Lint Center for National Security Studies - Latest Blog Entries

Lint Center Scholarships: (Merit-based Funding, Deadline 7/31/10)

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:05:00 -0500

Many of you have worked with or assisted Lint Center in the past. Please forward this to students who you believe can create an essay with innovative ideas. Below are the scholarships we have for this month. This has been sent to colleges by our Director of Communications, but we would like have people in this business to push out this information to enable us to get high quality candidates.

JRL

The Lint Center for National Security Studies, a nonprofit 501c3 charity, is offering three merit-based scholarships this month to students pursuing higher education (DEADLINE: July 31, 2010).

Below you will find information regarding the three scholarship opportunities as well as links outlining applicant requirements. Please share this news and disseminate this information about the upcoming scholarship opportunities with all those you feel could benefit or may be interested in applying.

Jim & Anna Hyonjoo Lint Scholarship ($1,500): http://www.lintcenter.org/2008/JAHL-PR-08.htm
Lint Center’s 'Quest for Knowledge' Scholarship ($500) - Honoring Spec. Christopher J. Coffland: http://www.lintcenter.org/Scholarships/Coffland.htm
Virginia and Frank Misselhorn Memorial Scholarship ($500): http://www.lintcenter.org/Scholarships/Misselhorn.htm

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you have any questions or require additional information. Thank you in advance for your assistance in helping us spread the word about these upcoming scholarship opportunities.

Regards,

Tim

About the Lint Center: The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc., founded in 2007, is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization created to award merit-based scholarships for Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, their children and scholars, and to advance the study of National Security, cross-cultural studies, and global understanding.

The mission of the Lint Center for National Security Studies is to foster and further the educational development and opportunities for the next generation of America’s Counterintelligence and National Security Workers. The Center focuses on empowering individuals, enhancing the study of national security issues, and enabling emerging leaders to be mentored by established current-and-former industry experts.

The Center aims to:

Identify promising individuals and assist in educational pursuits through scholarship initiatives
Provide talented individuals with a meaningful leadership development mentoring program by current-and-former Counterintelligence and National Security Workers
Create a forum for the dissemination and discussion of National Security Studies through the Center’s online Web-portal

All donations and contributions to the Lint Center are allocated solely to the Center’s scholarship funds. All actions and activities by the Lint Center are conducted by unpaid staff and volunteers. The Center is Veteran and minority operated and managed.

**********************************
Tim Coleman

Director of Communications

Lint Center for National Security Studies

http://www.LintCenter.org

Twitter: @LintCenter

Also on Facebook

Happy New Years Message from the CEO:

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 07:15:00 -0600

Lint Center had a great year with the award of six scholarships during two different scholarship competitions.

We also created a new Ben Franklin scholarship that was awarded once in summer 2009 and will also be awarded in winter 2010. The Ben Franklin scholarship was funded by a new donor who has helped cover two different competitions.

Additionally, we had many scholars to mentor contacts. Our mentees are smart people and ask great questions of our mentors. The feedback from the mentors is that they enjoy the time with bright minds. The mentor program is constantly rated as one of the highest value items Lint Center has produced.

We have another scholarship competition ending 30 January 2010. Please push out the website with information to people who can put the information in front of scholars with an interest in National Security. http://www.lintcenter.org/scholarships.htmThe applications are sent in via PDF as mentioned on the webpage. Past winner information is linked to the side of this page and throughout the website. This is a great time to thank the hard working scholarship selection committee. They wade through mounds of applications and consistently come up with high performers.

This year we awarded two of our volunteers with President's Volunteer Service Awards. This program was started by President Bush, Sr and has been continued by President Obama. More information about Lint Center and this program is at http://www.lintcenter.org/2009/volunteers.htm. There is also information on how to sign up and get your hours recognized.

Additionally, Lint Center is a member of the new Disney program to award volunteers. http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-DayBeginning January 1, 2010, when you sign up here to volunteer a day of service with a participating organization (and your service is completed and verified) you'll get one day admission to a Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® theme park, FREE! Lint Center is one of the approved organizations to sign up for this event. As a virtual organization, your 8 hours will be cumulative to achieve that one day.

As Lint Center grows, we look for new ideas to excel and serve. Please send those ideas to me to be converted into action. Remember to push out our scholarship information to scholars to increase the competition and allow us to find the best for awards and mentorship.

Jim Lint, Chairman
Special Agent (Retired)
Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc
IRS Approved 501 (c) (3) Charity

Mission:
--To build and award scholarships for Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, their children and scholars of CI and NS.
--To build and award scholarships to enhance global understanding and cross-culture studies.
--To coordinate creation and data dissemination of National Security Studies and Forum.
--To conduct all actions with unpaid volunteer staff

http://lintcenter.org/

Iraq Surge Strategy – Factors Reducing IEDs

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:44:00 -0500

All:

A professor of mine is working on a study to quantify the impact of the “surge” in Iraq. I have been debating him on this subject matter for quite sometime (winning mostly - haha) but he asked about quantifying civilian efforts for development, infrastructure, etc following the “surge”. Specifically, he mentioned the reduction of IED attacks but he couldn’t find data supporting a casual link between the surge and the reduction.

Does anyone have any open-source information as to US strategy, US initiatives, or a US program which could be cited (or quantified) as a casual factor for the reduction in IEDs post-“surge” implementation?

Best,

TWC

Lint Center Receives Presidential Service Award for Volunteerism Certification

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:32:00 -0500

1)PRLog HTML: http://www.prlog.org/10209817.html

2) PRLog PDF Version: http://www.prlog.org/10209817-lint-center-receives-presidential-service-award-for-volunteerism-certification.pdf

3) FPR HTML: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200904/1238693333.html

LintCenterAnnounces Certification by Council on Service and Civic Participation to Deliver Presidential Volunteer Service Award

LintCenterfor National Security Studies Approved for Prestigious Award Certification to Honor Outstanding Commitment to Volunteer Service

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 31, 2009 – The Lint Center, a non-profit charity, focused on supporting the educational pursuits of the next generation of America’s Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, today formally announced that it has been approved as a Certifying Organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Established in 2003, the Award was created to give Presidential recognition to individuals, families and groups.

The Presidential Volunteer Service Award is a national program recognizing Americans who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service. The program recognizes volunteer service contributions measured by the number of service hours performed over 12-months.

“The Lint Center is pleased to be a Certifying Organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award,” said Jim Lint, Chairman and CEO of the Lint Center for National Security Studies. “Founded as a Veteran and minority directed charity, we maintain no paid staff and rely exclusively on the volunteer spirit of great Americans. Our focus is to ensure that all donations and contributions are allocated to the Center’s scholarship initiatives. The Center’s team of dedicated volunteers strives to give back a little more each day and strengthen America one volunteered hour after another.”

“The Presidential Volunteer Service Award program will enable the Lint Center to recognize and in some small way, extend this country’s thanks to the Center’s team of unpaid volunteers,” said Anna Hyonjoo, Chief Operations Officer at the Lint Center. “We welcome the Council on Service and Civic Participation’s certification of the Lint Center and believe it further validates the fundamental impact of the Center’s meaningful work.”

To sign up, create an account, and track your volunteer service hours, please, visit http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov. To create an account all you need to do is follow the four step easy registration process. You can keep a record of your service update online. The Record of Service Key for Lint Center is CHN-34740.

There are numerous opportunities to volunteer at the Lint Center which facilitate hours to fulfilling Presidential Volunteer Service Award hours. The Lint Center welcomes individuals interested in volunteering and offers three methods to give back: Submit a volunteer application: http://www.lintcenter.org/Volunteer-Application-Form.doc, complete a virtual volunteer application: http://www.lintcenter.org/2009/volunteers.htm, and/or apply for the volunteer internship program: http://www.lintcenter.org/2009/interns.htm.

About Presidential Volunteer Service Award:

For more information on the Presidential Volunteer Service Award please, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.

About the Lint Center:

The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Inc., founded in 2007, is a non-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) organization created to award merit-based scholarships for Counterintelligence and National Security Workers, their children and scholars, and to advance the study of National Security, cross-cultural studies, and global understanding. The Center, an IRS approved charity, is Veteran and minority operated and managed. For more information, please visit www.LintCenter.org.

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Lint Center Awards Scholar Focused on the Application of Science and Technology in Security Studies

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:06:00 -0500

New press release posting of recent winner is here:

1) From PRLog

2) From FPR

Html Version: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200903/1238374342.html

Lint Center Announces Winner of the 2009 Eekwon Lee and Jongja Byun Scholarship

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:04:00 -0500

New press release posting of recent winner is available here:

1) From PRLog

2)From FPR

Html Version: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200903/1238368530.html

Ensuring Effective Food Safety Regulation in China?

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:56:00 -0600

Executive Summary: Recently, China has come under fire for its food safety standards by both export recipients and domestic consumers. Several of China’s largest trading partners have imposed punitive bans on Chinese food products, citing quality assurance concerns. Shortcomings in food safety have also precipitated instances of domestic social unrest. Reassessing the current food safety apparatus in China is necessary to determine the most effective response to deal with this issue.

Problem Statement: Food safety concerns have negatively impacted China in three main ways. First, publicized recalls and import bans on Chinese products have damaged the credibility of the Chinese brand. Secondly, several large trading partners have imposed bans and import restrictions on food products, undermining China’s export market penetration and impeding its long term economic growth. Thirdly, food safety concerns exacerbate domestic apprehensions regarding victuals safeguards, leading to instances of social instability. Policy Options: To address the need for improved safety regulations, three policy paths should be examined:

1. Essential Status Quo: In this scenario, China would implement minor bureaucratic and regulatory reforms. On the national level, oversight and food safety inspections would be consolidated slightly from six to four. Overhaul efforts would include a funding increase, deemed ‘significant’, for more food inspectors at the local level. The new regulatory regime would put the onus of day to day responsibility onto local jurisdictions with a Federal oversight role.

2. Moderate Reform Model: In this scenario, China would implement bureaucratic consolidation of its six major food safety regulators into two. In this new model, one agency would oversee food safety for exportation and the other agency would oversee domestic food safety. These two regulating and compliance bodies would report to the newly created Minister of Food Safety.

(a) A consolidated civilian command-and-control apparatus would mandate quality guidelines, increase frequency of unannounced inspections, and have authority to shutdown an operation or prosecute violators. Prosecutions would be conducted in civilian courts and victims could sue for punitive damages.
(b) To encourage higher food safety standards, a certificate program would be implemented. The program would certify a firm’s quality assurance program.

3. Securitize – Food Security, is State Security: In this scenario, China would implement wide sweeping changes focused on securing the Chinese food supply. A consolidated, unified singular regulatory body would be created and run by a former Chinese General with logistics expertise. The head of the new regulatory body would report directly to the Ministry of Defense.

(a) A mandatory registration process would be implemented requiring all contributors to the food supply chain be subject to inspection and quality standards.
(b) Violators would be prosecuted in criminal courts. Draconian sentencing guidelines including capital punishment would go into effect. Senior managers would be subject to prosecution including sentences to hard labor reeducation camps.
(c) A confidential tips hotline with a monetary award would be created to elicit greater input from citizens and workers.

Critique of Policy Options: In order to analyze the policy options, a clear criterion for evaluation is necessary. The policy options must meet four basic elements including short term impact on improving food safety, enhancing Chinese brand image, supporting export market expansion and continued economic growth, and alleviating domestic apprehensions surrounding food safety.

(1) In the first policy option, maintain the status quo, the emphasis is on minor modifications including a bureaucratic reshuffle. This is the easiest and least resource consuming choice. However, this policy will fail to improve food safety. This approach would also appear as window dressing by trading partners. Also, this policy would likely lack credibility for citizens still impacted by food safety concerns. As a result, the status quo policy option fails to qualify as an effective option.

(2) In the second policy option, moderate reform model, the consolidation of regulatory oversight, the creation of a Ministry of Food Security, and the enhanced authorities’ is a stronger path to ensuring food safety effectively. Such a policy program would send a strong message to trading partners and domestic constituencies that China was serious. The certification program would stimulate renewed interest in food safety efforts. However, this approach would be time intensive to create a truly viable food safety mechanism. Any delay could have serious repercussions. Additionally, food production is not a siloed process and the two regulatory bodies would likely find themselves fighting over jurisdiction if a plant produces food products for both the domestic and export market. As such, it falls short of being the most effective choice to improve food safety.

(3) In the third policy option, securitize food safety, a major reshuffling of regulatory oversight and the creation of a food safety department reporting to the Ministry of Defense would indicate the issue’s level of importance. It would serve to bolster China’s brand image because of the severity of Chinese actions. It would send a strong message to trading partners that food safety for the export market was a priority. Elevating the matter to a state security level would alleviate fears about the government’s inability to ensure food safety. Lastly, consolidating responsibility would reduce bureaucracy and ensure stakeholders were held to account.

Recommendations: China supplies nearly 20 percent of the world’s population with food (Ref: 1a). Additionally, China exports food products to more than 200 nations around the world and 99 percent of those exports comply with the required safety standards of export nations (Ref: 1b). While the quality of Chinese food exports is high, even a one percent failure rate has serious implications for China’s food industry. As a consequence, any breakdown in the food safety supply chain can have a wide reaching and profound impact on those China feeds both domestically and abroad.

The third option is the most radical in form and nature. However, it satisfies all four criteria for effectiveness. In addition pursuing such a policy course by pulling security resources into the issue would propel the reform measures along. In turn, implementation of this policy could be achieved expeditiously. As such, China should move forward and securitize food safety.

References

1a) China’s Government’s Official Web Portal, “Hu: Food Issue Concerns World's Development, Security”, Wednesday, July 9, 2008, Assessed on October 20, 2008, http://english.gov.cn/2008-07/09/content_1040376.htm

1b) Embassy of the Republic of China in the United States of America, “China-US Relations: Chinese Food Exports Are Safe”, June 26, 2007, Assessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmgx/t334047.htm

Bibliography:

1) Becker, Geoffrey S. “CRS Report to Congress: Food and Agricultural Imports from China”, Congressional Research Service, September 26, 2008, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34080_20080926.pdf

2) Becker, Geoffrey S. “CRS Report to Congress: Food and Agricultural Imports from China”, Congressional Research Service, October 9, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, https://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Nov/RL34080.pdf

3) Blanchard, Ben “China says food safety scares threaten stability”, Reuters News, July 9, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/20/content_10084798.htm

4) Bristow, Michael “China tackles tainted food crisis”. BBC News, July 10, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6288096.stm

5) China Daily Staff, “Draft food safety law approved”, Peoples Daily Online, November 1, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/6294558.html

6) China’s Government’s Official Web Portal, “Hu: Food Issue Concerns World's Development, Security”, Wednesday, July 9, 2008, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://english.gov.cn/2008-07/09/content_1040376.htm

7) Cutler, Thomas R. “The Impact of Six Sigma on Food Quality”, International Food Safety & Quality Network, September 4, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.ifsqn.com/articles_detail.php?newsdesk_id=407&osCsid=a5066c1832252393e5bc4fca51858d44&t=The+Impact+of+Six+Sigma+on+Food+Quality

8) Embassy of the Republic of China in the United States of America, “China-US Relations: Chinese Food Exports Are Safe”, June 26, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmgx/t334047.htm

9) The Associated Press, “China To Execute Chief Food Inspector”, CBS News, May 29, 2007, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/health/main2860989.shtml

10) Xinhua News Agency, “Hu Underscores Rural Development, Food Safety”, Beijing Review, October 10, 2008, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.bjreview.com.cn/special/third_plenum_17thcpc/txt/2008-10/10/content_156236.htm

11) Xinhua News Agency, “HKSAR government to introduce food safety bill”, China Org, October 15, 2008, Accessed on October 20, 2008, http://www.china.org.cn/government/local_governments/2008-10/15/content_16615817.htm

Virtual Volunteering Project

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:49:00 -0600

Our Virtual Volunteering Project participants will have an impact.

We will have a Virtual Volunteering Projec that will allow our members to have an impact.

Benefits:
Mentorship:

For those individuals who volunteer will have an opportunity to interact with some Lint Center mentors.
Mentors are highly regarded individuals who have practitioner oriented experience and who are current and/or former members of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Lint Center Mentors are individuals with expertise and experience in a broad array of our country’s intelligence agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, US State Department, and various other organizations including the Department of Defense.

Presidential Service Award Nomination:

In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush issued a challenge to all Americans to make time to help their neighbors, communities, and Nation through service. He created the USA Freedom Corps to help all Americans answer his call to service and help foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility.
Hours spent on this project may be added toward a nomination for the Presidential Service Award. If nominees receive a service award, volunteers will receive 1) An official President’s Volunteer Service Award lapel pin; 2) A personalized certificate of achievement; 3) A congratulatory letter from the President of the United States; 4) A letter from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, 5) A personal letter of recommendation from the Lint Center for future employers.

Overview

The Lint Center for National Security Studies, Public Affairs Office, is seeking highly-motivated volunteers. The Lint Center Public Affairs Office provides a wide range of communication services for the Lint Center and serves as the primary liaison between the Lint Center and the news media as well as the general public. The office promotes enhanced public awareness about the Center, its mission as a non-profit, its scholarship recipients, and its think tank efforts promoting the innovative ideas and counterintuitive solutions of contributing writers addressing existing counterintelligence, defense policy, and national security issues.

The Lint Center’s Public Affairs Office is seeking Volunteers and interns for positions as Public Affairs and Digital Media Interns who are creative, technologically proficient, and task oriented. The internship is unpaid but can be completed via tele-Networking or virtual communications. In turn, interns are not required to relocate and bare the financial burden of temporary dislocation. However, interns are expected to have access to the Internet and must be committed to assisting the Lint Center. (Suggested summer commitment: 100 hours for Undergraduate students and 200-300 hours for Graduate students). This page is dedicated to the Virtual Volunteering Project, opportunities with another page for Intern information.

Title:

MySpace Public Relations Coordinator

Assignment:

Facilitate the dissemination of information regarding the details, submission deadlines, and other vital particulars of the Center Scholarship program. Duties will include posting various Lint Center volunteer opportunities, internship programs, and scholarships on MySpace.com.
Research and report on coverage/mention of the Lint Center

Description
The Lint Center for National Security Studies, is seeking the support of volunteers to assist with the development as well as expansion of the Center’s MySpace account. Specifically, the Lint Center is hoping to find a motivated individual to assist in monitoring, identifying, and relaying opportunities within the MySpace community to attract additional volunteer support for enhanced community engagement. The emphasis of the effort is to connect and retain a base of virtual volunteer supporters to facilitate and improve the work of the Lint Center.
Specific areas of interest, in addition to the above mentioned areas of responsibility, include posting news, information, and details’ regarding the Lint Center’s various scholarships. Additionally, a weekly ‘coverage report’ or summary of MySpace comments pertaining to the Lint Center will be required.

Age: 19 and older

Does this assignment involve direct interaction with clients?
No. Even so, it does provide participant with direct interaction with senior and executive level members of the Lint Center.

Volunteer Skills and Equipment Needed

A computer and regular access to the Internet
Access to MySpace,
Knowledge of how to search and post certain areas of MySpace,
Review MySpace for comments and ideas pertaining to Lint Center
Attention to detail, thoughtful and careful reading of stories to glean only certain articles, commitment to deadlines.

This opportunity is totally virtual (volunteer doesn't have to be on site at the organization)
This opportunity has no expiration date (this opportunity is always available unless currently filled)

The Lint Center may request a quick telephone interview, a resume review, and/or a short writing sample.

Please provide your comments, suggestions, and ideas by using the Feedback form at http://www.lintcenter.org/feedback.htm. This form may also be used to start the internship application process or initiate a dialogue with the Center, should you require clarification. Our aim is to provide motivated individuals with a rewarding, enriching experience and to provide Lint Center interns with the basic skill set and practitioner oriented knowledge needed to reach the next step. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly with any questions. We welcome your interest and look forward to hearing from you.

Volunteer Application