Printed on the editorial page of Boulder's The Daily Camera
on October 31, 2005
GIRLCOTTS
Support businesses that improve world
In the "The Politics of Motherhood" (Insight, Oct. 23), Meghan Gibbons writes about those who would "coach mothers not to pontificate on subjects beyond their expertise." With nearly every other child living in poverty, mothers are not pontificating enough!
At Mothers Acting Up, we feel that it is high time that mothers spend our money (women spend 83 percent of the money!) on products that support children's well-being around the world.
Introducing the "girlcott" (opposite of a boycott). Girlcotting is a positive endorsement of something we can solidly stand behind and say, "this product is made with consideration for what we, as mothers, care about." We want to stand up — on or off stilts — and bring lots of publicity and well-deserved attention for local businesses that are contributing to the community, companies using recyclable materials even when it costs more, coffee shops serving fair-trade coffee, grocery stores using biodegradable containers, clothing stores providing sweatshop-free clothes, and the list goes on. Every business owner makes daily choices that either serve global health or add to its deterioration. It is our challenge to start to influence these choices!
Boulder's first official girlcott is scheduled for Nov. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at one of three Wild Oats store locations. Wild Oats has been walking their talk: offering fair trade products (coffee, chocolate, bananas,) and organic produce. Come and help us girlcott our beloved Wild Oats, the local business that represents mothers' priorities. Help us tell them, and others, that we will use our voices, votes and dollars to prioritize the world's children!
ERICA SHAFROTH
Co-founder
Mothers Acting Up
Boulder
Copyright 2005, The Daily Camera. All Rights Reserved.
A press release written by the Boulder group and submitted to the Boulder Daily Camera:
Mothers Acting Up's First Ever GIRLCOTT!!
What: A MAU girlcott of Wild Oats celebrating their choice to carry a wide
array of Fair Trade* products! There will be mothers on stilts, kids on
unicycles and many others dressed colorfully holding signs and cheering for
Fair Trade products at Wild Oats
When: Nov. 19, Sat. 11-1:00pm
Where: Outside in front of each of the three Wild Oats stores in Boulder
Ideal Market (Diana 303-245-0988)
Wild Oats on Baseline and Broadway (Isabelle 720-231-9916)
Wild Oats on Arapahoe and Broadway (Beth 303-442-7628)
Contact: Beth Osnes, co-founder of Mothers Acting Up
osnesbeth@hotmail.com
303-442-7628
At Mothers Acting Up, we feel that it is high time that we spend our money
on products that support children‚s well-being around the world by introducing
the GIRLCOTT (opposite of a BOYcott). Girlcotting is a positive endorsement
of something we can solidly stand behind and say, "this product is made with
consideration for what we, as mothers, care about." We want to stand up˜on
or off stilts˜ and bring lots of publicity and well deserved attention for
corporations and businesses who are contributing to the community,
companies using recyclable materials even when it costs more, coffee shops
serving fair trade coffee, grocery stores using biodegradable containers,
clothing stores providing sweatshop-free clothes and the list goes on. Every
business owner makes daily choices that either serve the global health or
add to the deterioration of global health. It is our challenge to start to
influence these choices!
Wild Oats has been walking their talk: offering and promoting Fair Trade*
products such as coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, and breakfast cereals.
Come and help us Girlcott this choice made by WILD OATS which represents
mothers‚ priorities. Help us tell them, and others, that we will use our
voices, votes and dollars to prioritize the world's children!
*The Fair Trade certification ensures that the farmers and producers of
these products were paid a livable wage, in a manner sensitive to the
environment, and that no child labor was used in its production.
**Mothers Acting Up is a Boulder-based international movement to mobilize
the gigantic political strength of mothers to ensure the health, education
and safety of the world's children (www.mothersactingup.org)