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.

• Week Against Racism takes place in Riga
• Diena writes about education of Roma in Latvia
• Journalist Aivars Tarvids criticises the integration policy in Latvia

Newspapers report on activities in the framework of the Week Against Racism, organised by the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in collaboration with the European Youth Human Rights Network (EYHR-Net). On Saturday in the centre of Riga everyone was offered to experience intolerance, xenophobia and fear in the ‘racism tunnel.’ The youth discussion on racism and the basketball knockout

Newspapers report on activities in the framework of the Week Against Racism, organised by the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in collaboration with the European Youth Human Rights Network (EYHR-Net). On Saturday in the centre of Riga everyone was offered to experience intolerance, xenophobia and fear in the ‘racism tunnel. The youth discussion on racism and the basketball knockout The Basketball against the Racism will also take place. 79% out of 117 people at the age of 18 – 35, surveyed by the EYHR-Net in the Old Town of Riga, admitted that they are informed about racism, while 63% stated that racism is an actual problem in Latvia. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Rigas Balss

Diena reports on the results of the project Qualitative Education for Romani Children and the implementation of new project Romani Child in the School: You Are Welcome!. Both projects are implemented by the Education Initiative Centre in towns where Roma are living in substantial numbers. According to the projects director Daiga Zake, the programme stipulates the inclusion of the Romani children in mainstream classes instead of their segregation in classes only for Romani children. The teacher of the Jurmala Mezmala Secondary School Tamara Cica notes that many Roma live in poverty and do not have money to buy books and clothes for their children. She believes that particular activities aimed at the improvement of the education level of Roma should be implemented. Although the Ministry of Education and Science and the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration theoretically support her opinion, for the moment there are no national programmes aimed at the improvement of the situation of Roma in Latvia, although the development of the action plan for the integration of Roma in society has been discussed at ministerial level.

Vesti Segodnya reprints excerpts from the article by journalist Aivars Tarvids, published on the Internet portal www.apollo.lv. The journalist sharply criticises the national integration policy and stresses that ‘in the best case it [national integration policy] is a failure, in the worst – crime. According to Tarvids, the ethnic voting in municipal elections is a result of states policy in the area of societal integration, which ‘splits the people and encourages to ethnic confrontation. The journalist believes that the implementation of the education reform consolidated Russians and strengthened their hate against Latvia.