Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

Meeting against the education reform and its political consequences

Meeting against the education reform and its political consequences

Vechernaya Riga interview with Genadij Kotov, the leader of Headquarter for the Defense of Russian Schools and deputy of Riga City Council

Diena features an article by Aldis Rozentals about ethnic integration and the role of language

Lauku avize continues criticism of the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks

On 5th of September the conference The culturally historical problems of Liv locality in Western Vidzeme will take place

Latvian media reports that 106,157 signatures have been collected in a protest against the education reform organised by the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools (LASRS). The meeting against the education reform on September 4th is announced as MPs meeting with their voters. LASRS has announced that it will not participate, after Riga City Council repeatedly denied their request for permission to hold the meeting. Diena and Telegraf also discuss political aspects of the struggle against the education reform, claiming that it has cleaved the left-wing politicians. While the Peoples Solidarity party is seeking compromises with the government, the new political party Free Choice in Peoples Europe demands repeal of the education reform. Lauku Avize reports that a large shareof inhabitants letters that the Saeima received over the last two months concerned the education reform. Diena, Lauku Avize, Rigas Balss,Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf,Vechernaya Riga

Vechernaya Riga

prints an interview with Genadij Kotov, the leader of Headquarter for Defence of Russian Schools and deputy of Riga City Council about the meeting against the education reform and disagreements with Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools.

Diena

features an article by Aldis Rozentals about ethnic integration process and the role of language in it. He stresses that the discussion in Latvia needs another focus, considering that the process of integration first and foremost concerns the individual and not groups, such as non-citizens or Russians. Secondly, it is essential to speak about integration as a set of rights and not ethnic questions alone.

Lauku Avize

continues discussion about the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks, responding to the article of the Minister about integration. The newspaper presents the critical standpoint of its readers, most of who regards the work of Muiznieks as unsuccessful and not conducive of ethnical tolerance.

On September 5th the conference The culturally historical problems of Liv locality in Western Vidzeme will take place. Neatkariga Rita Avize

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Foreign Affairs Minister of Italy: the EU will pay attention to the integration problems of Russian-speakers in Latvia
• Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister about the integration issues
• Interview with Ina Druviete, the Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee about the integration issues
• The MPs of the FHRUL require to continue discussion about the education reform

Neatkariga reports about the information provided by the Russian news agency RIA that the Foreign Affairs Minister of Italy, the EU presiding country, in the correspondence to the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister announced that the EU will pay the attention to the integration problems of Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia and that education issues have to be solved in accordance with the European standards of the protection of the rights of national minorities.

Lauku Avize features an interview with Sandra Kalniete, the Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister. The Minister stresses that the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination published recommendations to increase the pace of naturalisation are not compulsory. Regarding the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Ms. Kalniete believes that this is a matter of time as the standards of the protection of national minorities to a great extent are introduced into national legislation.

Rigas Balss features an interview with Ina Druviete, the Head of the Saeima Human Rights Committee about the integration issues. Ina Druviete fears that the principles of the Society integration are not observed. However Ms. Druviete rejects the statements that she is interested to take the post of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration.

The MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia renewed Saeima’s faction and the Riga City Council prepared a document asking to organise a discussion with the representatives of the national minority NGOs and the Headquarters for the protection of Russian schools in order to adopt measures that would allow Russian schools to decide on the ratio of the instruction languages. The document was forwarded to the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education and the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration.

The MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia renewed Saeimas faction and the Riga City Council prepared a document asking to organise a discussion with the representatives of the national minority NGOs and the Headquarters for the protection of Russian schools in order to adopt measures that would allow Russian schools to decide on the ratio of the instruction languages. The document was forwarded to the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education and the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. Chas

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• New political party will join the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia
• Peoples Solidarity party is willing to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Science
• Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia visits Riga

New political party “Free Choice in People’s Europe” (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE) was created in order to maintain the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia, which was not able to continue its activities consisting of only one political party Solidarity. The chairman of the FHRUL renewed Saeima’s faction will be Yakov Pliner.

New political party Free Choice in Peoples Europe (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE) was created in order to maintain the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia, which was not able to continue its activities consisting of only one political party Solidarity. The chairman of the FHRUL renewed Saeimas faction will be Yakov Pliner. Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Chas, Lauku Avize

Janis Urbanovich, the Vice-chairman of the People’s Solidarity party informed that the Party is willing to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Science regarding the education reform and provide their recommendations.

Janis Urbanovich, the Vice-chairman of the Peoples Solidarity party informed that the Party is willing to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Science regarding the education reform and provide their recommendations. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Lauku Avize prints an article about the visit to Riga of the Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo. The Minister informed that language issues are not topical in Estonia as majority of the population has a good knowledge of Estonian.

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• MP Yakov Pliner left the Peoples Harmony Party
• Chas reports about the visit of Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo, Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia
• Riga City Council denied request resubmitted by the opponents of the education reform, to organise protest meeting

MP Yakov Pliner left the People’s Harmony Party. Yakov Pliner will be the Chairman of the board of the new political party “Free Choice in People’s Europe” (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE). The party will join the group of MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia.

MP Yakov Pliner left the Peoples Harmony Party. Yakov Pliner will be the Chairman of the board of the new political party Free Choice in Peoples Europe (Brîva izvçle tautu Eiropâ, Latvian acronym BITE). The party will join the group of MPs of the political coalition For Human Rights in United Latvia. Diena, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Vechernaya Riga, Vesti Segodnya

Chas reports about the visit to Riga of the Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo. Praising the achievements of Naturalisation Board of Latvia, he noted that Latvia and Estonia have many common problems with regards to integration. Minister informed that in Estonia, in the regions where there are many Russian-speakers, they officially have the right to speak Russian at the municipal level. Telegraf

Riga City Council denied the request, resubmitted by the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools, to organise the protest meeting against education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis, motivating this rejection with the argument that five MPs of Solidarity party plan to organise a meeting with their electorate on the same date and at the same location.

Riga City Council denied the request, resubmitted by the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools, to organise the protest meeting against education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis, motivating this rejection with the argument that five MPs of Solidarity party plan to organise a meeting with their electorate on the same date and at the same location. Chas

 

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Naturalisation Board organises Latvian language training free of charge
• Latvian nationalistic organisation submitted a formal request not to allow the protest meeting against the education reform
• Interview with sociologist Renald Simonjan about the Russian-speakers in Latvia
• Article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia
• Boris Tsilevich: the non-citizens will be able to travel within the EU without visas
• Chas continues discussion about the education reform

The Naturalisation Board invites people willing to acquire the citizenship to participate in Latvian language training free of charge. This year the training will be provided for 1400 persons and for the first time the training session will be financed from the state budget (50 000 LVL), additional funding is provided by the embassies of US, Norway and Sweden. It is planned that next year the training will be available for 2500 persons.

The Naturalisation Board invites people willing to acquire the citizenship to participate in Latvian language training free of charge. This year the training will be provided for 1400 persons and for the first time the training session will be financed from the state budget (50 000 LVL), additional funding is provided by the embassies of US, Norway and Sweden. It is planned that next year the training will be available for 2500 persons. Lauku Avize, Telegraf

Lauku Avize prints the text of the formal request submitted to the Minister of Interior Affairs by the Latvian nationalistic organisation All for Latvia! asking not to allow the unapproved protest meeting against the education reform on September 4th near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis.

Lauku Avize features an interview with sociologist Renald Simonjan, the director of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sociology Institutes Centre for Relations between Russia and Baltic states. He believes that the problems of Russian-speakers discrimination in Latvia could have been solved if the Russian President Boris Yeltsin, signing the agreement on Latvias independence recognition, has asked to grant the citizenship to Russian-speakers living in Latvia. The sociologist hopes that after Latvias joining EU and NATO Latvian government will liberalize the Citizenship Law and change the attitude towards the Russian Schools.

Vesti Segodnya features an article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia conducted by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies. The newspaper provides information about the principal conclusions of the study: that direct and indirect discrimination against Roma exists in Latvia, that 95% of Roma are unemployed and more than 40% of Roma have fourth grade or lower education.

According to Boris Tsilevich, MP of People’s Solidarity Party, after Latvia’s joining the EU, the non-citizens of Latvia will have to obtain visas for travel within the EU only if the Latvian government does not sign the Schengen agreement.

According to Boris Tsilevich, MP of Peoples Solidarity Party, after Latvias joining the EU, the non-citizens of Latvia will have to obtain visas for travel within the EU only if the Latvian government does not sign the Schengen agreement. Vesti Segodnya

Chas features articles about education reform. While Riga City Councils Education, Youth and Sports Departments officials announce that the education reform is in progress, and that Russian schools have to present their individual plans about the enforcement of the language norms till October 15th, the walls of Daugavpils municipality buildings have accrued appeals by national-bolshevics to the parents, asking to ignore the school at September 2nd as a protest against the school reform. The newspaper emphasizes that according to the feed-back from its readers, parents require rights to chose the language of education at any leveal of schooling.