Ready for some really great news?
Mother engagement is at an all time high, in the flesh and especially online! The time is ripe to bring the world's children to the forefront of our conversations and our actions.

Sharing passion, commitment and brainy ideas on a DAILY BASIS. Actually, minute by minute in all the old ways, and by embracing new tools like twitter. This is revolutionary.
On Friday, MAU is launching our new Website designed to support this growing network of mothers acting on behalf of the world's children. You'll find tools, stories, twitter tips and daily actions. Did we mention videos? Stories from the Mother Front? Starring YOU? Here's a sneak peek:

Movie Mondays: movies to inspire our mother leadership.
Talk about it Tuesdays: juicy info to practice out loud and share with others.Write & Call Wednesdays: communicating with decision makers.Traction Thursdays: amplifying our voices. Friends Fridays: engaging friends in acting up.Spending Saturdays: spending money to benefit our global family.
Family Sundays: creating new habits & practices within our family.
Stay tuned for the launch of the NEW MAU website on Friday, Nov. 20, Universal Children's Day!

Reving it up

Hi Bend,

MAU central is evolving with the times. Here is the latest and greatest that they are doing:

Dear Mamas,
We've been experimenting with new ways to mobilize mothers to act on behalf of the world's children. Asking some hard questions. How DO we get the people of one country to care about the children of another? How do we bring the issue of the world's children to our dinner tables?
How can we talk about issues facing the world's children without overwhelming our audience, without pouring on more guilt, and in bite size pieces? How do we communicate with each other through all the noise?
And most importantly, are mothers collectively up for shaping the world our children will inherit? If so, can we make acting up more engrossing than losing weight?
Like President Sirleaf, MAU believes mothers are up for the challenge and we're launching a BRAND NEW WEBSITE on November 20, Universal Children's Day! The site will revolve around action: small daily actions that fit into a busy life, and collective actions in collaboration with other organizations. Because as we all know, numbers matter.
The best part of the new site is that it's going to put the spotlight on the people that matter most: all of YOU working on behalf of the world's children. As we build our numbers, we'll learn how to act from each other with plenty of inspiration and education sprinkled throughout the site.
Get involved: Join the MAU tweet-a-thon to bring the world's children and the new MAU website to the forefront of our collective tweeting. Prizes: A beautiful Juliana Forbes (MAU co-founder) print to the 1st 5 MAUs to sign-up, a MAU bumper sticker for all.Sign up to join the tweet-a-thon and get fabulous prizes!
In the meantime, don't forget to follow us on twitter and facebook!
Happy acting up,Joellen on behalf of all the mamas at MAU Central

Art for climate change

Let's make art for a safe climate future.
World leaders will gather in Copenhagen next month to negotiate a new international climate treaty.

We need to let President Obama and the Senate know that we want them to show leadership in enacting bold climate solutions.

Our partners at the 1Sky Campaign are coordinating "Make Art for Climate" gatherings across the country, where mothers and children can come together to decorate pieces of cloth with images reflecting the urgency of the climate challenge. Mail in your art projects by November 18 in a postage paid envelope supplied by 1Sky.

The art gatherings will culminate in a series of nationwide public actions during the first week of December - just before the international conference on climate change - to reinforce the need for strong action.

Visit MAU's take action page to learn more.

In spirited partnership,JoellenP.S. Have you heard about MAU's new website coming your way on November 20th, Universal Children's Day? Get ready to ACT UP, OUT AND OFTEN!

Summer

What does supporting our mission as consious mothers entail this summer?

MAU central posted the challenge. We raise $100. A kids/parent yoga class in the park will be announced soon, any volunteers?

On a more personal note, we are raising chickens and trying to learn the basics of organic gardening. We continually save the world one cloth diaper at a time and by trying our hearts out at peaceful negotiating 101.

The most brilliant thing I have read within the last hour is, "what people think of you is none of your buisness."

Dear Mother Leaders, Thank you for your tremendous efforts over the past few months. The awareness you raised in your communities and with your US Representatives has set the stage for gaining Congressional support when the bill is introduced. For the next phase of the campaign, we need your leadership in raising funds for MAU. This may sound daunting, but we believe that with a small effort from each of us, we can make a significant difference. We challenge each Mother Leader to raise $100 over the summer. This may look very different to each of us. For example: Elizabeth, in New York, is going to hold a garage sale and give the proceeds to MAU. This is awesome because it raises money and awareness (she'll have the petition to President Obama for people to sign)! Jean, in Montana, is offering reiki treatments in exchange for donations to MAUYou can use your social networking site to get the word out. Facebook Causes is great for small amounts and you could challenge 20 of your friends to give $5.00 each. Twitter your campaign and let your followers know that you’re raising $100 towards MAU. Give updates of what MAU is doing and why our work is important. You can pull this info off the STAND and MAU websites. You could involve your kids and set up a lemonade stand on a busy corner and give the proceeds to MAU. If you can, you could write a check yourself. You could ask your friends to honor your birthday with gifts to MAU as your birthday present. You can think of another clever and creative way to raise this money. If you choose this option, please share your experiences with other Mother Leaders so that we can continue to learn and be inspired from each other. In addition to the funds that we raise, we have received a matching grant from a generous donor who will match the money raised from Mother Leaders this summer. So essentially, your money is doubled!Are you scared to ask for money? If so, don’t worry, that is completely normal. If you would be interested in finding out some tips and practicing with another Mother Leader, email Amy Rosenblum (amyrosenblum@gmail.com). Amy is MAU's Sustainability Chair and a Mother Leader. She is also a fundraising professional who works with people in training them to ask for funds all the time. If there is enough interest, we might hold a few calls, or if you prefer to talk one-on-one, just let Amy know that too.Thank you for all that you do for MAU, and more importantly on behalf of the world’s children. In spirited partnership,Anjali and AmyP.S. If you haven't had a chance to complete the short Mother Leader survey, please click here!

Thanks for the event and happy SuMMEr

Hey Bend Maumas,

Thanks for the great Reclaiming Mothers Day Event!

As always, the cake was out of this world, and this one in fact was a globe of fantastic culinary confection with different color children holding hands over a star sprinkled blue sea. Many thanks to Magadalyne Hasse for all of her creative and DELICIOUS contributions.

Aspen and Charles came to play live music again this year and the weather was perfect for dancing, hooping, and bubble blowing festivities.

Our honorary Julia Ward Howe was Miss Erika Garvey of COCC. And the central purpose for this years event was to appoint a Children's Ambassador who would oversee and prioritize funding for programs that serve children internationally and to urge Congress to fully fund programs benefiting orphans and other vulnerable children.

For the first time in 48 years, our members of Congress are working to reform foreign aid!

Stay tuned for pictures off this years Reclaiming mothers day event.

Bend Mothers Acting Up is currently looking for volunteers. Please contact kate.r.ast@gmail.com if you are interested.

Happy Mothers Day Central Oregon Mamas

Happy Mother's Day,
First of all, take a moment to look in the mirror and recognize one of the most amazing humans on the planet. You have given your all, over and over again. On Sunday, our day of recognition, it matters most of all that YOU recognize the gift you are to this world.

In 1870 Julia Ward Howe wrote a Mother's Day Proclamation that called for a day when the world would honor what mothers hold most dear: the lives of our children, of all children. In honor of the world's children, take action and ask President Obama to designate a US Children's Ambassador to oversee and prioritize funding for programs that serve children internationally. Add your voice, sign the pledge.Watch the new MAU video about why mothers are stepping into leadership roles to protect the world's children, and then forward this email to your friends and family.

Join mothers and others at a Reclaiming Mother's Day event.
Click here to find an event near you.There's still time, make a donation of $25 or more in honor of a mother in your life and MAU will send a Mother's Day card. Cards will be mailed the day of the donation.

Julia wrote, "Arise, arise, all women who have hearts!" This Mother's Day, let's answer her call. Happy Mother's Day!

In grateful and spirited partnership,Joellen, Juliana, Beth, Erica, Anjali, Kay, Tina and Nini on behalf of the MAUship

For more information about reclaiming Mother's Day events, click on the cities below:Flagstaff, AZRedondo Beach, CABoulder, CODenver, CONiwot, COBend, ORCedar Falls, IAArlington Heights, ILKokomo, INOverland Park, KSHarbor Springs, MIHenderson, TNAustin, TXLubbock, TXSnohomish, WA