Greater Maine MOTHERS ACTING UP

Happy Mother's Day of Peace, All!

2008-05-11T07:59:00.002-04:00

Mothers' Day Proclamation

Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

Mother's Day was originally started after the Civil War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by women who had lost their sons. Here is the original Mother's Day Proclamation from 1870, followed by a bit of history (or should I say "herstory"):

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise all women who have hearts,whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.
Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not betaken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.
From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.
Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women,to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Top Ten Ways to Reclaim Mother's Day.

2008-05-10T14:32:00.002-04:00

What is the sound of mothers Arising?

This Mother's Day, MAU Mavens across the country will be strapping on stilts, baking pies for elected leaders, hawking fair trade roses and singing in the streets! Reclaiming Mother's Day events - now in their sixth season - celebrate Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation. This year, MAU invites YOU to celebrate her call to Arise by gathering your family and community together through cakewalks, letters to the editor, Standing Women events, mama's open-mic nights, or . . . the sky and your imagination is the limit! When mothers* publicly express our commitment to children, our communities, media and government sit up and take notice. Let's sing it out in the streets, "We will protect our children with our personal & political strength - wherever they live on earth."

Thanks to MAU Mavens and partner organizations, MAU is excited to present the very 1st ever "Top 10 Ways to Reclaim Mother's Day":

Holy Symbolism! Step outside your comfort zone, and get up on stilts. Parade, prance and promenade with a loyal spotter by your side. When we lift our voices AND our bodies together on behalf of the world's children, we become a GIGANTIC force to be reckoned with.

Dare to be a Joy Warrior! Deliver pies to your local members of Congress as part of the Department of Peace's 4th Annual Mother's Day National Action: Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie Campaign.

Posies with a purpose: Ask for or send fair trade flowers through Transfair/USA. Fair trade benefits every person along the path, from seed in the ground to blossom in the vase.

Review Save the Children's State of the World's Mothers Report (2008 report availably May 6). Learn simple solutions to stop the deaths of nearly 10 million children a year; educate your community with a letter to the editor on this topic.

Part your purse strings, because giving matters. Donate to MAU, inspiring and mobilizing mothers* to advocate on behalf of the world's children. Your donation, in honor of a mother or other, allows MAU to reach out to a million mamas with templates, tools and recipes for actions that prioritize the lives of our children.

Press the candidates for Prez to take action for the world's children. Take a photo of your family at brunch this Mother's Day and send to the presidential candidates, letting them know you are a Mother Acting Up who wants Global Action for Children.

There is an elegant beauty to simplicity. Stand with Standing Women at 1 pm (your local time) on May 11 in support of a better world for our children.

Host a 1Sky climate change event, make a banner calling for serious climate action and then upload pictures and drawings of your children and families alongside the banner as part of a national call to action to Congress.

Join with CodePink mamas at the Mother's Day Picnic for Peace in Washington, DC's Dupont Circle, walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, or gather at Merchant's Gate at Columbus Circle in Manhattan for the 2nd Annual Mother's Day Peace Stroll.

Find a MAU Mother's Day Reclamation event near you, and revel in it, mama! Gather round, hand out Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation, eat cake, birth strategic plans to act locally and think globally. Together, we can change the world.

Most important, report word of your reclamation activities to MAU Central!

Arise, all women who have hearts!

Mother's Day Event updates

2008-05-10T08:40:00.006-04:00

There are a few more people confirmed to include in our Mother's Day celebration tomorrow: U.S. Senatorial candidates Herb Hoffman, and Tom Ledue will be joining U.S. Congressional candidates Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree, Ethan Strimling, and Charles Summers (through Ruth Summers, his wife and apt representative).

Our thoughts are with Mark Lawrence, who will be staying close to home in the wake of his father's recent death.

I'm happy to report that Mary "Ukelady" Hargreaves will be performing a few songs for children of all ages after the rally (http://www.maryukelady.com/home.html ). You can hear her on "Greetings from Area Code 207" on WBLM 102.9FM at 9:00am on Mother's Day.

WMPG's "Home Dad" talks with Maine MAU

2008-05-01T23:34:00.003-04:00

WMPG's Chip Edgar will be talking to Maine MAU about reclaiming Mother's Day as a day of peaceful activism on Tuesday, May 6, at 1:00pm. Patsea Cobb, local artist/educator and great-great grandaughter of Julia Ward Howe, will join MAUs Helyne May and Robin Brooks to talk about Julia's vision, and how we, and others, are trying to honor that vision in the here and now.
"Home Dad" airs every Tuesday at 1:00pm on WMPG at 90.9 and 104.1 FM.

Join us to reclaim Mother's Day as a day of Peace!

2008-05-01T19:52:00.008-04:00

"Reclaiming Mother’s Day events are inspired by the life, words and actions of Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 she wrote a Mother’s Day Proclamation and called for a day when the world would honor what mothers hold most dear: the lives of our children, of all children. The events celebrate the vision that Julia spoke of 100 years ago: mothers everywhere rising up together around that which unites us rather than divides us — our global family." - Mothers Acting Up

Please join us on Sunday, May 11 at Deering Oaks Park from 12:00pm to 2:oopm for our second annual Mother's Day of Peace celebration. Our rally will begin with young actress Seren Huus reading the Mother's Day of Peace Proclamation of 1870 to remind us all of why we are gathering to reclaim Mother's Day.

Next, as this is a very important election year, you'll have an opportunity to meet some of your First District Congressional candidates before the primary in June. They'll have an opportunity to talk freely about their own moms and influences, which they probably don't have an excuse to do very often!

There will be opportunities for activism, if you like, at the tables of some local activist organizations, and an art project to work on for a "One Sky" Mother's Day action. Send "a personal and compelling portrait for climate action to members of Congress". http://www.1sky.org/mothersday

We shall join in the worldwide "Standing Women" meditation at 1:00pm (http://www.standingwomen.org/), and then have a group picture taken with our One Sky banner shortly afterwards as a show of commitment to our Congress.

There will also be music, other children's activities, and free cake (Yes, cake! And I'm looking into having some vegan, gluten-free cake, in addition to the other confections.) Hope to see you there!

Welcome!

2008-04-23T11:33:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Greater Maine Mothers Acting Up! My name is Helyne May, a community organizer for Mothers Acting Up, a national non-profit organization.

Stayed tuned for news about our second annual Mother's Day event in Portland on May 11, and for dates about our gatherings. For participation information, or to get involved right away, contact me at eibhlinrua at aol dot com.