of Longmont helps her daughter Sedona, 1, wipe her eye Sunday before the start of the seventh annual Mothers Acting Up parade in downtown Boulder. Janna Vance of Longmont, right, and Parsons are members of Longmont Moms Go Green. Lewis Geyer/Times-Call

Mom Movement
125 gather in Boulder to march for a better future

By Scott Rochat
Longmont Times-Call

BOULDER — The moms came marching one by one — and then some.

About 125 people paraded through Boulder on Sunday, from moms on stilts to kids in strollers. It was Mother’s Day and that meant it was time for Mothers Acting Up to go on the march.

“We’re just having a lot of fun out here, while doing something worthwhile for everyone,” said Isabel Cousins of Boulder, wearing a bike helmet that had been turned into a crown of flowers, with bright purple and orange blooms.

Mothers Acting Up got its start seven years ago...(more)

Nashville MAU's Mother's Day events in Nashville Parent.

More than merely Mother's Day

Mothers Acting Up hosts its annual downtown parade Sunday

By Jennifer Bronson, Camera Staff Writer
Saturday, May 10, 2008

Photo by Cliff Grassmick

Erika Shafroth, left, and Joellen Raderstorf, share a laughwhile on stilts before the Mothers Acting Up parade. The Fifth Annual Mother's Acting Up Parade was held Sunday (Mother's Day) in downtown Boulder. The parade was held to "mobilize the gigantic strength of mothers on behalf of the world's children."

Some mothers in Boulder want Mother's Day to be more than an excuse for flowers and breakfast in bed.

The members of Mothers Acting Up say they are "re-claiming" Mother's Day, taking it back to its historic roots as a day of female activism.

Instead of celebrating the day with a leisurely brunch, the organization's members hope that mothers in Boulder will come together at the seventh annual Reclaim Mother's Day parade to demonstrate the strength mothers have when united for a cause.

The parade will begin at the Boulder Public Library at 1 p.m. Sunday and end at the Pearl Street Mall. The annual Mother's Day events organized by Mothers Acting Up were inspired by a declaration made by Julia Ward Howe after the Civil War, when she called for a day when mothers would unite across boundaries to protect their global family.

In her Mother's Day proclamation, Howe said: "Arise, arise, all women who have hearts!"(...more)

MAU Executive Director on public radio's A Public Affair at noon central Friday 5/9.

Tomorrow at noon (Central Daylight Time) MAU co-founder and Executive Director Joellen Raderstorf will be on a very special Mother's Day edition of WORT public radio's A Public Affair with hosts Diane Farsetta and Judith Siers-Poisson of Madison, Wisconsin.

From the WORT website:

A Public Affair

A Public Affair aims to engage listeners in a conversation on issues of international, national, & local importance with some novelty shows thrown in. The guests range from local activists and scholars to notable national & international figures. The hosts alternate throughout the week as do the focuses and topics. It is a call-in show that airs Monday through Friday from 12:05 to 1:00 pm.

Make sure to tune in online!!

Empowered mothers change the world

MAU co-founder and program director Beth Osnes was in Toronto last week to perform (M)other for the Mother Outlaws' ARM (Association for Research on Mothering) conference. The below article, from the Times & Transcript details the conference and talks about MAU's role in feminism and in mothering.

Empowered mothers change the world

Published Thursday May 8th, 2008

Motherhood should not impoverish you. Mothers are people too. Children are the responsibility of both parents. Every child a wanted child. Motherwork is work.

Much of the women's movement has been about those issues, about motherwork.

Mothers remain the main movers behind the movement. A fight for mothers to be valued, for a world where parenting was shared between the sexes and supported by the community.

Giving women more options -- at the core of the movement -- has meant changing attitudes and sometimes laws so that women could have children as well as a job, or not have children, or not be penalized for choosing to take care of children.(.... more here)

MAU Seeks to Raise Awareness of Whole New Generation of Activists.

From the Colorado Daily....

Mothers Acting Up

BOULDER-BASED ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF ACTIVISTS

By DEBRA GOLDYN, Your Town Correspondent
Monday, May 5, 2008

IF YOU GO WHAT: MAU Mother's Day Parade

WHEN: Sunday, May 11, 1 p.m.

WHERE: Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd., Boulder, 80302; to the Pearl Street Mall

HOW MUCH: Free

ON THE WEB: www.bouldermau.blogspot.com

The environment is ailing, there's a war raging in Iraq, and there are children living in poverty around the globe. What's a concerned mother to do? Why, strap on a pair of stilts, of course.

At least that's the thinking for Mothers Acting Up (MAU), a Boulder-based global network of "mothers and others, on stilts or off, who exercise protective care over someone smaller." The group, which lists "Be Exuberant" as one of its guiding principles, seeks to mobilize that most primal of instincts--a mother's love--and turn it into a political force to be reckoned with. The stilts are just a unique way to bring attention to MAU's message of positive activism.

Stilts are "really the perfect metaphor for what we do,"(...more)

(M)other Tour in Toronto!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Anjali Kochar, anjali@mothersactingup.org, cell: 917.969.2108

***Media Alert: (M)other comes to Toronto April 26***

SHOW INSPIRES MOMS TO FIND POLITICAL VOICE

THEATRE FOR EMPOWERMENT HELPS MOTHERS SEE THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS

OF ALL OUR LIVES

WHEN: April 26, Saturday at 7:00 PM. This event is free.

WHERE: Palmerston Library Theatre, 560 Palmerston Ave., Near Bathurst & Bloor, Toronto

WHO: Mothers Acting Up (MAU) inspires and mobilizes mothers to advocate on behalf of the world’s children. www.mothersactingup.org

This performance is sponsored by Mother Outlaws, Association for Research on Mothering, Mothers Acting Up and Philanthropiece.

WHAT: (M)other: a one-woman performance by MAU co-founder Beth Osnes, (M)other explores what it might take for the mothers of one country to authentically care about the mothers and children of another country. The fiction that the “other” is not part of the “mother” is washed away. What remains is a powerful affirmation of our interconnectedness in both our challenges and our solutions as a global community.

(M)other, a program of Mothers Acting Up (MAU) and Philanthropiece, combines art with social empowerment and is an inspiring opening act to reclaim the activist roots of Mother’s Day. This performance is part of The Mother Tour which will travel to cities across North America and parts of Asia and Africa from May 2008-2010.

# # #

Background:
Mothers Acting Up (MAU) inspires and mobilizes mothers* to advocate on behalf of the world’s children. MAU inspires, educates and engages mothers (a gigantic force to be reckoned with) to prioritize children in our corporate and public policies through monthly Web actions, annual Mother’s Day events, field trips to elected officials, Girlcotts, and daily inspiration and tools found in a weekly calendar. MAU brings a new breed of activism to the political landscape; one that is positive, accessible and supports mothers in making informed personal choices, inspiring collective action and influencing decision-makers. MAU, founded in 2002, is based in Boulder, CO. MAU believes that when mothers lead, generations of global citizens will follow.

Beth Osnes holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and teaches at the University of Colorado. She is currently touring her one-woman show, (M)other, around North America using theatre as a tool for empowering mothers to be effective advocates for the world’s children.

Let us:
whisper this to each other, sing it out in the streets,
yell it from our rooftops, declare it in our houses of government:
we will protect our children with our personal and political strength,
wherever they live on earth!

* mothers and others, on stilts or off, who exercise protective care over someone smaller.

MAU at National Mothers Conference.

MAU's Beth Osnes above, doing her stand-up routine.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Viviana Russell, 516 939-6667 X107, vivianar@motherscenter.org

Jericho, NY - April 17, 2008: Meeting of the Minds (and Mothers!)

Over 150 mothers-- and a few fathers-- traveled to Smithtown, NY April 4-6th for an historic conference sponsored by Jericho, NY based National Association of Mothers’ Centers (NAMC). The diverse group of national mothers support and advocacy organizations included: Family & Home Network, Mommies Network, Moms Rising, The Motherhood, Mothers & More, Mothers Acting Up, Mothers Movement Online, Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights (MOTHERS), National Advocates for Pregnant Women, NOW’s Mothers & Caregivers Economic Rights Committee, The Motherhood Project and the Welfare Warriors.

Attendees hailed from 24 Mothers’ Centers, 16 states and Canada. They networked, attended informative workshops and explored opportunities to work together for the rights and financial stability of mothers, parents and children in this country. Keynote speaker Ellen Bravo, author of “Taking on the Big Boys: Or Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business, and the Nation” fired up the group with words of inspiration. “I realized I’m not the failure. Society has failed us [parents]. I now know where to put my efforts for activism.”, commented one first time attendee at the end of the weekend.

The conference was hailed as “… inspiring and empowering.” The NAMC plans to continue the conversation with partnering organizations who said “Bringing together the representatives from various organizations was meaningful, the results of which will be seen in years to come.”

The NAMC is the leading organization that recognizes the challenges, realities and importance of mothering and other caregiving work, offering educational and support programs in local centers, in libraries and in the workplace, offering an annual Work/Life Conference as well as doing advocacy in the fields of postpartum depression, early care and education, work/life balance and the economic impact of being a care giver. For more information contact us at 877.939.MOMS X101, info@motherscenter.org, or visit our website at www.MothersCenter.org.

# # # # #

GROUP PHOTO

Back Row: (left to right)

Cathy Myers, Family & Home Network; Valerie Young, NAMC's MOTHERS Initiative; Joanne Brundage, Mothers & More; Judith Stadtman Tucker, Mothers Movement Online; Linda Lisi Juergens, NAMC; Pat Gowens, Welfare Warriors; Rhonda Kave, NAMC

Front Row: (left to right)

Emily McKhann, Moms Rising; Tiloma Jayasinghe, National Advocates for Pregnant Women; Debra Levy, Mothers & More; Kristin Maschka, Mothers & More; Beth Osnes, Mothers Acting Up

Photo credit: Moseley/bbaphotography.com

	Photo Donated by Bill Moseley/bbaphotography.com

Denver MAU launches Mindful Mama.

Denver MAU Sarah Kraft has launched Mindful Mama, a guide for pregnant and new mothers. If you're a mom-to-be, a care provider for same or just intrigued, check her out. You can even download a sample copy of Mindful Mama for perusing at your leisure....

Cool!

(M)other, an excerpt.

Mothers Vote.

From The Daily Camera:

Joellen Raderstorf heads the local nonprofit Mothers Acting Up, which aims to help moms become politically active in a variety of causes. She said she likes Clinton, but thinks the senator brings too much baggage to the race, which is why she gave Obama $1,000.

More here.

Question for the candidates.

Mother's State of the Union.

Political Moms Make Family Values Their Baby

Political Moms Make Family Values Their Baby Run Date: 01/09/08 By Alison Bowen WeNews correspondent Mothers' groups are talking to presidential campaigns about family values. It's time, says a founder of Moms Rising, to focus on paid sick days for workers, equal pay for women and affordable health care for all. (WOMENSENEWS)--Wobbling forward on stilts is one way to gain attention. That's why four founding members of Mothers Acting Up have been visible high above the crowds in more than 80 events since the group launched on Mother's Day 2002. "It became such a perfect metaphor for Mothers Acting Up," says Juliana Forbes, communications director for the Boulder, Colo., group focused on political advocacy for children around the world. "One of the biggest hurdles is really becoming public and visible in your community. If you're up on stilts, you are so visible. Everyone's looking at you." Building on their strategy of mobilizing active members to

MAU on WRVU's Liberadio(!) this week.

Stay tuned for the podcast and syndicated showtimes, and in the meantime, check out the Mary Mancini's post here about MAU and this weekend's Nashville activities.

It's time for mothers to decide.

Learn more about how to act up right here!

Worldwide: children's mortality rate going down!!

UNICEF recently disclosed the good news: our investment in children's wellbeing pays off.

Global mortality rate for children under five is on the decline!

Global Action for Children, formerly a campaign, now a full-on organization, tells us all about it in their hot off the presses press release!

We like her. We really really like her.

“Surely this [award] belongs to all the mothers of the world. May they be seen, may their work be valued and raised. Especially to the mothers who stand with an open heart and wait. Wait for their children to come home from danger, from harm’s way, and from war. I am proud to be one of those women.“ --Sally Field, accepting her Emmy on September 16, 2007

So what did you think of Sally Field's acceptance speech (for lead actress in Brothers & Sisters) at the Emmys on Sunday night?

It's been a hot topic around the MAU offices with emails and links pinging from screen to screen, passionate dialogue ensuing.

Ultimately, though she screeched (wild Grizzly mama, anyone?), though she stammered and got flustered (don't we all at some point do that, particularly when we are passionate?), though she cursed (placing the God before the damn, something -- which, whether you'd choose to speak that way publicly yourself or no-- not even deemed censorship worthy by the FCC (in a 2004 ruling)), Sally spoke up for and about and *as* a mother. Both as a fictional mother of a son departed for war, and as a real life mama.

Could she have been a better spokesperson with more modulated tones and less alienation from the cursing? Sure. I thought so at first. And I was so bummed that her entirely eloquent words about mothering got lost in the brouhaha.

But in talking and talking about it, and in weighing and measuring what the Fox network found so reprehensible (censoring, for what it would appear, the personal-is-political content of Fields' speech by cutting the camera away and going to silence), I've come to see that in so calling attention to Fields' gaffe in the the field of societal mores, Fox helped assure Fields' position as not a lightning rod, but a beacon of light itself, to be heard and seen again and again expressing completely appropriate outrage that the children which have been passionately loved and mothered so well, the children for whom we wait to return from war, even go in the first place!!

Were it up to us as a whole, we mothers would declare ourselves and our children-- be they twenty months or twenty years of age-- free from the violence and the outrage of war. We would find another way.

Sally, we thank you for speaking from the Mother Heart when in this present day world it is so unfashionable to do so. We thank you for wearing your Mother Heart on your tear stained sleeve, and for daring to deliver a message for which you will be both reviled and championed. A mother's work, never done, should not ever be a popularity contest, and is, in the end, done for the sake of our childre. ALL our children.

If mothers ruled the world...