Winnie, a South African mother and grandmother, tells the group about preparing food every day for orphaned children, of protecting them from sexual abuse, of giving solace and helping people get medicine, of giving children a childhood, of burial costs. "We are dying on the ground. Money must be given to the grassroots workers. Money must start down at the bottom and go up." Winnie is fierce and funny, angry and passionate; she is fully committed to protecting "her children," who call her "Mama AIDS."

- An excerpt from "Crises are mothers of invention": Joellen Raderstorf & Juliana Forbes

To read the entire op-ed >

YELL it from our rooftops...

“Yell” may sound a bit strident, but what this really means is: get your words heard. Talk loud enough that you influence public opinion. Yelling is really public. It’s on the radio & in black and white. IT’S IN THE NEWSPAPER! “If we don’t see something on television, hear it on the radio or read it in the paper – it didn’t happen.” WAND (Women’s Actions for New Directions)

Write about it. Sometimes writing makes the difference between snarling despair and empowered exuberance. Share your passion and your insights. Ladies and gentlemen, start your ballpoints by checking out some of the many ways to get published in your local paper and far beyond (like from sea to shining sea…).

Letters to the Editor are a really effective way to educate your community and to invite lots of mothers* to join your efforts to prioritize the world’s children. Most newspapers have a word limit, usually fewer than 300 words. Most magazines have LTE sections also!

Opinion Editorials (OP-ED) are an even more effective way to educate your community. These are the longer pieces in the Sunday editorial section written by the smart people in your town. When it comes to children’s well-being, that smart person is you! Most newspapers have a 600–800 word limit. Gather your facts from the MAU Website, and get together with one or two friends to start writing. You can pitch your idea in advance to an editor by setting up a meeting to discuss your idea. (Remember, it’s all about relationship. Once the editor puts a face to a name, your LTEs will be published from now on.)

Feature Articles fill millions of pages that are read by hundreds of millions of people every day. It’s time to bring this movement to the front page of the New York Times, Newsweek or the Quad City Times. The greater the circulation and the farther the reach, the more work and persistence required. Think of all the child-related magazines out there that never seem to address advocating for the world’s children. The market is ripe, and if more and more of us start pitching our ideas and writing query letters, the greater the chance for publication. YIPPEE!

Press Releases are like holiday cards—make one, duplicate it and send it to every media outlet in your town, the next town and the town after that. This is the most effective tool for announcing events: parades, monthly gatherings or the release of an important report.

Follow up (badger) by calling or emailing the editor to see if your piece will be published. Editors have hundreds of pieces cross their desk. Don’t despair if yours doesn’t get published this time. Try again. If you do get published, after you’ve burst into tears and read it to the mailman, thank the editor. Now Xerox the actual letter in the newspaper with the date & heading and mail it to your senators & representative, mentioning your concerns. You have now formally introduced yourself and are obviously a shaker & mover. Keep a file of all media you generate.

Shout a little bit louder now. Save the Children has a wonderful media guide where you can find everyone from your local editor to Oprah and all the newspapers, magazines and TV producers in between. If you’ve spent the time to write a coherent piece, take time to get it published far and wide. Take a chance and get it in the New York Times! (FYI: they have strict requirements.)

Talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about it. people are listening…

Getting On the Airwaves is something everyone remembers. Some of MAU’s best response has come from speaking on the local community-owned radio station. Exuberance is the key to successful airtime and as always just a few eye-opening facts. We recommend going on air with a friend or two to make it more fun and less scary.

Press Conferences are not just for Presidents! Each year groups collaborate to hold press conferences around the UNICEF’s release of the State of the World’s Children report. to order a copy of a really amazing press conference held by Horizons School in Boulder, CO. This is a wonderful time for collaboration with other organizations. Press conferences also come in handy should you decide to run for political office!

Attract great media coverage. Show up anywhere on stilts. Go to stilts recipe

Tools necessary for yelling it from our rooftops >