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
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Court dismissed the case against Riga City Council decision to refuse the protest meeting on September 4th
• Valery Ageshin, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, on integration issues
• Interview with Rafi Haradzajan, the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies

Riga North district court dismissed the case asking to cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting at the monument to the Latvian poet Janis Rainis on  September 4th. The member of the Riga City Council Genady Kotov who had submitted the case, said that the court’s decision will be re-appealed. He announced that if the agreement will not be reached the protest meeting will be organised as “a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate”. The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform presumably will discuss other possible meeting locations proposed by the Riga City council.

Riga North district court dismissed the case asking to cancel the decision of the Riga City Council to refuse the protest meeting at the monument to the Latvian poet Janis Rainis onSeptember 4th. The member of the Riga City Council Genady Kotov who had submitted the case, said that the courts decision will be re-appealed. He announced that if the agreement will not be reached the protest meeting will be organised as a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate. The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform presumably will discuss other possible meeting locations proposed by the Riga City council. Diena, Lauku Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

Chas features an article by Valery Ageshin, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, about the integration issues. He believes that Latvian development will be slow down if the alienation between Latvian speaking and Russian speaking communities continues. He stresses that there are some indicators of societal integration in Latvia: majority of population considers Latvia their motherland, there is united legislation, constitution, state institutions, two languages command, high numbers of mixed marriages, shared social problems, shared holidays such as New Year and Ligo, which are celebrated by the whole society, shared cultural events. Valery Ageshin considers integration among the youth the most successful.

Rigas Balss features an interview with Rafi Haradzajan, the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies about the activities of the Association, the problems of societal integration and the conflict with the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration.