Save the Date: MAU Live Coming to Nashville!!

CONTACT: Paige La Grone Babcock; paige@mothersactingup.org (615)-750-3780, (615) 495-1879 (cell)

***SAVE THE DATE: MAU LIVE! comes to Nashville Nov 2 & 3***

(M)OTHER HITS THE BOARDS

THEATRE FOR EMPOWERMENT PAIRED WITH WORKSHOP TO MOBILIZE MAMAS

“Once you get hooked on MAU’s positive breed of activism, the Nashville MAU community will be there with you to keep it going and growing.” –Paige La Grone Babcock, MAU Outreach Coordinator & Community Organizer

WHEN: Nov. 2, Friday at 7:30 PM

WHERE: First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1808 Woodmont Blvd.

WHO: Mothers Acting Up (MAU), working to ensure the health, education and safety of the world’s children by mobilizing the political strength of mothers.* www.mothersactingup.org

Nashville’s MAU community is honored and excited to bring MAU LIVE! and MAU co-founder Beth Osnes to town!! www.nashvillemau.blogspot.com

WHAT: MAU Live! Theatre for Empowerment: a one-woman performance by MAU co-founder Beth Osnes, (M)other explores what it might just 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.

A Workshop for Empowering Mother* Voices: Nov. 3, Saturday 9AM-Noon, also at the First Unitarian Universalist Church

Beth Osnes will lead a workshop using theatre as a tool for developing our voices for effective public expression – of vital importance for any kind of civic participation. Goals of this workshop:

*teaching skills for effective vocal expression

*using our voices to ‘rehearse’ activism

*engaging all participants in actively devising solutions to obstacles

*conveying a model of activism that is positive and proactive

Background:
Mothers Acting Up (MAU) works to ensure the health, education and safety of the world’s children by mobilizing the political strength of mothers*. 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.

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.

Dem Debates on Healthcare tonight!!

this in from TN Health Care Campaign:

AARP and Iowa Public Television (IPTV) will be holding a Democratic presidential candidate forum focused on health care and financial security tonight, September 20. A follow-up Republican forum will be held on October 25. PBS correspondent and anchor Judy Woodruff will moderate the 90-minute discussions.

At tonight’s event, Democratic candidates committed to participating and meeting forum criteria include: U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, former U.S. Senator John Edwards, U.S. Senator Joe Biden and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. All of the Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in the October 25 forum.

WNPT, 9/20, 7:00 PM CT, Nashville
WTCI, 9/20, 8:00 PM ET, Chattanooga
WLJT, 9/20, 7:00 PM CT, Jackson
WETP, 9/20, 8:00 PM ET, Knoxville
WKOP, 9/20, 8:00 PM ET, Knoxville
WMAV, 9/20, 8:00 PM CT, Memphis

How do the Presidential Candidates stack up? Check out the New York Times and the Washington Post links below:

New York Times and Washington Post

Sincerely,

Tony Garr, Tennessee Health Care Campaign

Celebrate International Day of Peace & Eat Local Month with MAU.

As many of you know, this month is Nashville Eat Local Month, as well as National Food Security month, which assuredly have much to do with greening up our lives. These pieces are in alignment with Mothers Acting Up and our Mother Agenda (1. champion the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eradicate extreme poverty, 2. protect the environment for Kids’ Sake, and 3. measure the true impact of war).

On the third Friday of each month Nashville’s Mothers Acting Up community hosts a Bring the Family Potluck Social & Salon. In celebration of Eat Local and Food Security Month, tomorrow evening we encourage attendees to bring potluck dishes comprised of local ingredients where possible and a small panel of local food and security experts / enthusiasts will be on hand to share their knowledge and resources with us.

When: Friday September 21, 2007 6-8 PM

Where: Nashville Friends’ Meeting House, 26^th Ave at Torbett, off Charlotte Ave

Bring a dish of local fare to share, any books or magazines you on topic that you might wish to share, and a heaping helping of enthusiasm. Families of all kinds welcome. We’re a nursing / intergenerational / sexual orientation / all race, ethnicity and class welcoming group!!

I hope to see some of y’all there,

Paige

PS: as tomorrow—9/21-- is International Day of Peace, Nashville MAU celebrates in our community during our Mobilize the Mamas play & action group by participating for a second year in the global Chalk for Peace event. We’ll be festively dressed, babes and children in tow, to chalk at the Centennial Park Playground from 10-noon, asking passersby and regular park goers to join the action. You’re all welcome to come out and make sidewalk art. Bring water and snacks to share if you care to.

Mothers Acting Up: Congressman Cooper on the policy of the Iraq war.

Mothers Acting Up: Congressman Cooper on the policy of the Iraq war.

Mothers Acting Up: We like her. We really really like her.

Mothers Acting Up: We like her. We really really like her.

MAU at national peace conference in Tennessee!!

The Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking takes place this year at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN. Nashville’s own Naomi Tutu (!!) will be the event’s keynote speaker. In its fourth year, the 2007 conference is themed Building the Beloved Community. Today, September 14, is the last day for a price break on an adult conference goer’s registration. Tomorrow, price goes from $50 to $75.

Mothers Acting Up will have a Saturday morning workshop called MAU Now: Mobilizing the Mamas, the Joy of Activism for mothers (and others) who want to build community in advocating publicly and passionately for the world’s children. MAU will have a Nashville MAU presence specifically, as well as MAUs from other locations. We’ll have a table with MAU literature and goods including the hot off the presses 2008 Handbook & Engagement Calendar, the 2007 edition MAU bumpersticker, as well as Nashville Mothers Acting Up tee shirts and mamamade aprons.

The conference should be a big time for ALL wanting to gather in the name of peace with justice. I’m bringing my family (husband and two year old), and encourage that you bring yours, too.

Volunteers for womaning the MAU table are needed! Please shout at me as per below if you are able and willing to take a shift or two.

In peace and in the spirit of community,

Paige

paige (at) mothersactingup (dot) com

National Call In Week to End the War in Iraq!!

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR EMAIL LISTS.

Dear Ones,

Congress goes back into session *this week*. Now is a critical time to put pressure on Congress in opposition to the $193 billion funding bill for Iraq and to pressure our Senators for just immigration policy. Please make phone calls this week on Thursday and Friday. Toll free number: 1-888-732-9404.

Collectively our voices will make the difference.

Thanks! All the info you need is below.

Paige La Grone Babcock

paige@mothersactingup.org

_______________________________________________________________

National Call-In Day to end the funding for the war against Iraq -- Thursday, Sept. 6

Capitol Hill Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 1-888-732-9404 (toll free)

Join the nationwide effort to flood the offices of our member of Congress with calls demanding an end to the U.S. war in Iraq. Let's make it clear: there cannot be "business as usual" in Washington until effective action to bring all the troops home is taken!

Call your Representative, both Senators and Congressman Jim Cooper on Thursday, September 6th.

Tell them: I want you to act now to end the war and occupation of Iraq. The Congress has the Constitutional right and a moral responsibility to use the power of the purse to withdraw all U.S. soldiers and contractors from Iraq on a rapid and binding schedule. Four and a half years of this war is too long - it has to end now!

Not sure who represents you in Congress? www.Congress.org

Background:

In September, Congress will focus on Iraq. They will vote on the President's request for continued funding of the war. At this writing, the request stands at $142 billion, but Bush will probably increase it to over $190 billion! Congress is not required to give Bush any of this money, or even to bring the request to a vote. Congress can also put restrictions, firm withdrawal timelines and other conditions on any funding in order to force an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. More info: www.unitedforpeace.org

Thursday September 6 & Friday September 7, 2007

______________________________________________________________________

Stop Immigration Enforcement-Only Policies

Take Action Now:

Congress has received thousands of calls supporting enforcement-only measures that will harm immigrants and refugees. We must let Senate leaders know that this flawed legislation and Department of Homeland Security policy will not fix the out-of-date immigration system. Spread the word! The recently introduced Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007 (S. 1984) focuses on punishing immigrant families, adding border fences, walls, and patrol agents, and increasing detention centers and deportations. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finalized a new rule requiring employers who receive Social Security Administration (SSA) “no-match” letters to follow steps to prove that employees are authorized to work or risk liability. The policy misuses the letters, which are not intended for immigration enforcement, and could result in employment discrimination.

Call your Senator and Share this Action Alert!

On September 6th and 7th, use this toll free number 1-888-732-9404. Ask to be connected to your Senator’s office and tell your Senator:

§ Please say NO to S. 1984! - I urge you to oppose the Immigration Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2007 (S. 1984). More fences, walls, detention centers, agents and rounding up immigrants at their homes and workplaces are not the answer.

§ Please SUPPORT Congressional oversight of DHS’s SSA “no match” letter policy including employer liability for employment discrimination and the complaint process.

§ Please say YES to constructive immigration reform that includes a path to permanent residency and citizenship, restores due process rights, stops the militarization of the southern border, and ensures humane policies that keep families together.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which works for social justice and peace (www.afsc.org/immigrants-rights/). AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work. (This nonpartisan disclaimer must be included in publications of the toll-free number).

Don’t Forget to Forward this Message! For more information contact Sara Ibrahim at sibrahim@afsc.org or 1-202-483-6839.

41 School Kits!!!

WOW! I set a goal of 5 school kits early in August, and by the end of the month we'd made 41! When the kids and I dropped them off at 10,000 Villages yesterday, the volunteers and assistant manager were overwhelmed by the bags and bags full of kits we kept lugging through the door. While we helped to unload them in the back room, Priscilla, one of the volunteers, told us what would happen to them next. They'll take a ride up to Indiana, where the MCC home office is, and then will travel by ship over to Iraq, where they will be distributed by the MCC workers over there. I'd love to see how they're received by the children themselves, and what they allow the kids to do in school. Such a small gift, but I'm sure it means so much to them.

At Suzanne's encouragement, we'll continue to work with the MCC and branch out into other types of kits. Here's a list of all the kits they request and distribute . I recommend that we make newborn kits next... More on that soon.

In the meantime, thanks to all of you who participated in this project -- it's quite an accomplishment, and so beautifully illustrates our mission to advocate for the world's children.
Kate