(M)other, an excerpt.

Sing it Out, Mamas: vote.

The Gubmint: how ordinary mamas and other mortals can make a difference.

	We realize that we live in a world that does not prioritize or protect our children's well-being and that this will not change without each of us finding the courage and commitment to speak out on their behalf . . . Our local, state/regional and federal lawmakers spend our tax dollars and represent our concerns; isn’t that handy? The crucial ingredient in making this relationship work is to ensure our elected leaders HEAR our concerns. MAU focuses on building relationship with federal leaders (a.k.a. Members of Congress or MOCs). In the US, we each have a representative in the House of Representative (435 total) and two senators (100 total) in the Senate. They work for us. So whistle the old song, “Getting to know you” and begin to create a relationship with your elected leaders. You may need to throw your weight around a bit, build up your Mama Grizzly strength – a couple of practice growls a day. As with all important, long-term relationships, working with decision makers entails respect and a series of contacts: Introduce yourself: send a handwritten card or letter (evidence of a REAL person who has the wherewithal to find stamps) beginning with who you are and your personal reason for writing; followed by a direct request; and concluding with, “Thank you for your leadership. I request the honor of a reply.” Remember to declare you are part of a global movement of mothers (makes everyone sit up straighter.) IMPORTANT: If you write as part of an online email campaign, ALWAYS add something personal to the beginning of the auto-letter; “As a mother acting up, I request…” or “As a mother of our future leaders.” Faxing is good. A faxed handwritten letter is great. Call and reintroduce yourself as a MAU. Repeat your request and/or new concerns. Call early and often; deluge can be a good word. Gratitude to those who serve is an important ingredient. Plan to stop by. MAU has a recipe for Field Trips to our MOCs. Use it to plan out your visit. The start of summer vacation is a great time to bring a school bus of children from the neighborhood. “We just visited the office for one of the 100 top leaders in our country,” shared a MAU with her children after a Field Trip to the MOCs. Contact information for US citizens (all global citizens might want to make contact, given the global impact of the US Government): The White House (202) 456-1414 – Ask for the comment line and leave short messages with the White House Operators (some of the nicest humans on earth.) Capitol Switchboard (to call your US legislators): (202) 224-3121 or visit their Websites: US Senators=www.senate.gov, US Congress members=www.house.gov. Check out the Office of Management and Budget (www.omb.gov) to read the US budget, and Department of Defense Contracts page (http:/www.defenselink.mil/contracts/index.aspx) for keeping abreast of what your tax dollars are funding. Be sure to be sitting down. Children’s wellbeing is at the top of every mother’s agenda. It’s time to bring it to the top of our political agendas. Make it so mamas.

MAUs in Community.

Finding MAU Communities has never been easier.

If you don't see your community listed on the click on map, give Paige a yell.

Security, Stay At Home, Surprise,Single and all.... the mother vote is powerful.

The Mother Agenda and mothers themselves are CRITICAL to getting out (and to the results of) the vote in 2008.



Mothers Acting Up asks each mother* to take the pledge to bring REAL security to the forefront of every conversation-- act now!!
(*mothers and others who exercise protective care over someone small)


Moms Rising is taking a poll on how their members want to be involved.


Every Child Matters is offering free reports of the Homeland Insecurity Report, and bumper stickers declaring "I VOTE FOR KIDS."


Children's Defense Fund has backed Susie for President.

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.

Chalking4Peace...

Chalk for Peace founder John Aaron gives MAU a holler!

Mother's State of the Union.

The year to engage.

Dearest Joy Warriors and Apron String Revolutionaries, Happy New Year and oh mamas, we're off to a good start with the highest number of actions taken in MAU history with January's MAU pledge, a promise to help bring security to the forefront of all conversations! Congratulations, and keep those pledges coming: sign if you haven't yet and/or invite your circles of friends to sign. See if your community can have the most signatures by February 15, and I'll send you a grab bag celebration package to share with your community of mamas. As Mothers Acting Up, we're serious about our celebrations, and celebrate our seriousness. To that end, my dears, after signing the pledge, I ask that you put your hearts toward what it is that makes YOU a MAU. We'll share your thoughts on this hot topic on the MAU national blog, and you can further expand your thinking by joining in spirited dialogue on the brand new list serv for MAUs nationwide. Come by and introduce yourself and start composing your list of the top ten ways to be a MAU. From the Mothership, to jumpstart the conversation, our top ten ways to be a MAU: Join MAU and receive monthly actions & newsletters. Participate in collective actions, strengthening the impact of what we all do TOGETHER. Buy the MAU Handbook for daily inspiration. And then buy one for a friend. Memorize the MAU principles and apply them in your discussions, visions, plans and actions. Make a cheat sheet and xerox it onto card stock to hand out! Contact your Members of Congress at least three times a year (bonus points if you show up with kids and share cookies or homegrown tomatoes with the staff; they will remember you!) Publicly Reclaim Mother's Day in your community, from radio shows to parades: Arise! Girlcott EVERY DAY: Use money to create social change! Write a letter to the editor and/or op-ed about one MAU action and get it published! Need encouragement? Give a yell. Participate in the annual MAU collective postcard action. Sign and send your own, then pass them out at library story-time and coffee house knitting parties! Get inspired by attending MAU Live! or by hosting a presenting MAU event. Spread the mighty Word of MAU to five friends — invite them to begin at #1! Click here for the MAU top 10 ten list with handy links to get started! We look forward to hearing from you, and encourage you to share this missive with your friends and family. It's time for all hands on deck, mamas. There's big work to be done, and we're just the ones to do it. The children say: YES! Yours for the Apron String Revolution, Paige, AKA Ms. Booty Homemaker, for the MAU Mavens Janna Vance of Longmont, CO is championing MAU as her charity of choice in Parade Magazine's America's Giving Challenge. Make a $10 donation to MAU via Janna's link and MAU has a chance win the challenge! If 1 in 4 MAUs gives and/or tells 3 friends, we'll win. Read Janna's appeal.

5 Questions to ask EVERY elected leader and candidate.

From Families Online Magazine.....

My vision is a world of compassion where caring for and empowering children and their families around the world is the first priority of nations. – Octavia Allis

From Mothers Acting Up

5 Questions to ask EVERY elected leader and candidate

Ask these questions whether you’re at a Town Meeting, a cookie drop off or on a Field Trip with fellow community members and a great raft of children. For more information: www.mothersactingup.org.

1. World leaders have committed themselves to the 8 Millennium Development Goals, the most universally agreed to framework for ending extreme poverty. Will you vote for full funding of our country’s promise to contribute .7 percent of our GNP to the Millennium Development Goals?

2. In order to address the growing threat of global warming, scientists tell us that we need to reduce global warming emissions by an average of 2 percent each year through the middle of the century – achieving 80 percent reductions by 2050. Do you have a plan to meet these or other targets? (source: www.heatison.org.)

....More here!

Join in for spirited dialogue.

Come on over and join the brand spaking new list serv for Mothers Acting Up nationally, and beyond!!

Earth Hour 2008.

Can One Woman's Passion Change the World?

From Boulder MAU's Janna Vance:

I started to discover my passion when I left the hospital three days after my daughter, Lillian, was born. I had to leave my sweet baby girl in the nursery. My heart broke. I knew that there were many, many people in this world that had to leave their sweet babies in the nursery for much longer and I felt for them. But, that time away from Lillian was among the most horrible and heart-wrenching of my life.

Then, a strange thing happened. Lillian was released from the hospital. But as my husband drove us home, I gazed out the window at the people walking on the streets, the parks, the world. All of it moving so fast, none of them thinking about the safety of my baby girl. And I thought, "What is this world that I'm bringing my baby home to?" She was so incredibly safe in the nursery. Even I and my husband had to go through security measures to get in to see our baby. Now, all of that would be gone. The only thing standing in between my daughter and the cruel world... was me!

And what of the other children in the world? Was there someone to stand up for them? Would they be safe? Would they all have the support to grow up to be the people that I would want my daughter to share the world with?

That is precisely why I am joining the Parade Magazine America's Giving Challenge. I am competing to gain the most new supporters for my charity, Mothers Acting Up. If I win, I will receive $50,000 for the charity of my choice! But the challenge ends in just 17 days, so the time is now.

Mothers Acting Up works to ensure that someone does look out for the world's children, and so much more. I have had the opportunity to spend a little time with the MAU team in Boulder, CO and they are the most amazing, passionate and inspiring people I've ever met. MAU works in the local community to increase awareness of all issues related to children and the world we will pass along to them. MAU works to ensure that our children will have a planet that is environmentally balanced, politically fair and joyful in its diversity.

I am not sure that my passion can change the world, but I know that my passion and your support can help sustain this wonderful organization to foster world change!

I am asking you to please give $10 to Mothers Acting Up and help me toward my goal of winning the America's Giving Challenge. The challenge awards the person who reaches the largest number of new supporters. Therefore, if you can inspire your family members, friends and colleagues to give I stand a real chance of winning this challenge. So, please pass it on. And thank you for caring.

Click here to give: http://www.networkforgood.org/pca/Badge.aspx?BadgeId=109713

Find more about MAU at www.mothersactingup.org And keep up on my progress on the Boulder MAU Blog.

In great appreciation,

Janna Vance

Moms take action to improve life for families worldwide

From the Traverse City Record-Eagle

Moms take action to improve life for families worldwide

BY MARTA HEPLER DRAHOS
mdrahos@record-eagle.com

HARBOR SPRINGS -- Hillary Rodham Clinton may have made the old African proverb famous, but Kate Bassett and Copland Rudolph have always known that it takes a village to raise a child.

Believing that children can thrive only if their families do, and if the whole of society cares enough to provide for them, the Harbor Springs friends home school their four children together and sponsor six more children in Africa, Sri Lanka and Honduras through the Christian Children's Fund. And when Rudolph got an unsolicited calendar in the mail a few years ago from an international group called Mothers Acting Up, they were immediately drawn to its mission of action on behalf of children everywhere.

"We believe that beyond our traditional mother roles we have a responsibility to (publicly) and passionately advocate for the world's children," said Rudolph, 40, a restaurateur and environmentalist with a background in counseling and psychology.

After attending a nearby lecture on Millennium Development Goals, a set of global strategies for ending extreme poverty by 2015, the women decided to start a local affiliate of Mothers Acting Up in 2006.

"I think that we knew just from being moms and (living) in our community that we live in a really compassionate place," said Bassett, 29, assistant editor of the Harbor Light newspaper. "I think that first Mothers' Day we went in blind and hoping for the best. We didn't know if five people would show up or 30 people."

Now Northern Michigan Mothers Acting Up.... (more here)

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

More green commitments.

You can check out earlier entries here. And keep checking back for more!!

We have reduced the number of plastic shopping bags we use by now using reusable shopping bags. Many local grocery stores sell them for about $1. We live about 4 miles from the ocean and know the effect on sea life that the plastic bags have. --Melissa, of Phippsburg, ME

We commit to buy less and give away more. We committed and reached our goal of raising and fishing for all our meats and fish for the winter. We have two full freezers of organic meats that we have raised ourselves :) --Linda, of Olympia, WA

As a single Mother and a Professor of Teacher Education I am committed both personally and professionally to setting a Green Example for my daughter and my college students. I am dedicated to driving my hybrid in the most fuel efficient fashion possible. I am dedicated to buying only paper products that are fully post-consumer. I will continue to reduce, reuse, and recycle anything and everything that I can.I will continue to educate my friends, family, and students about Green choices we can make on a daily basis. --Michelle, of De Pere, WI

I have been committed to this issue for quite a while. So far I pack my daughter's lunch in a laptop lunch box which avoids the waste of packaged foods (http://www.laptoplunches.com/). I cancelled all catalouge and almost all of my magazine subscriptions. I bring the hangers back to the cleaners. I use only canvas bags at the grocery store and the mall. I use biobags for kitty litter. I drive a PZEV (partial zero emission vehicle). What else??? I shop at the local farmer's market and try to avoid buying packaged foods. I line dry my clothes which is not always convenient for everyone! Next year I plan to compost in my backyard! And one more thing.... I use a stainless cup when I get a cup o Joe at Starbucks!!!!!--Ericka, of Van Nuys, CA

We will bike when we can, wait til we have three errands to drive, turn off lights when not in use, keep our car tires inflated, get ALL good lightbulbs, turn our heat down two degrees. --Beth, of Boulder, CO

One Hot Mama.

MAU Go Green Commitments from November action.

Replace ALL my light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; start riding my bike to work; plant a garden this spring. -- Judy, of Albuquerque, NM

I am an apartment manager and will initiate conservation programs throughout our community. We will install low-wattage light bulbs, encourage reporting leaking faucets, etc. Personally, I will be more vigilant and recycle 100%, as well as install smart strips that shut off power to appliances, etc. -- Kris, of Broomfield, CO

I run an infant nursery in Milwaukie, Oregon that aims to nurture the whole child and family in body, mind and spirit. We are making a commitment to live a green life by doing a few simple things. We are reducing waste by putting cloth diapers in reusable and washable vinyl pouches instead of plastic bags that get thrown out. We are also using cloth towels instead of paper. We have recently switched from using plastic bottles that contain harmful toxins when heated, to using glass bottles with either latex or silicone nipples. We also only use our garbage service once a month, so we recycle and compost the rest of our waste. This is a start for us here at the nursery. I'd love to be inspired to do even more for our children and our environment! -- Traci, of Milwauki, OR

I pledge to shop organic when I can, to wash 4 out of 5 loads in cold/cold water, to turn off all the lights and appliances in the house when not in use, and to research the feasability of purchasing an electric car or having my existing car converted into an electric car. :) --Nuria, Bellvue, WA

I pledge to eat and serve fewer animal-based products to my family, to shop for locally-grown produce whenever possible, and to grow as much of my own produce next year as possible. --Karen, of Parma, OH

My family and I have made a committment to ourselves to recycle all of our magazines, by donating them to art programs to be used in collages and other projects. We are also going to begin taking our scrap crafting items to retirement homes to be used for their personal projects. --Luisa, of San Antonio, TX

My house will be an ongoing green work in progress. No barefoot child will come into my yard and absorb poisons into their bodies. They can come into my home without worry of breathing toxins. As a mother of two now grown children I will work to make the world safe for the children being born in this generation and for those following. --Sara, of Dickson, TN

I commit to significantly reducing our propane usage this summer by keeping our thermostats lower, insulating trouble spots, and using more wood heat. --Jennifer, of Rodney, MI

Reuse, and no plastic water bottles!!! --Felicity, of Irvine, CA

We pledge to shop less, because we really do have what we need. We pledge to shop second-hand when at all possible instead of introducing more eventual "new" trash. We pledge to make more gifts of time and energy to each other rather than gifts of stuff. -- Paula, of Brooklyn Park, MN

I will cloth diaper my children, exclusively. We will try to eat as much locally grown food as possible. --Jennifer, of Minneapolis, MN

The other night during dinner, we all went around the table and made our pledges to each other: Mike -- instead of taking his lunch in a paper bag everyday will invest in a reusable lunch bag. Sarah (or Auntie Sarah to Kiran) -- wash out and reuse plastic bags (the ziploc kind). Anjali -- will hang the laundry out to dry whenever possible. Continue to replace all the light bulbs in the house to fluorescent ones. Continue our switch from regular cleaning supplies to more environmentally friendly ones. Kiran (6 years old) -- will try to remember to shut off the bathroom and bedroom lights whenever she leaves those rooms. Also, instead of using new sheets of paper for every homework assignment, she will use the backs of the paper and will explain to her teacher why she has done this. Meera (14 months)-- will poop and pee less so that we use fewer diapers....(just kidding). Most of Meera's clothes are her big sister's and we plan on continuing this trend. --Anjali, of the Bronx, NY


I have two children and we have switched to using safer and greener products for our family. We buy local when we can, we buy recycled products- such as tissue, paper, etc, and we have started having our children be a part of recyling what we use and teaching them where it goes. -- Kathleen, of Waunakee, WI


I am making the attempt to reduce the carbon footprint that my family and I are making. I am starting by having a home energy audit, so that I can get some direction about where to go. I've already installed a hot water heater blanket, a programmable thermostat, and switched to all compact fluorescent bulbs. We compost all food waste, and recycle everything that we're able to in our community (which is quite a lot!). I will also make the effort to commute more by bicycle, and leave the car at home! -- Becky, of Boulder, CO

I recently have committed to "Go Green" by recycling the items myself, that cannot go into my recycle bin. I called my local recycling co and they told me that even though some items cannot go into my recycle bin, they have a place where they can be dropped. So, I have a seperate bin for these items now (in my area this includes coffee cups, yogurt cups, baby food jar lids, and more) and I load them up in my car to recycle the same day I put the bin out to be picked up. --Janna, of University Place, WA

Northern Michigan MAUs raise more than 45 K at Alternative Gift Fair!!

To you lovely, spunky, inspirational MAU Mavens,

A quick but emotional email full of gratitude from the MAU's in northern Michigan. We wrapped up our big year-end event last Saturday with our second annual Alternative Gift Fair, and we're pleased as punch to say we raised more than $45,000 for 14 local non-profits (and Heifer--the kids choice, and FINCA, the crafters choice) in just five short hours. Far more than that, however, more than 300 people came to the fair and many stayed for an hour or more, simply visiting with friends and neighbors, and relishing the spirit of community that was so palpable that day. We truly owe our ability to stand up, to use or voices and harness our passions, to Mothers Acting Up. The strength and determination you demonstrate is contagious, and we feel blessed to be part of this greater community of mamas. As I prepare to welcome baby number three into the world, I realize just how grateful I am that there are strong, grizzly-roarin' women who are all around us, working tirelessly to make sure all the world's children have a safer, warmer, better world.

Grace and peace and so many thanks, Kate on behalf of northern Michigan MAUs.