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.

• Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Schools organises special camps to train activists
• Views on the education reform
• Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane about the education reform
• Music festival Jurmala could promote a more positive image of Latvia

Diena reports that the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Schools organises special summer camps where new activists undergo “psychological informative training.” Training covers development of skills of communicating with huge people masses, being persuasive and others. According to one of organisers of the camp these skills will be very useful for protest actions against the education reform which will take place at the end of August and beginning of September.

Telegraf prints an article about the education reform. The representative of the Ministry of Education and Science, Advisor to the Education Minister Sergejs Ancupovs states that the Ministry is working at improving dialogue with minorities, however, he did not reveal the plans of the Ministry concerning those schools, which are not ready for the reform. The activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis assures that Russians will not accept any compromises but the abolishment of the education reform. While the Prime Minister Indulis Emsis believes that the situation is under control.

Latvijas Avize interviews the Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane. She believes that there will be no protest actions against the education reform in October any more. Eizenija Aldermane states that students perceive protest actions as possibility to be and do things together and not to go to school and that adults simply use them in their political.

Diena writes about the international music festival “Jurmala” which takes place in the Latvian sea resort Jurmala. The festival is well known in Russia as it is partly organised and hosted by Russia’s companies and artists. The Minister for Social Integration Affairs Nils Muiznieks comments that the festival does not play an important role in the field of social integration in Latvia, however, it could bring some positive image to Latvia which lately has been rather negative due to social tensions concerning the education reform.