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.

• Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science votes against an establishment of the moratorium on the education reform
• Cabinet of Ministers supports the National Programme against Intolerance
• Director of the Integration Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule talks about the implementation of the education reform
• State Police express readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder during protest actions against the education reform
• Opinion poll on the role of ethnicity in the labour market in Latvia
• Vesti Segodnya reports on an initiative to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences
• Human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin expresses readiness to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states
• Article by the leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars

Yesterday the Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science did not support a proposal to establish the moratorium on education reform. Majority of the council’s members regarded the idea to abolish the reform absurd, because, according to the chairman of the Department of the General Education Guntis Vasilevskis, only ten out of 137 minority secondary schools have not received licences for new curricula developed in accordance with the requirements stipulated by the Education Law. Members of the council plan to appeal to the Minister of Education and Science asking to promote drafting of the Law on Minority Schools. The director of the Riga Ukrainian Secondary School Lidija Kravcenko believes that the law should provide goals, tasks and contents of minority schools, foresee cooperation with ethnic groups and specify tasks concerning training and further education of teachers.

Yesterday the Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science did not support a proposal to establish the moratorium on education reform. Majority of the councils members regarded the idea to abolish the reform absurd, because, according to the chairman of the Department of the General Education Guntis Vasilevskis, only ten out of 137 minority secondary schools have not received licences for new curricula developed in accordance with the requirements stipulated by the Education Law. Members of the council plan to appeal to the Minister of Education and Science asking to promote drafting of the Law on Minority Schools. The director of the Riga Ukrainian Secondary School Lidija Kravcenko believes that the law should provide goals, tasks and contents of minority schools, foresee cooperation with ethnic groups and specify tasks concerning training and further education of teachers. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers supported the National Programme against Intolerance. The implementation of the programme will require LVL 187,400. It is topical issue as the opinion poll, conducted in 2000, shows that 24% of residents (18% Latvians and 31% non-Latvians) claim that they have experienced discrimination, and indicate ethnicity and language as its main reasons. Besides ethnicity and language, the working group, which developed the programme, has also indicated other sources of discrimination, such as intolerance towards several social groups: sexual minorities, former inmates, mentally ill persons and HIV/AIDS patients. According to the working group, expansion of Islam-phobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance towards people with different colour of skin are possible in Latvia in the future.

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers supported the National Programme against Intolerance. The implementation of the programme will require LVL187,400. It is topical issue as the opinion poll, conducted in 2000, shows that 24% of residents (18% Latvians and 31% non-Latvians) claim that they have experienced discrimination, and indicate ethnicity and language as its main reasons. Besides ethnicity and language, the working group, which developed the programme, has also indicated other sources of discrimination, such as intolerance towards several social groups: sexual minorities, former inmates, mentally ill persons and HIV/AIDS patients. According to the working group, expansion of Islam-phobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance towards people with different colour of skin are possible in Latvia in the future. Latvijas Avize, Chas

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the head of the director of the Integration Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule about the implementation of the education reform and dialogue between the Ministry and the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools. Evija Papule foresees that the transition to studies mainly in the Latvian language in minority schools will be implemented because there are no minority schools that have declared that they would not be able to fulfil the requirements set by the Law on Education.

The State Police expressed readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder and, if necessary, prevent violence during the planned protest actions against the education reform. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia plans to organise continuous day and night protest actions in Esplanade, the centre of Riga, from 23 August till 3 September.

The State Police expressed readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder and, if necessary, prevent violence during the planned protest actions against the education reform. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia plans to organise continuous day and night protest actions in Esplanade, the centre of Riga, from 23 August till 3 September. Rigas Balss, Chas

Latvijas Avize reports on the opinion poll, conducted by the youth organisation Junior Achievement Latvia, about the role of ethnicity in the labour market. Young researchers have concluded that companies are ethnically segregated. They base their conclusion on the thesis that there is a tendency that responsible managers hire employees of his/her ethnicity. Thus, according to the results of the survey, the proportion of Russians in Russian companies reaches even 88%, while the proportion of Latvians in Latvian companies reaches 68%. Managers of the surveyed companies have also expressed distrust towards Roma, describing them as dishonest persons and thieves, while Jews are pictured as foxy but also smarter in business matters.

Vesti Segodnya reports on an initiative of Latvian members of the European Parliament (EP), elected from the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, to ask the EP to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences.

A human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin has spread a statement where he voices a readiness within his competence to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states till the moment when the issue of citizenship is not fully solved.

A human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin has spread a statement where he voices a readiness within his competence to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states till the moment when the issue of citizenship is not fully solved. Vesti Segodnya

Leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai!’ Raivis Dzintars writes about the draft declaration, drafted by several MPs, which condemns the Communist regime in the former USSR. Raivis Dzintars believes that Latvia should demand financial assistance from international community, particularly from those countries, which are responsible for Latvia’s colonisation. Financial support would be used to provide support for those repatriates and non-citizens who want to migrate to other states. At the same time, according to the author, it is also necessary also to implement broad campaign calling non-citizens to return to their native countries or migrate to other European countries.

Leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars writes about the draft declaration, drafted by several MPs, which condemns the Communist regime in the former USSR. Raivis Dzintars believes that Latvia should demand financial assistance from international community, particularly from those countries, which are responsible for Latvias colonisation. Financial support would be used to provide support for those repatriates and non-citizens who want to migrate to other states. At the same time, according to the author, it is also necessary also to implement broad campaign calling non-citizens to return to their native countries or migrate to other European countries. Latvijas Avize