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.

Integration and Minority Information Service

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

Opinions about ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

Opinions about ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
Article about recently elected director of the State Language Centre Agris Timuska
The Latvian Social Democrats held its congress on Saturday
Conference Electronic Mass Media and Social Integration

Dienas

columnist Dita Araja features a long article about Latvias attitude towards ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Dita Araja states that the perception of ratification of the Convention has been overexaggerated in Latvia – Latvians believe that it threatens their national identity, while Russians perceive it as the last hope to protect their rights. There is no uniform opinion about the Convention in Latvia. Regarding the education reform lecturer of the Riga Graduate School of Law Marins Mits says that the Convention contradicts with the planned switch of minority secondary schools to instruction in Latvian in 2004, while researcher of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies Ilze Brands-Kehre states that the Law on Education does not comply with the Convention and the Law should be amended. Official of the Education Ministry Evija Papule disagrees with Ilze Brands-Kehre. Article about recently elected director of the State Language Centre Agris Timuska

Article about recently elected director of the State Language Centre Agris Timuska
Vechernaya Riga features an article about recently appointed director of the State Language Centre Agris Timuska. Agris Timuska states that many duties of the State Language Centre have been abolished or delegated to other institutions, however, the key responsibility of the Centre – implement control of the implementation of the State Language Law – remains the same. The key information source about violation in the language realm is public complaints – the Centre receives about 800 complaints a month. Mostly people complain about the service sphere, less frequently about public information. The newspaper concludes that the image of new director – Agris Timuska – is much softer than the image of former director of the Centre Dzintra Hirsa.

The Latvian Social Democrats held a party congress on Saturday. The Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party has new chairman - Dainis Ivans. Ivans is a Riga City councilman. 373 party delegates at the 34th congress voted for Ivans, and 169 for ex-LSDSP chairman Juris Bojars. The new LSDSP leader spoke about reviving the party and bringing back better times for LSDSP. One of the key tasks of the social democrats in the future will be the reassessment of relations of social democrats with FHRUL in Riga City Council.

The Latvian Social Democrats held a party congress on Saturday. The Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party has new chairman - Dainis Ivans. Ivans is a Riga City councilman. 373 party delegates at the 34th congress voted for Ivans, and 169 for ex-LSDSP chairman Juris Bojars. The new LSDSP leader spoke about reviving the party and bringing back better times for LSDSP. One of the key tasks of the social democrats in the future will be the reassessment of relations of social democrats with FHRUL in Riga City Council. Diena, Neatkariga, Rigas Balss, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Conference “Electronic Mass Media and Social Integration”

Conference Electronic Mass Media and Social Integration Telegraf features an article about the conference Electronic Mass Media and Social Integration held by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies last Friday in Riga. The conclusion of the conference was that the market should regulate the usage of languages in the private sphere – commercial radio stations and televisions should have the rights to choose a language for their programmes. Panorama Latvii