For years we’ve talked about creating a “magnificent revolution” led by mothers stepping into new public leadership roles on behalf of the world’s children. Today there is clear evidence we’re living inside that revolution—from Shayne Moore’s book Global Soccer Mom: Changing the World is Easier Than You Think to the upcoming 3-year film project Women and Girls Lead, from the glorious voices at World Pulse, CARE, ONEMoms, and The Motherhood, to individuals as famous as Julia Roberts or Christy Turlington Burns and as familiar as you and your neighbor.

In light of this, it is no longer necessary for Mothers Acting Up to be out in front, waving the MAU flag, (even though it is a really beautiful flag … ) and we’ve chosen to close Mothers Acting Up as an organization.

Not that our work as mothers acting up is over—far from it—it’s just that mothers are taking action into our own capable hands. Mothers clearly got the memo that we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for and are Acting Up without need of a third party. There is currently a tremendous amount of coherent, effective work being done on every issue impacting the world’s children, as well as opportunities for mothers to engage directly with organizations. In addition, the Internet is bringing mothers around the globe into conversations with each other—across every boundary imaginable—to share challenges, solutions & resources, and create personalized entry points into activism. In effect, we are each leading the revolution.

When Mothers Acting Up started ten years ago, this was most definitely not the case. Activism was a very suspicious activity—somewhat akin to terrorism—and definitely not appropriate to include children in or really even speak about in polite society. Not a single person we encountered wanted to be called an activist; there were many who visually blanched. Few of us used money to “vote” for the world’s children, or saw children’s lives as interconnected, fewer still had found our public voice on issues we were passionate about—or found agency in our mothering roles, or communicated with our Members of Congress. Suffice it to say, no one was blogging. Today though, when mothers look in the mirror, we don’t see a person solely defined by her private roles, we see a powerful global change agent. Or, if we don’t quite see her yet, we certainly see our friends as change agents, and can see ourselves in them.

MAU has been immensely proud to be part of this transformation by offering inspiration, education and engagement in the form of principles for exuberant activism; daily, weekly & monthly actions; tools and recipes that ranged from how to take a field trip to your MOC to how to build stilts; templates for glorious Mother’s Day parades and events that engaged hundreds of thousands; annual calendars featuring hundreds of organizations and individuals; coaching mother leaders, action groups & MAU communities; presenting the MOTHER tour to inspire personal transformation and strengthen the voices of mothers; contributing through the personal story and scholarship of MAU co-founder Beth Osnes to the wildly evocative movie on population, Mother: Caring for Seven Billion; and sharing intimate portraits from the MQs.

We’ve been especially honored to do all this with you; your actions, feedback, financial support and friendship have guided and inspired not only the organization, but our personal lives as well. We’re grateful to every mother and other who has been a part of this journey, stepping outside of comfort zones and sharing courage, challenges and triumphs. We celebrate this magnificent revolution with you in mind.

As written years ago in one of the calendars:

we are mothers, sisters, family
wrapped in different cloth, standing under the same wide sky
and we’ve come to the very end of our silence

together we’ve found our voice
and it is loud
and it is beautiful

and it sings a love song for our children

In the last few years, we did come to the end of our silence, and we have found our voice. So keep your ears tuned … someone near you is singing. When you hear them, join in and crank up the volume, because it is precisely this song that will shape our world’s future and touch all the lives that are to come.

With deep gratitude and in spirited partnership,

Karen, Juliana, Anjali, Joellen, Amy, Stacy, Beth, and Erica

P.s. Please read the other posts featuring a few of the individuals and organizations that MAU has been honored to partner with. You most likely are familiar with them, if not, visit their Websites and engage in their incredible work.

P.s. We wanted to share our final MAU photo—interestingly enough, it is as strange as our first! Also, some information: PLEASE leave any and all messages here in the comment box and elves will make sure the entire crew sees them. This Website will be live until April 2012, so no worries—you can still find that recipe on how to take a field trip to your Member of Congress, or read the MAU Principles again to commit them to memory. MAU co-founder Joellen Raderstorf will continue tweeting @actingupmama and The MOTHER tour will be accessible at www.MOTHERtour.org. Finally, the MAU FaceBook page will continue sharing the thoughts and actions of our MAU network for the foreseeable future—including the Acting Up of the MAU Central group—so please keep contributing your thoughts and actions on that page.

Photo: Andrea Leoncavallo

Jensine Larsen had a vision that has blossomed into World Pulse. Don’t waste another minute reading this sentence, but instantly visit their site and then order the current edition of the World Pulse Magazine. Your very blood will feel cleansed and energized, to say nothing of your heart and brain.

From their Website: World Pulse is a global media and communication network devoted to bringing women a global voice. We broadcast and unite women’s voices from around the world into a powerful force for change.

We produce a print and web magazine as well as host an interactive community newswire,PulseWire, where women can speak for themselves to the world and connect to solve global problems.

It’s a revolution that has already begun.

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Heartfelt Seal of Gratitude and Respect to World Pulse and recommend MAU Mavens check it out.

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MAU also cheers Cooper and Emily who started The Motherhood.com, a wonderful online conversation that seeks to connect mothers on diverse topics. Join it today, because there is a generosity of spirit, humor and an appetite to change the world, that is infectious. Because as they say, “We know/Becoming a mother means becoming a wholly new human being/And that transformation can be overwhelming, exhilarating, confusing, wonderful, challenging.”

From the Blog: In TheMotherhood we are all about helping each other make life a little better every day. TheMotherhood is organized around Circles and Talks. Circles are on-going conversations started by members on any and all topics. Join the circles that interest you, and if you don’t see what you’re looking for, start one! Neighbors are the amazing women who make up TheMotherhood. You won’t find a nicer, smarter, funnier, more supportive, resourceful, authentic, friendly group of moms anywhere. Become a fan of TheMotherhood on Facebook; Follow us on Twitter: @TheMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann.

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Heartfelt Seal of Gratitude and Respect to The Motherhood and recommend that MAU Mavens check them out. May these circles continue to inspire, educate and engage.

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Beth Osnes wrote, performs and travels with the MOTHER tour, as well as being featured in a new movie on population, Mother: Caring for 7 Billion. In all her work, Beth intends to support the emergence of a global community of mothers moving from concern to action on behalf of the world’s children. It is happening …

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Seal of Gratitude and Respect to the MOTHER tour and recommend that MAU Mavens check it out. Plus, any interaction with Beth brings delight.

The oldest & youngest attendees at CARE's conference with CARE's President, Helene Gayle

There are about six people who DON’T know about CARE, and that’s because CARE has been around since 1945 offering life-saving support to children and families in crisis—with an increased recent focus on partnering with women. AND their materials are positive, beautiful and tremendously accessible. We are HUGE fans of CARE.

Here’s what they say: 
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of disease, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

Our Vision
We seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and people live in dignity and security. CARE International will be a global force and a partner of choice within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We will be known everywhere for our unshakable commitment to the dignity of people.

Do you see why MAU is a bit crazy in love? In addition, CARE has recognized the importance of engaging generations of activists, so be sure to check out CARE’s annual conference in the Spring, which MAU Maven Anjali Kochar and her daughter Kiran (10) have attended for years.

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Seal of Gratitude and Respect to CARE and recommend MAU Mavens check them out. To get involved contact Giulia McPherson at the CARE Action Network, gmcpherson@care.org, 202-415-8285.

From the Website: The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization, 501(c)(3), aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency. By filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women, we make American institutions, businesses and government truly representative. Through multi-platform programs, The White House Project creates a culture where America’s most valuable untapped resource—women—can succeed in all realms.

To advance this mission, The White House Project strives to support women and the issues that allow women to lead in their own lives and in the world. When women leaders bring their voices, vision and leadership to the table alongside men, the debate is more robust and the policy is more inclusive and sustainable. By supporting women and the values that allow women to succeed—the full range of health options, security platforms that utilize all our resources, economic stability for all—we work to create an equitable culture.

YES! In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Seal of Gratitude and Respect to The White House Project and recommend that MAU Mavens check them out!

What they say: Since 2006, MomsRising has been working to bring together millions of people who share a common concern about the need to build a more family-friendly America. Our members are bringing important motherhood and family issues to the forefront of the country’s awareness. Together, we are working to create both cultural and legislative change, on both the national and state levels.

Last year alone, MomsRising’s members took over a million actions in support of families, and in the process, were covered in the media over 1,000 times. Together, we are making major progress—policies at the Congressional and state levels that have been stuck for decades are now moving forward, and some have already become law. For example, MomsRising played a key role in securing paid family leave in New Jersey, Washington, and paid sick days in Milwaukee. Our efforts also helped pass legislation, which removes highly toxic phthalates from young children’s toys and products, and the Consumer Product Safety Reform Act that will better protect our families from toxic substances.

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Heartfelt Seal of Gratitude and Respect to MomsRising and recommend MAU Mavens check them out. Continue the upward RISE!

Many, many years ago, when our children were small, three of the MAU co-founders were inspired and trained by this incredible citizen activist organization. RESULTS awakened our activism. It is a phenomenally tenacious and effective organization and will help any of us—with zero experience or decades—find our voice on issues of hunger and poverty.

From their Website: Meet Our Everyday Heroes

Everyday heroes come from all circumstances, continents, and walks of life. They contribute to the goal of ending poverty through their voices, their time, their money, their collaboration, and their passionate commitment to a more just world.

Each of these people, and hundreds more, have found what they’re looking for—a way to act on their vision of a world without poverty—through the powerful support of RESULTS and RESULTS EDUCATION FUND (REF). By giving people the training, tools, and support needed to make their voices heard in the corridors of power, RESULTS changes lives—of those who don’t believe they can make a difference and of those living in poverty.

In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Seal of Gratitude and Respect to RESULTS and recommend that MAU Mavens check them out.

• Rachel Fox, a nurse, mom and ONE Congressional District leader, says being a ONE mom is simple and empowering. Read her story and take action. I remember lying in bed when I was little, wondering what needed to happen to make the world a fair place …
• Shayne Moore, (pictured with her family) ONE mom blogger, member and author of the book “Global Soccer Mom,” shares the funny, touching story of how she became an activist. People always ask, “How did you, a stay-at-home mom, get involved with global issues of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty?”
• Elisa Morgan, ONE mom blogger and publisher of FullFill Magazine, urges people take action on the world’s injustices—not tune them out. It happened one night. I was watching “Nightly News with Brian Williams.” I was just sitting on my couch on a weeknight evening …
• Jennifer James, ONE mom blogger and founder of Mom Bloggers Club, reflects on what it means to be an activist. Do you consider yourself an activist? I didn’t either, but the more I think about it the more I am beginning to embrace the notion that I am indeed …
• Jyl Johnson Pattee, ONE mom blogger, mompreneur and founder of Mom it Forward, reflects on the marvels of modern medicine, a luxury that only a fraction of the world has access to. Without it, she would have had a harder time becoming a mom.

Each one of these posts packs enough inspiration to ripple out to thousands, inciting many of us to step into our own strength and public leadership. In light of all this, the MAU Board & Staff give our Seal of Gratitude and Respect to ONE and #ONEmoms and recommend that MAU Mavens check them out. To get involved with the ONE Moms program, get in touch with Lauren Balog: lauren.balog@one.org.

Katie Doyle Myers
Philanthropiece, Global Grassroots
www.philanthropiece.org, www.globalgrassroots.org

Lee Lee
Tales of Thatcher Gray, Lee Lee Paintings
www.TalesOfThatcherGray.com, www.lee-lee.com

Michelle Maloy Dillon
Educate!
www.experienceeducate.org

Erik Hoffner
Orion
www.orionmagazine.org

Q What about being a mother* brings you the most joy? (*mothers or others who exercise protective care over someone smaller)
A It’s the moment when Finn sneaks up behind me and gives me a giant hug … unconditional love.

Q What 140-character tweet—or ten-word sentence—best describes a mothering skill YOU have that you wish every world leader possessed?
A While not necessarily a skill, I have time to offer to my son; I wish that privilege for every mother everywhere.

Q What would you want to whisper into the ear of every child in the world? 
A “I love you more than a million billion universes.” (The same thing I whisper into my son’s ear every morning.)

Q What issues keep you up at night? How do you respond to these nocturnal musings? 
A A few nights ago I watched a video about children living in slums in Nepal that emphasized how they have no where to go to become warm at night—their homes are slats of wood and a dirt floor. I’ve been kept up about moms and children being wet and cold at night. How do I respond? First, by remembering to be incredibly grateful for what I have. Secondly, by talking and raising awareness about this concern, to my son, to my family, friends, co-workers.

Q How do you stay exuberant when addressing the sobering realities facing children? 
A I am very fortunate in that, in my job, I am able to spend time sitting around kitchen tables, or on stools around open fires, with mothers from different places, countries, cultures. While our discussions are often sobering—I just talked for hours with a women in rural Mexico about the countless miscarriages that she endured—exuberance always prevails when we end with a hug, a mutual sharing and acceptance.

Q Which mother leaders or activists inspire you and why? 
A I am inspired by Gretchen Wallace—an activist and mama to be! Gretchen founded and directs Global Grassroots, an NGO that leads the “Conscious Change Academy” for women in Rwanda. Gretchen is committed to intersecting personal and societal transformation.

Q You have an opportunity to meet with the President on behalf of the world’s children. What single request do you make? What individual or group do you invite to join you, so you’re invincible and win the support of the White House? 
A I would call for access to education for every girl in every corner of the globe. I would invite a girl and her mother from 50 different nations—Guatemala, Uganda, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan—I would ask each girl to stand up, to speak her dream, and to tell her truth.

Q What issue are you embarrassed you don’t know more about? 
A Hmmm, that’s a good one. I should certainly know more about the issue of sex trafficking. And climate issues. And land rights. There are lots … I’m not really embarrassed about it though, I try to be honest about what I don’t know, to ask questions, to learn about people’s experiences.

Q You’ve been chosen to be the face of Mothers Acting Up—celebrating mothers taking public action on behalf of the world’s children—to shine from the side of every bus in America. What’s your tag line?
A Be THAT mama!

Q How do you share your activism with the children in your life and how do you think it has shaped them? 
A The biggest thing that I do is lead “100 Book Day” every year with my son, Finn. We founded this event in 2009. The mission of the initiative is to use reading and spending time together as a way to raise awareness, generate resources, promote literacy, and have fun. Finn is shaped in three wonderful ways by this event: he self-identifies as a “reader”; he has a vision beyond his community that there are kids out there who don’t have books to read or someone to read to them; and he knows that he has the power to create change.

Q What moment did you first feel moved to take a public action, and begin your journey as an activist? 
A In all honesty—I am not just saying this because I’m on the MQ—it was during my first Vocal Empowerment Workshop with Beth Osnes. Before that I didn’t know that I could be the one to actually do something to create change. The moment I expressed my most passionate concern—and what I could do about it in the next 4 weeks—I gave myself permission to be the activist, the change-maker that I so admired in other women.

Q A friend leaves an excited message asking you to join her in an action. What do you hope it is? What do you pray it isn’t? 
A I hope it’s something that I can bring my son to … and something that is joyful. I also hope it has something to do with art or literacy. Or women’s rights. I feel terrible about this, but I hope it’s not about climate change. While I am not passionate about this issue, I AM passionate about the people who work on it tirelessly!

Q How do you benefit the world’s children? Does it involve contributing to individual lives or changing systems, or both? 
A I start at home, at my friend’s homes, and at my son’s school by extending compassion to the children that I know and meet—and I try to volunteer in ways that benefit them whenever possible. I am fortunate that my work with the Philanthropiece Foundation allows me to work on programs that support the education, health, and general wellbeing of children in Latin America. As a Global Grassroots Board Member, I am proud to contribute to changing systems for women and children in Rwanda—building their self-sufficiency to create change in their communities for example via a clean water source, domestic violence education, adequate school bathrooms for girls, literacy, etc.

Q What challenges have you encountered in your work that caused you to stumble a bit but taught you a wickedly useful lesson? 
A My biggest challenge is having too many things on my plate—work, life, family, exercise, etc. My most useful lesson: breathe deeply and go snuggle up on the couch with my son and a book. That seems to ease everything.

Q You’ve just been given a $5 million grant to “Change the World For Children’s Sake!” What do you do with it? 
A I would invest $1 million dollars each in five grassroots organizations whose programs focus on sustainability and self-sufficiency. Who would those orgs be? Hmmm … at the moment: Global Grassroots, Reading Village, Limitless Horizons Ixil, El Porvenir and Educate!

Q After reading this, other mothers share your passion! What are the 3 most compelling, creative, blow-your-skirt-up, want-to-do-it-right-now ACTIONS they can take to get involved? 
A 1. Check out 100 Book Day on Facebook and email me for a Toolkit!

2. Support Global Grassroots’ Change Agents by learning about them and donating $15!

3. Tell a mama friend how you feel and get her involved!

Linda Smith
Reading Village
www.readingvillage.org

Heather Hallagan
Mamas for Peace
www.mamasforpeace.org

Copland Rudolph
ChildFund International
www.childfund.org

Mary Jo Hamilton
Kiva, Heifer International
www.kiva.com, www.heifer.org