Pro-JOY.

" We're not anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-nuke, anti-you name it; we're pro-child, pro-peace, pro-community, pro-family, pro-joy. This really sets MAU apart from other branches on the activism family tree in my opinion, and it's something to celebrate and build on." -- From Kate Wingate, Nashville co-organizer

Mothers Unite for Peace.

Revelers.

Come Join The Parade.

Reclaiming, Proclaiming....

Parade Coverage.

Rockin' It Out Family Style.

Nashville Mamas rocked it out family style today in our Mother's Day Reclaimation Event: our First Annual Mother's Day Parade for Peace.

With enormous thanks to the Boulder mothership for encouragement and guidance, to the extended Wingate clan who are one of the most talented families on planet earth, to the ALL the fantastic folks who came out despite the rain and cold and made our city sing out for peace, for mamas, and for children everywhere..... THE GREAT HUMAN FAMILY PREVAILS.

Tonight Mama Booty will curl up with her own dear little family, smiling apron string to apron string, worn out, but not worn down.

Energized by today's events and the overwhelmingly positive goodness emanating from the gathering together, Nashville Mothers Acting Up seeks to build on this community and build on this good work.

Those of you who took photographs, please send them my way for posting and sharing.

We made the news tonight at 10 on WSMV(Channel 4, home of MDG postcard campaign recipient Demetria Kalodimos) and expect to see a piece in tomorrow's Tennessean. Any clips would be much appreciated.

Stay tuned for news on the Mobilize the Mamas town hall / roundtable / salon type gatherings.....

Goddesspeed, good women and men. Sleep tight, sweet children.


Our song has only just begun.....

92 year old Grandmother for Peace is Honored Guest at Parade.

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y

Nashville Mothers Acting Up Reclaim Mother's Day

May 13, 2006 (Nashville)

Mothers Acting Up, a national organization devoted to the protection and prioritization of childrens' health and well-being around the world, is hosting Nashville's FIRST Annual Mother's Day Parade for Peace!! Come join with mothers and others and march through the heart of Hillsboro Village, gather at Dragon Park (Fannie Mae Dees Park) for music, entertainment, FREE PIE and more and celebrate the force and unity of Mothers rallying on behalf of children!!

Nashville joins dozens of other communities around the country this Mother's Day (Sunday, May 14th), to celebrate the day as it was originally envisioned by Julia Ward Howe in 1870: a day when mothers would gather to protect the lives of our human family and call for a better world for ALL of the children of the world.

Mothers Acting Up is dedicated to mobilizing the gigantic political strength of mothers*(and let's include fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, friends, everyo ne!!) to ensure the health, education and safety of every child, not just a privileged few. 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.

Envision an event that is part celebratory, part consciousness/awareness raising and ALL activist! Parades and rallies in other cities have included speakers, music, costumes, stilt-walking, kids activities - anything you can think of!!! Nashville is centering its event around a mobilize the mamas for the MDGs campain which is two pronged and aimed at Katie Couric nationally and Demetria Kalodimos nationally.

Phyllis Rodin, 92-year-old Grandmother for Peace, has travelled to Nashville from Northampton, Mass. to attend the city's First Annual Mother's Day Parade for Peace A lifelong peace activist, Rodin is a regular at anti-war demonstrations and peace rallies. She ran for mayor of Northampton last year, at age 91, spurred on by a conversation with a young boy about world peace.Rodin said she felt obligated to help make the world a better place for the boy, who had complimented a sign she frequently carries that reads: 'War is not the answer.'
Although she didn't win the election, she succeeded in her goal of "stir[ring] up the waters that are murky." Rodin celebrated her 92nd birthday on May 10. She will be the oldest attendee of Sunday's parade.

Hosted by Mothers Acting Up, the Mother's Day Parade for Peace is co-sponsored by Nashville Peace & Justice Center, Code Pink, Wild Oats, Plum Good Food, Nashville Peace Coalition, More Than Warmth, and Organic Lawn & Pasture.

Over one hundred attendees from all walks of life are expected as of this writing.

For full press release: here.

##

Bronx Mamas Reclaim Mother's Day.

This post came in originally as a comment from Bronx MAUster Tina. I thought it'd be good to share with y'all so you've an idea of just how the mamas are mobilizing across the country!!

Well hello there Mamas and our gracious greetings from the Bronx New York.
Glad to be rocking the world one city and one state at a time with you this Mother's Day.

Our event/part-ee/extravaganzic hoopla! is being held specifically to raise awareness of the literacy issues we have in our community. Together with a dash of help from The New York Public Library community outreach and children's services teams, a pinch of local church literacy programs, a large helping of My Family Farm cookie and cracker sponsorship and a huge helping of MOM POWER we are blasting open the literacy crisis in our local schools!

Here's some startling statistics:
• 61% of low-income families in the US have no books in the home or in the child-care centers they attend.
One-third of Bronxites live below the poverty line.
(Sources: The Literacy Crisis, First Book.org, US Census Bureau 2000)

• The number of books in the home is directly related to better reading and math scores. i.e the more books there are, the more proficient the student is in reading and math.
(Source: The National Center for Family Literacy)

• There are only 4 general bookstores in the Bronx, serving a population of 1.4 million people - and only one store selling Spanish titles. (Sources: Yellow Pages! US Census Bureau 2000)

• The Mayor’s Office has estimated that 1.5 million to 2 million city residents need literacy services. Fewer than 60,000 New Yorkers are currently receiving them. (Source: The Literacy Assistance Center, NYC)

• Nationwide, the average African-American or Hispanic 17 year old reads at the same level as the average White 13 year old. These of course are just the students who make it through high school.
(Source: The Education Trust 2000.)

And here's what we're doing about it:

We are encouraging a love of reading at the earliest age by bringing free quality books directly to the children who need them.

Our Bronx Mother’s Day celebration of reading will be held in Bronx Park East at Lydig Avenue, on Sunday May 14th from 2pm –5pm. Books will be given to parents of children aged 0-4 years. Books not handed out to parents at the event will be donated to pre-school programs, shelters, daycare centers and other children’s organizations in the Bronx. Parents are encouraged to bring books to donate as well.

We also have a Mother Goose Storyteller, stiltwalking practise and the essential FREE Cake, Cookies and much fun and frivolity.

Looking forward to hearing about what else is happening from coast to coast!
Cheers me dears!

Weather.

So tomorrow's forecast calls for rain in the late afternoon. Bring umbrellas!! We're hopeful that the presence of rain gear will stave off all but the most tame showers.

Looks like the day will also be somewhat cool, in the mid fifties, so please make sure to layer those costumes and bring a sweater or jacket for your little ones.

Talkin' Bout the MDGs.

And You Shall Have Some Pie....

Word is that Wild Oats will be providing not cake, but PIE for our Mother's Day reclaimation.

Mmmm. Pie.

Also, juice and some other snacks. Yum.


Plum Good Food has the bottled water covered.

The Contrarians Play for Peace!!

Come Join the Parade.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Paige La Grone Babcock or Kate Wingate
Paige 615-258-3966; Kate 615-352-8718
paigelabab@comcast.net or kzwingate@yahoo.com
http://www.nashvillemau.blogspot.com
www.mothersactingup.org

MOTHERS ACTING UP HOSTS MOTHER’S DAY PARADE AND RECLAIMS MOTHER’S DAY

Web-based Grassroots Movement Mobilizes Thousands of Mothers* To Move From Concern To Action
“It’s time to invest in the global family and divest from war”

May 1, 2006, [Nashville, TN] – Mothers Acting Up (MAU), an organization dedicated to mobilizing the gigantic political strength of mothers* to ensure the health, education and safety of every child, along with Nashville Peace & Justice Center, CodePink, Peace Roots Alliance, Wild Oats and Plum Good Food today announced that on Mother’s Day, May 14, at 12:30pm, mothers and their families will come together at Fannie Mae Dees Park (Dragon Park) to express their personal commitment and invite their communities to join them to prioritize and protect children.

On Mother’s Day weekend, Mothers Acting Up (MAU) will host events—ranging from mini tea parties, to radio addresses, to outrageously costumed parades—that reclaim Mother’s Day as it was originally envisioned in 1870; a day when mothers would gather to protect the lives of our human family. After the Civil War Julia Ward Howe wrote in her journal, "Why do not the mothers of mankind interfere in these matters, to prevent the waste of that human life that they alone bear and know the cost?"

Drawing on Julia Ward Howe's original vision of a Mother’s Day for Peace, MAU began in 2002 with one event in Boulder, Colorado and has spread rapidly due to the resonance of its message with people from all walks of life. Over the past three years, MAU has hosted 45 events from Sitka, Alaska to Memphis, Tennessee, all organized by mothers*, many of whom had never taken political action before. Along with Boulder, Parades will be held in Vashon Island, Seattle, Denver, Nashville, Manhattan, the Bronx and more. This movement is enabling mothers* to find their voice and move from concern to action at the local, national and global level.

The purpose of the 2006 MAU Mother’s Day celebrations is to inspire, educate and engage local communities to move from concern to action on issues confronting children worldwide. The events will include national collective action to educate communities about the US commitment to fund the Millennium Development Goals, a set of 8 goals to halve extreme poverty by the year 2015. “It’s time to invest in the global family and divest from war.” The action will be directed at Katie Couric and locally respected media figures –- Demetria Kalodimos in Nashville!!-- requesting their leadership in reaching a million mothers* who in turn will educate our communiti es and enter our halls of Congress to insist not another new nickel is spent the military until the Millennium Development Goals are funded. One event will have 8 mothers* on stilts depicting each of the MDGs!

Nashville organizers Paige La Grone Babcock and Kate Wingate met on a peace march earlier this year. Both mothers of young children, they immediately began to dream of a Mother’s Day reclamation event. In its inaugural year, the Nashville Mother’s Day Peace Parade will begin with gathering at Dragon Park for tricycle, wagon, stroller & wheelchair decorating. The Parade through Hillsboro Village will commence at 1:30 and return to the park at 2400 Blakemore where there will be a reading of Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation, entertainment, fellowship and refreshment. Local children’s entertainer Nate the Great will juggle and perform other feats of daring do; Nashville acoustic aggregate The Contrarians will provide a lively string band soundtrack. Wild Oats and Plum Good Food will provide cake, juice and water for Mother’s Day revelers.

About Mothers Acting Up
Mothers Acting Up (MAU) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing the gigantic strength of mothers* on behalf of the world's children. MAU offers a new breed of activism; one that is positive, accessible and supports mothers in making informed personal choices, inspiring collective action and influencing decision-makers. Through its annual Mother’s Day Parades in cities across the country, and other periodic events, MAU encourages mothers and others to publicly and passionately advocate for the world’s children. MAU is based in Boulder, CO. To learn more, please vis it www.mothersactingup.org.
# # #

Getcher Glitter On

What're you going to wear for the Parade?

Me, I'm still thinking it up, though am sure to do an apron and some hair / hat thing and lots of glitter. I have a great fondness for glitter quite apart from the nightclubby hipster glitter go-go of what? five, six, seven years ago? It's more like a sprinkling of magic or as the storybooks say, fairy dust. It appeals to the crow in me, as does sea glass, bits of mirror, sterling silver jewels and other shiny things. So, a good dose of glitter.

Perhaps you're not sure yourself what to put on your wonderful woman bod or your wee ones or your partner and glitter's not your thang. OK. So what now? Slide into your favorite skirt or jeans and don an apron. And for the topper? Check out the tees available at the MAU mothership. The United design is pretty great, as is the old school stilt walking mama.

And actually? You can do these with a healthy sprinkling of glitter, too.

What's The Deal With The Stilts Anyway?

A mother I admire rather a lot wrote last evening to ask:

Paige, I may be obtuse but what do women on stilts have to do with
getting together to stop the ravages of war?

Her question gave me the opportunity to write a bit out and I thought I'd share it here as well, in the event any of you were curious.


Not obtuse at all, and in fact, a wonderful question.
I'll answer to the best of my ability at this time.

Stilts are:
*one of the hallmarks of Mothers Acting Up, as in Rise Up.(Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation calls for mothers to Arise!) Take Rise Up / Arise to its many ends: a new day rising, and so on.
* there's strong symbology of woman being lifted UP, lifting UP her voice, raising UP her concerns, etc. It's making the smallest voices be heard, the least be seen.
*it's a great media opportunity and whether getting together to stop the ravages of war or to advocate for proper nutrition & healthcare for the world's children, the media coverage brings larger witness to the voice.

As mothers, when we band together, we have tremendous power, lifting UP not one, but first tens, then hundreds, then thousands (and so on) of voices, and to collectively bare witness in a way that continues to ripple outward. Media is a critical part of spreading the word, of helping the voice be heard. So bring on the stilts and the aprons and the big hats. These images are simple, yet powerful.

All that said, Nashville Mothers Acting Up does not have hard and fast plans to utilize stilted walkers in our parade this year due to time / money / woman power constraints. Next year we'll be working far enough out and with greater resources to hold a stilt building / walking workshop.

If women (or others) wish to attend the event and participate in the parade on stilts, that's a wonderful and welcome thing. I simply ask that folks be considerate of their own and others' safety and ALWAYS have a spotter. That's another beautiful symbol there: the hand of a friend helping a woman to be lifted up.

We're all in this rising up together.


Also, there's this bit from the Mothership (find under "Parade Recipe"):

5. Walk on Stilts to express the joy and strength of mothers speaking
out:Having even one mother on stilts will transform the perception of mothers
and activism in your community. It also creates personal transformation; once
you’ve walked on stilts you are clear you can do just about anything. Stilts are
a MAU trademark-- symbolizing a far out perspective, taking big strides, joyful
expression--and are also ODD- thus newsworthy. Stilts also add a celebratory,
carnival atmosphere.Walking on stilts is MUCH more fun and not as difficult as
you might imagine. We suggest wearing kneepads and ALWAYS having a spotter who is sticks to you like white on rice. We’re not kidding: we never take a step
without a devoted spotter. We made our stilts and it's fairly easy (see recipe).
Also, if any of you are jugglers or can ride a unicycle, do it in the
parade.