Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Group of intellectuals and well-known individuals call for constructive compromise in the area of the education reform
• Russia Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on observation of Russian-speakers rights in the Baltic States
• Article by the former director of the State Language Centre Dzintra Hirsa about the possible ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia
• State Language Centre will seek to identify the town, which is friendliest to Latvian language

A group of intellectuals and well-known individuals representing both Latvians and minorities have issued a call to the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre and the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis, inviting them to actively engage in supporting a compromise regarding the minority education reform. The appeal for rational discourse and compromise is based on the concern that the reform issue and polarization over it has become a threat to the cohesion of society.  The document stresses the need for strengthening the role of the Latvian language in society, while allowing discussion of the means to achieve this.  The signatories stress that the division of responsibility between the ministry of education and schools should be shifted:  minority schools should be given greater freedom in choosing teaching models without determining the proportions of language of instruction, but being fully responsible for the end result – the Latvian language proficiency of graduates, which should be attested to by final Latvian language exams for all, without which graduation is not possible.  The call is also made for direct participation by minority representatives in questions relating to minority education and the establishment of a department within the Ministry of Education that would be responsible for all minority education issues, not only the language of instruction, and calls for the elaboration of a government strategy to overcome the segregation of schools and promoting tolerance and common civic values.

A group of intellectuals and well-known individuals representing both Latvians and minorities have issued a call to the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre and the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis, inviting them to actively engage in supporting a compromise regarding the minority education reform. The appeal for rational discourse and compromise is based on the concern that the reform issue and polarization over it has become a threat to the cohesion of society. The document stresses the need for strengthening the role of the Latvian language in society, while allowing discussion of the means to achieve this. The signatories stress that the division of responsibility between the ministry of education and schools should be shifted: minority schools should be given greater freedom in choosing teaching models without determining the proportions of language of instruction, but being fully responsible for the end result – the Latvian language proficiency of graduates, which should be attested to by final Latvian language exams for all, without which graduation is not possible. The call is also made for direct participation by minority representatives in questions relating to minority education and the establishment of a department within the Ministry of Education that would be responsible for all minority education issues, not only the language of instruction, and calls for the elaboration of a government strategy to overcome the segregation of schools and promoting tolerance and common civic values. Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Russia intends to defend the interests of Russian-speakers in all the Baltic States, stated the Russia Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov during the meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Estonia.

Russia intends to defend the interests of Russian-speakers in all the Baltic States, stated the Russia Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov during the meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Estonia. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize features an article by the former director of the State Language Centre Dzintra Hirsa about the possible ratification of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in Latvia. Dzintra Hirsa believes that Russians cannot be regarded as a national minority in Latvia because a new quasi-minority of 34 percents has been politically created during the Soviet occupation on the basis of the historical Russian minority of 8 percent. According to Hirsa, this quasi-minority is pretending to the name of the historical minority at the same time not identifying themselves as a minority. ‘There are only some humanitarian mechanisms for weakening the consequences of the occupation, i.e., education reform, language policy and not granting the various rights to those who are not entitled to them, says the author. By ratifying the Convention, Latvia would recognise that Russians are a national minority in Latvia and that the consequences of the occupation have been successfully overcome during the last 14 years, concludes Dzintra Hirsa.

State Language Centre is planning to organise an action in order to clarify the towns, which are friendliest to Latvian language. The friendliness of the town will be evaluated in several categories, for example, the linguistic quality of the language use in information, provided by the municipality, as well as the language usage on information panels and in private companies etc.

State Language Centre is planning to organise an action in order to clarify the towns, which are friendliest to Latvian language. The friendliness of the town will be evaluated in several categories, for example, the linguistic quality of the language use in information, provided by the municipality, as well as the language usage on information panels and in private companies etc. Latvijas Avize