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.

• Director of the Society Integration Foundation will ask the government to continue providing its co-finding for social integration projects also after 2008
• Conclusions of the inspection conducted at minority schools
• President Vaira Vike-Freiberga wants to know the views of all parties concerning ratification of the Framework Convention
• Interview with For Fatherland and Freedoms/LNIM MP Juris Dobelis
• Russian language press comments on the Governments decision to deny Latvian citizenship to the opponent of the education reform Jurijs Petropavlovskis
• Latest data on migration
• Group of member of the European Parliament discusses the situation concerning the education reform in Latvia
• Interview with the General Secretary of the National UNESCO Commission Dace Neiburga on national values
• Historian of Uppsala University on the important factors necessary to form a civil society in Latvia
• Posters calling Latvia to stop fascism posted on the Independence Day of Latvia
• Nils Muiznieks talks about issues concerning integration of Russians and Roma at the meeting of EU integration ministers

The Director of the Society Integration Foundation will ask the government to continue providing its co-finding for social integration projects also after 2008. In 2008 EU programme Phare, in the framework of which Latvia receives money for social integration projects, will be closed. According to the Director the biggest impact will be on ability to ensure Latvian language courses – already next year three times less people will have an opportunity to study the Latvian language.

The Director of the Society Integration Foundation will ask the government to continue providing its co-finding for social integration projects also after 2008. In 2008 EU programme Phare, in the framework of which Latvia receives money for social integration projects, will be closed. According to the Director the biggest impact will be on ability to ensure Latvian language courses – already next year three times less people will have an opportunity to study the Latvian language. Neatkariga Rita Avize

Neatkariga Rita Avize reports on the conclusions of the inspection conducted by officials of the Ministry of Science and Education: only four out of 750 teachers who teach 10th grade students in Latvian may not have sufficient Latvian language skills. Although all teachers have state language certificates with the required level (the highest – third) of state language proficiency, officials of the MoES will ask state language inspectors to examine language skills of these teachers. According to the Ministrys officials, all inspected minority schools correspond to provisions of Latvian legislation. While the MP from pro-minority party FHRUL Jakov Pliner seriously questions the conclusions of the Ministry and states that according to his information lessons at minority schools take place either in Russian or bilingually.

The President Vaira Vike-Freiberga wants to know the views of all parties concerning ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The President Vaira Vike-Freiberga wants to know the views of all parties concerning ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya interviews For Fatherland and Freedoms/LNIM MP Juris Dobelis. The key subject of the interview is the statement of FF/LNIM that the party will not agree to join a coalition in a government, which wants to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Juris Dobelis argues that without a definition of the term ‘minority there should not be any discussions about ratification of the Convention. Juris Dobelis offers his understanding of minority: ‘these are Livs and maybe Roma… Minorities are only those who do not have their own state. He is convinced that the Convention in fact does not grant any rights to minorities and if people want to have rights they have to naturalise.

Chas comments on the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, which provided that the opponent of the education reform Jurijs Petropavlovskis should be excluded from the list of people who receive Latvian citizenship through naturalisation. The newspaper states that the decision reveals the real face of the government and argues that there is less and less democracy in the country. While Vesti Segodnya reports that the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia has issued a statement where they express their determination to challenge the governments decision at court.

During nine months of 2004 in total 939 people, including 162 Latvian citizens and 130 Latvian non-citizens, have left Latvia, the dominant majority of them are Russia’s citizens who moved to Russia. In total 545 people moved to Russia, while Germany is the second most popular country of destination.

During nine months of 2004 in total 939 people, including 162 Latvian citizens and 130 Latvian non-citizens, have left Latvia, the dominant majority of them are Russias citizens who moved to Russia. In total 545 people moved to Russia, while Germany is the second most popular country of destination. Chas

Vesti Segodnya comments on speeches of the members of the EU Parliament presented at the session of the EU Parliamentary Group dealing with traditional minorities. The newspaper states that Latvia received heavy criticism regarding the education reform, while the members of EU Parliament from Latvia Guntars Krasts and Inese Vaidere assured that the education reform has been implemented successfully and tensions in the country are the results of the occupation. According to the newspaper MPs from other countries noted that they are ‘disappointed in the attitude of Latvian MPs who are inflexible and not orientated to a dialogue.

Diena prints an interview with the General Secretary of the National UNESCO Commission Dace Neiburga. The interview attempts to find answers to the question ‘what are Latvian values? Dace Neiburga states that Latvia is not doing very well with societal integration in the ‘western understanding of the term. She explains that ‘there is a stereotype that this is a fault of Russians, who do not learn the Latvian language, however, we lack national self-esteem, we feel threatened… (we) should learn to look at people of other ethnicities without fears. Dace Neiburga argues that there is lack of patriotism in Latvia, there is no model how to work with patriotism with people coming from diverse ethnic backgrounds and there are no clear concepts which ‘would let us call ourselves Latvians, a united nation. It is not clear what unites the society. She agrees that we have not used that, for instance Russians who live in Latvia could call themselves Latvians ‘if a Russian presents himself as a Latvian, pout. Dace Neiburga is convinced that nothing can be done in an artificial way ‘while Latvians feel threatened and do not let others to call themselves Latvians, they will not do that. No Russian will present himself as a Latvian, if he faces intolerance and hidden xenophobia. She concludes that there is a need for new forms of communication and education system which would establish communication between the two communities.

Diena prints the speech by the historian of the Uppsala University Mathew Kot under the title ‘the End of the Civil Society in Latvia delivered for the Swedish Latvian Academic Organisation on 25 September 2004. The author looks into the development of the civil society in Latvia and offers his thoughts on lessons to be learned. The author believes that if the Latvian society were more consolidated before the World War II, it would have more power to stand against the waves of geo-political pressure. In the opinion of the author, the lack of a consolidated society also contributed to the Holocaust in Latvia. He states that in Latvia people have used to categorise people according to their ethnicity and that hampered integration. In extreme situations, such as war, ‘others became ‘strangers and if ‘strangers are not our people, who cares what happens to them? The author notes that also in modern Latvia there is a tendency to categorise people in accordance with their ethnicity, however, he hopes that the times when somebody calls to ‘expel the other from our society never come. The author believes that the unity cannot be imposed from above and offers his solution: critical thinking and exchange of views with those who do not share the same views.

On 18 November in one of the windows of the hotel Latvia appeared a poster ‘Latvia, stop fascism!’ with symbols of SS. The room was inhabited by tourists from Russia, however, they managed to check out before the arrival of the police.

On 18 November in one of the windows of the hotel Latvia appeared a poster ‘Latvia, stop fascism! with symbols of SS. The room was inhabited by tourists from Russia, however, they managed to check out before the arrival of the police. Vesti Segodnya

In their meeting in the Netherlands the EU Integration Ministers have agreed on the basic concepts which should be observed for promoting integration of national minorities into society, among them – state language skills, knowledge of state’s history.

In their meeting in the Netherlands the EU Integration Ministers have agreed on the basic concepts which should be observed for promoting integration of national minorities into society, among them – state language skills, knowledge of states history. Diena reports that in the meeting the Minister for Special Assignments for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks drew attention of his colleagues on the issues of integration of Russians and Roma in Latvia.