• Vesti Segodnya publishes article about the 10 years of the Union of Latvia's Byelorussians

 

Vesti Segodnya publishes article about the 10 years of the Union of Latvia's Byelorussians. The Union brings together 14 Byelorussian societies of various Latvia's cities. The most prominent recent activities of the Union include: the publication of Byelorussian-Latvian/Latvian-Byelorussian dictionary (40,000 words), organisation of roundtables on the life of Byelorussian diasporas and the strengthening of ties between the Baltic states and the Republic of Byelorussia, organisation of annual days of Byelorussian culture, organisation of conference on the role of Byelorussian NGOs in the strengthening of civil society in Latvia. The author of the article is critical of the government funding priorities, whereby national culture societies (such as the Union) receive significantly less attention than the re-emigration programmes. The author highlights that the Union strengthens national identity, promotes tolerance, and reinforces the ties between various generations and the sense of belonging to Latvia. 

• MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins: education should be in Latvian language only
• Saeima’s Committee condemned the MP Irina Cvetkova for her statements regarding neo-Nazism in Latvia
• High officials took part in the commemorative events on the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust victims in Latvia

 The MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins stated that the existing bilingual education system in Latvia facilitates split in the society as there is no common comprehension about culture and state’s history among Russian speaking and ethnic Latvian young people. Therefore, Mr Karins stated that state funded education should be in Latvian language only and ethnic Latvian and minority children should study together. Vesti Segodnya

 The Saeima’s Committee Ethics, Mandates and Submissions issued a written warning to the MP Irina Cvetkova (Concord Centre) for her statements regarding neo-Nazism in Latvia. Speaking at the international conference in the USA, Mrs Cvetkova criticized Latvian government for the adopted legal provisions on dual citizenship regarding the fact that dual citizenship is allowed only with certain countries and for prohibition to use Soviet symbolic. Mrs Cvetkova stated that adoption of such legal norms speaks about manifestations of neo-Nazism in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, Jewish community, Latvian high officials, representatives of foreign embassies and others took part in the commemorative events on the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust victims in Latvia. The Israeli Ambassador Hagit Ben-Yaakov called the local governments in Latvian cities and regions not to tolerate manifestations of anti-Semitism and Xenophobia and to pay special attention to education of young people.  Vesti Segodnya

• Nationalists’ party All for Latvia/FF-LNIM conducts an event commemorating warriors who helped to liberate Limbazi from the Red Army on 4 July 1941

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Limbazi (town in the northern part of Latvia) branch of the nationalists’ party All for Latvia/FF-LNIM called town’s residents to take part in an event commemorating warriors who helped to liberate Limbazi from the Red Army on 4 July 1941. The newspaper notes that on this day the Nazi troops entered the town and later arrested and murdered “unreliable” residents and Jews. None of local Jews survived in the town. The Simon Wiesenthal Centre criticizes such event in Limbazi, especially knowing that it is held on 4 July – the official commemoration day of the Holocaust victims in Latvia.

• Neatkariga prints an article about Roma classes in Ventspils
• Saeima’s Education and Science Committee refused the nationalists’ repeated proposal on transition of education in all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language
• 96 ethnic minority collectives take part in Latvian Nation-wide Song and Dance Celebration

Neatkariga prints an article about Roma classes in Ventspils (city in the north-western part of Latvia). The Ombudsman demands for closure of ethnic Roma segregating classes in Ventspils night secondary school as those hinder inclusion of Roma children in the society. However, the Education Board of Ventspils opposes closure of Roma classes and inclusion of Roma children in general classes arguing that thus Roma will not attend the school at all. Also parents of Roma children consider that it is easier for their children to attend special Roma classes because, thus, they do not get offended by other non-Roma children. According to a social worker from Sabile (town in the western part of Latvia which also has a high number of Roma residents), the town has closed Roma classes and now Roma children are studying together with ethnic Latvian children and there are no big problems. In total, 790 Roma children attended schools in 2012/2013, including 124 Roma in Ventspils.

The Saeima’s Education and Science Committee refused the repeated proposal of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM on transition of education in all municipal kindergartens into Latvian language only starting with 1 September 2015. As reported, the Saeima recently refused the identical proposal of the nationalists with the only difference that the reform was planned to begin on 1 September 2014. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya prints an article about ethnic minority collectives taking part in the Latvian Nation-wide Song and Dance Celebration. In total, 96 ethnic minority collectives are taking part in the Celebration and today (3 July) perform in one of the Riga central parks.

• Historian Edvins Snore: celebration of 9 May in Latvia is immoral

Neatkariga prints an interview with a historian, author of a documentary “Soviet Story” Edvins Snore. Mr Snore believes that it is very important to understand that Nazi and Stalins’s regimes were equal. Mr Snore believes that Western Europe does not acknowledge the equality between the two regimes because it has not suffered from communist crimes as much as Eastern Europe. Speaking about celebration of 9 May or Victory Day in Latvia, Mr Snore states that such celebration is immoral and is celebrated by USSR colonists and their descendants and USSR military persons with families who stayed in Latvia. According to Mr Snore, the Monument to the Soviet Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders should be demolished as it glorifies destruction of the state and hinders Latvia’s development