by Jeffrey S. Brand
Board Member, Not For Sale Campaign
Dean, University of San Francisco School of Law

November 3, 2010

1. The world needs Smart Activists because problems are complicated and defy simple solutions. Smart Activists understand this.
2. Smart Activists understand that education is a gift, enhancing one’s skills, perspective, credibility, and visibility.
3. Smart Activists go to Universities that feed their passion to change the world.
4. Smart Activists understand that all fields of study and work need activists with the determination to make a difference. That’s why Smart Activists are found in laboratories, corporate board rooms, union offices, churches, synagogues, and anywhere else one can imagine. (P.S. If I had known this rule, I probably would not have quit medical school.) A corollary: Smart Activists understand that it takes time to understand how one’s work affects the world and the action that is required. (See also Rule 9.)
5. Smart Activists look for connections between issues because:
   A. The connections are there; and,
   B. Finding them:
   I. Helps build coalitions with other activists – smart and not so smart; and,
   II. Gives Smart Activists a better sense of what the problems really are and what their structural         solutions might be. See also: Rule 1 (problems are complicated) and Rule 2 (an education helps Smart Activists to understand complexity and therefore to see connections).
6. Smart Activists understand that action alone does not change the world. It also takes thoughtfulness and an unswerving commitment to great ideas – just ask Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela. That is one reason why Smart Activists understand that scholarly pursuits are critical. (See also: Rule 2) By the way, studying and articulating great ideas also take courage: again, just ask Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
7. Smart Activists try to know themselves as they seek to make the world better for others.
8. Smart Activists maintain a sense of humor at all costs.
9. Smart Activists know that they may not live to see the difference that they make, but that doesn’t mean that they are not making a difference. This is a very tough rule to follow. Just ask Moses. (See also Rule 4.)
10. ‘Smart Activists’ are flexible and creative and make up their own rules, including Rule 10.