• 80% of Latvias residents support integration, which allows ethnic groups preserve their culture
• Telegraf features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone on integration in Latvia
• Diena features an interview with the Chief of the Vredesdetachment of the Amsterdam police Leo Wilde on policing hate crimes
• Extreme right-wing organisation signs the Co-operation Memorandum with the Government
• Diena reports on the number and division of schools in the academic year 2006/2007
• Aizkraukle City Council issued a permission to open 10th grade at the only school which main instruction language is Russian
• Member of the Jurmala City Council will ask the Prosecutors Office to evaluate statements of a City Council member
• Chas features an interview with the head of the Union of Ukrainian Associations in Latvia Vladimirs Lugovskis

According to the results of a study conducted by the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences, about 80% of Latvia’s residents support integration, which allows ethnic groups to preserve their culture. The study also shows that both Latvians and Russians have stereotypes about each other – a part of Latvians believe that Russians do not want to learn Latvian, while some Russians believe that Latvians are nationalists.

According to the results of a study conducted by the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences, about 80% of Latvias residents support integration, which allows ethnic groups to preserve their culture. The study also shows that both Latvians and Russians have stereotypes about each other – a part of Latvians believe that Russians do not want to learn Latvian, while some Russians believe that Latvians are nationalists. Chas

Telegraf features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone on integration issues in Latvia. The Minister stated that facilitation of integration of people from various countries who will come to Latvia will be among the new priorities of the Secretariat in 2007. Karina Petersone noted that society might perceive immigrants as a threat; therefore the task of the Secretariat is to work with both society and immigrants.

Diena features a comprehensive interview with Leo Wilde, Chief of the Police Program for Multiculturalism and Cohesion and Chief of the Vredesdetachment (Peace Force) of the Amsterdam police, on his experience and views regarding policing hate crimes. Leo Wilde came to Riga to take part in a conference Policing Hate Crimes held by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights. He believes that persons committing hate crimes should receive more severe penalties because hate crimes concern equality and rights not only of an individual concerned but also the group the individual belongs to.

The extreme right-wing organisation Latvian National Front headed by notorious Aivars Garda has been included in the group of NGOs that signed the Co-operation Memorandum between the Government and NGOs. It should be noted that several criminal processes and prosecutions for instigation ethnic hatred have been launched against members of the organisation. Members of the National Front have issued the statement that Aivars Garda and the Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis have discussed “deportation of Russian colonists from Latvia.”

The extreme right-wing organisation Latvian National Front headed by notorious Aivars Garda has been included in the group of NGOs that signed the Co-operation Memorandum between the Government and NGOs. It should be noted that several criminal processes and prosecutions for instigation ethnic hatred have been launched against members of the organisation. Members of the National Front have issued the statement that Aivars Garda and the Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis have discussed deportation of Russian colonists from Latvia.

Diena reports on the number of schools in the academic year 2006/2007 in Latvia. Of total 957 schools, 716 schools have Latvian as the main language of instruction, 140 schools – Russian, 96 schools are so called two-stream schools (Latvian and Russian), 4 schools – Polish and 1 school – Ukrainian.

Chas reports that the only school in Aizkraule which main instruction language is Russian will open 10th grade despite insufficient number of students. As reported, the administration of the school initially decided not to open the grade, however, towns City Council made an exception and gave a permission to open 10th grade.

The member of the Jurmala City Council Zanna Kupcika (FHRUL) is planning to ask the Prosecutor’s Office to evaluate whether statements of the member of the City Council Ilmars Ancans (Our Land) incite to ethnic hatred. Zanna Kupcika argues that Ilmars Ancans has made insulting statements towards Russian residents of Latvia on one of the Council’s meetings.

The member of the Jurmala City Council Zanna Kupcika (FHRUL) is planning to ask the Prosecutors Office to evaluate whether statements of the member of the City Council Ilmars Ancans (Our Land) incite to ethnic hatred. Zanna Kupcika argues that Ilmars Ancans has made insulting statements towards Russian residents of Latvia on one of the Councils meetings. Chas

Chas features an interview with the head of the Union of Ukrainian Associations Vladimirs Lugovskis who took part in the IV World Forum of Ukrainians in Kiev as a representative of the Ukrainian diaspora in Latvia.

• International seminar Policing Hate Crimes
• Vesti Segodnya features an article about a series of programmes Ethnoses

On 28 August, the Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LCHR) held an international seminar “Policing Hate Crimes”. The main target audience was Latvian policemen, representatives of other authorities and NGOs. A number of high level foreign hate crime experts from the U.K., Sweden, and Netherlands shared their experiences in policing hate crimes. The director of LCHR Ilze Brands-Kehre stated that the Latvian Criminal Law needs amendments to help the police to classify hate crimes.

On 28 August, the Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LCHR) held an international seminar Policing Hate Crimes. The main target audience was Latvian policemen, representatives of other authorities and NGOs. A number of high level foreign hate crime experts from the U.K., Sweden, and Netherlands shared their experiences in policing hate crimes. The director of LCHR Ilze Brands-Kehre stated that the Latvian Criminal Law needs amendments to help the police to classify hate crimes. Diena, Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya features an article about a series of broadcasts Ethnoses, shot in the framework of the ethnic integration project funded by the EU PHARE. The Head of the Department for Minority Affairs at the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Irina Vinnika in an interview with Vesti Segodnya told that the aim of the project is to give a complete insight about the culture, ethnic distinctions, traditions, and mentality of ethnic minorities who live in Latvia.

• According to conclusions of a study by state authorities Latvia does not have significant problems with undocumented immigration
• Chas reports on the pre-elections program of the political party Euro-sceptics
• Gennadijs Kotovs (FHRUL) on the relations between Latvians and Russians in Latvia

According to the conclusions of a study conducted by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the framework of the European Migration Network, Latvia does not have significant problems concerning undocumented immigration.

According to the conclusions of a study conducted by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the framework of the European Migration Network, Latvia does not have significant problems concerning undocumented immigration. Chas

Chas reports on the pre-elections program of the political party Euro-sceptics. According to the newspaper the party proposes to launch five year moratorium on discussions regarding ethnic integration. Euro-sceptics also considers that no restrictions should apply regarding use of ethnic minority languages in the parliament and municipal institutions.

Vesti Segodnya features an article by the member of the Riga City Council Genadijs Kotovs (FHRUL) on the relations between Latvians and Russians in Latvia. Gennadijs Kotovs stated: Russians and Latvians have common past, present and future. We have common problems which have to be solved together.

• Results of monitoring of hate speech within the framework of the project Internet without Hate
• Discussion on perspectives of cooperation among schools and NGOs to preserve the Russian culture in Jelgava
• Administration of the only Russian school in Aizkraukle decided not to open 10th grade
• Most popular parties in August: New Era, Union of Greens and Farmers, FHRUL

The NGO dialogi.lv conducted monitoring project of comments placed on Latvian internet portals within a broader project “Internet without Hate.” According to the conclusions of the research, there are many offensive and degrading comments, mostly addressed towards LGTB and ethnic and religious minorities. Experts also noted that there are not so many available tools to deal with such comments and called internet portals and society to work together to deal with causes and consequences of intolerance.

The NGO dialogi.lv conducted monitoring project of comments placed on Latvian internet portals within a broader project Internet without Hate. According to the conclusions of the research, there are many offensive and degrading comments, mostly addressed towards LGTB and ethnic and religious minorities. Experts also noted that there are not so many available tools to deal with such comments and called internet portals and society to work together to deal with causes and consequences of intolerance. Telegraf

Conclusions (in Latvian and Russian) available here:

Conclusions (in Latvian and Russian) available here: http://www.dialogi.lv/article.php?s=388&id=2551&lang=1

Chas reports that the NGO Russian Culture Community in Jelgava Veche in cooperation with the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia held a discussion on cooperation possibilities among schools and NGOs with an aim to preserve the Russian culture in Jelgava (city in the central part of Latvia).

Chas and Vesti Segodnya report that the administration of the only Russian school in Aizkraukle decided not to open 10th grade arguing that there is insufficient number of students.

According to the public opinion survey conducted by the company "Latvijas fakti," the party New Era would receive 12% of votes, the Union of Greens and Farmers – 11.2%, For Human Rights in the United Latvia – 9.3%, if the Saeima elections were hold in August. The People’s Party (8.9%) and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (6%) would also pass the required 5 per cent barrier. However, 23.7 % of the respondents responded that they do not know whom will they vote for yet.

According to the public opinion survey conducted by the company "Latvijas fakti," the party New Era would receive 12% of votes, the Union of Greens and Farmers – 11.2%, For Human Rights in the United Latvia – 9.3%, if the Saeima elections were hold in August. The Peoples Party (8.9%) and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM (6%) would also pass the required 5 per cent barrier. However, 23.7 % of the respondents responded that they do not know whom will they vote for yet. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, Diena, NRA

• Prosecutors Office has started a criminal prosecution against two young men who physically assaulted a dark skinned man in Riga
• LNHRO and IUMSILS will have to place information in minority languages

On Friday, the Prosecutor’s Office started a criminal prosecution against two young men who physically assaulted a dark skinned man, who happened to be a member of the AfroLat Association, in June in Riga. According to a representative of the Prosecutor’s Office young men are charged with instigation of racial hatred.

On Friday, the Prosecutors Office started a criminal prosecution against two young men who physically assaulted a dark skinned man, who happened to be a member of the AfroLat Association, in June in Riga. According to a representative of the Prosecutors Office young men are charged with instigation of racial hatred. Chas, Latvijas Avize, Diena

The Cabinet of Ministers has issued a protocol decision, according to which the Latvian National Human Rights Office (LNHRO) and Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration (IUMSILS) must place information in minority languages informing that on a request these institutions might provide information not only in the state language as provided by law but also in minority languages. As reported, the LNHRO asked the Cabinet of Ministers to permit the state and municipal institutions provide public information not only in the state language as provided by the State Language Law but also in minority languages. The Government declined the request, however, issued the above mentioned protocol decision.

The Cabinet of Ministers has issued a protocol decision, according to which the Latvian National Human Rights Office (LNHRO) and Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration (IUMSILS) must place information in minority languages informing that on a request these institutions might provide information not only in the state language as provided by law but also in minority languages. As reported, the LNHRO asked the Cabinet of Ministers to permit the state and municipal institutions provide public information not only in the state language as provided by the State Language Law but also in minority languages. The Government declined the request, however, issued the above mentioned protocol decision. Latvijas Avize