Let us call the watchers “gatekeepers”. When we pause to think, there are many gatekeepers and their personal likings and limitations greatly affect those on the other side of the “gate”. Teachers who advise school clubs. Professors who decide on what is appropriate service-learning. Elected officials and civil servants who decide on what the public may read. FBI managers who filter reports by agents about terror threats. On and on it goes.

A month ago, I wanted to announce a very outside-the-box concept to members of Pi Sigma Alpha, the political-science fraternity. The newsletter editor was kind and prompt; unfortunately, there was no room in the fall newsletter and the fraternity did not do e-mail blasts. What raised the significance of this missed opportunity was the nature of the idea: nonlegislative, citizen-centered campaign reform which would be self-funding and could employ many people in a community.

How would you deal with the gatekeepers, because if our aim is a better world, there are many gatekeepers who are keeping the gate shut?

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About the Author

Van received his J.D. from UCLA and his B.A. from California State University, Los Angeles. While an attorney by profession, Van is a social entrepreneur by passion. He develops concepts for social ventures and community programs–a delightful challenge–and then looks for collaborating students and faculty–a devilish challenge. Concepts include mass education through online lessons, micro-franchising, the promotion of fuel efficiency, pet care, at-risk teen males, and democratizing American democracy. He is very supportive of youth entrepreneurship, as expressed through Youth Venture, Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship, and Do Something, Van finds a major challenge in the generally irrelevant curriculum-from a community viewpoint-to which millions of high schoolers are subjected throughout the United States.