• Drafting the Law on Minority Schools
• Opinion of Janis Kuzins about social integration issues
• Interview with the leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars

The Prime Minister Indulis Emsis has charged the Ministry of Education and Science and the Special Tasks Minister’s for Social Integration Secretariat to form a joint working group to develop a draft Law on Minority Schools. The law should define the concept of minority school, which would guarantee preservation of one’s national affiliation, culture and traditions. The Ministry of Education and Science supports elaboration of a new law if it is developed within the framework of existing legislation which stipulate the switch to the Latvian language as the key language of instruction at minority schools. While the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools has expressed a hope that in accordance with the new law minority schools themselves would havean opportunity to choose the language of instruction.

The Prime Minister Indulis Emsis has charged the Ministry of Education and Science and the Special Tasks Ministers for Social Integration Secretariat to form a joint working group to develop a draft Law on Minority Schools. The law should define the concept of minority school, which would guarantee preservation of ones national affiliation, culture and traditions. The Ministry of Education and Science supports elaboration of a new law if it is developed within the framework of existing legislation which stipulate the switch to the Latvian language as the key language of instruction at minority schools. While the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools has expressed a hope that in accordance with the new law minority schools themselves would havean opportunity to choose the language of instruction. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features the opinion of Janis Kuzins, who was recently expelled from the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party and whose employment contract with the Jurmala city mayor was not renewed, on social integration issues in Latvia. Janis Kuzins believes that Latvia should ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities because it would make the status of minorities clearer and would reduce disagreement in society. Janis Kuzins also points to the necessity of the moratorium on the education reform, because the lack of qualified teachers and teaching aids is obvious.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars about the necessity of Latvias decolonisation. Raivis Dzintars stresses that his organisation does not advocate for a forced deportation, but stand for ensuring a possibility to repatriate to all those non-citizens who want to leave Latvia. According to the leader of the organisation, there is also the necessity to establish a moratorium on naturalisation process, because thus disloyal Latvia non-citizens are able to naturalise and resultantly have an impact on national policy.

• Children of different ethnicities take part in plays staged in the Latvian language
• Head of the Russia State Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Mihail Margelov talks about relationship between Latvia and Russia

Diena features an article about plays in the Latvian language in which children of different ethnicities take part. The plays are a part of one of social integration projects implemented by the National Programme for the Latvian Language Training.

Newspapers feature an opinion of the Head of the Russia State Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Mihail Margelov about relationship between Latvia and Russia. Mihail Margelov states that Russia is ready for a dialogue with Latvia and does everything to ‘break the ice’ between the countries, however, Latvia does not respond to that. The Russian official also believes that Russia will not recognise the crimes of the Communist regime.

Newspapers feature an opinion of the Head of the Russia State Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Mihail Margelov about relationship between Latvia and Russia. Mihail Margelov states that Russia is ready for a dialogue with Latvia and does everything to ‘break the ice between the countries, however, Latvia does not respond to that. The Russian official also believes that Russia will not recognise the crimes of the Communist regime. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

• Administrative Court shall re-open the Slivenkos case
• Exhibition about Latvias occupation planned in Brussels
• Riga City Council and the Orthodox Church of Latvia will collaborate in the area of social integration
• New weekly internet media Dialogi.lv has been launched
• Interview with the head of the National Programmes for Latvian Language Training Daugavpils regional centre Silva Kucina
• Newspapers continue to write about a camp for young people who are against the education reform
• Riga City Council will evaluate anew the possibility to authorise protest actions against the education reform
• Interview with a doctor and a participant of the protest action against the education reform in Strasbourg Maksims Margolins

On the basis of the judgement issued by the European Court of Human Rights, yesterday the Administrative Case Department of the Senate of the Latvian Supreme Court took the decision that the Latvian Administrative Court has to re-open the case of the Slivenko and define how the ECHR’s ruling will be implemented. The ECHR ruled that Latvia has violated the right of the Slivenko to privacy and has to pay for non-pecuniary damages, however, the ECHR did not provide specific methods how Latvia should implement the ruling.

On the basis of the judgement issued by the European Court of Human Rights, yesterday the Administrative Case Department of the Senate of the Latvian Supreme Court took the decision that the Latvian Administrative Court has to re-open the case of the Slivenko and define how the ECHRs ruling will be implemented. The ECHR ruled that Latvia has violated the right of the Slivenko to privacy and has to pay for non-pecuniary damages, however, the ECHR did not provide specific methods how Latvia should implement the ruling. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks plans to meet the administration of the Latvia’s Occupation Museum to discuss the opening of an exhibition about Latvia’s occupation in Brussels. Artis Pabriks regards the explanation of the history of Latvia to members of the European Parliament as one of the main duties of Latvian MPs. According to the Minister, the lack of appropriate assessment and discussion on the consequences of Latvia’s occupation among international actors leads to many problems in the foreign policy of Latvia.

Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks plans to meet the administration of the Latvias Occupation Museum to discuss the opening of an exhibition about Latvias occupation in Brussels. Artis Pabriks regards the explanation of the history of Latvia to members of the European Parliament as one of the main duties of Latvian MPs. According to the Minister, the lack of appropriate assessment and discussion on the consequences of Latvias occupation among international actors leads to many problems in the foreign policy of Latvia. Rigas Balss, Chas

The Riga City Council and the Orthodox Church of Latvia will collaborate in the area of social integration, agreed the Head of Riga City Council’s Development Committee Andris Ameriks, metropolitan of the Orthodox Church Aleksandrs and the parliamentary secretary of the Special Tasks Minister’s for Society Integration Secretariat Aleksandrs Brandavs.

The Riga City Council and the Orthodox Church of Latvia will collaborate in the area of social integration, agreed the Head of Riga City Councils Development Committee Andris Ameriks, metropolitan of the Orthodox Church Aleksandrs and the parliamentary secretary of the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat Aleksandrs Brandavs. Latvijas Avize, Telegraf

The public policy portal

The public policy portal politika.lv reports that today a new weekly internet portal www.dialogi.lv is launched. The new portal provides information in Latvian, Russian and English. The majority of its publications (articles, interviews, commentaries and critiques) will be offered simultaneously in two languages - Latvian and Russian. Daily pres reviews of the Russian language mass media will be published in Latvian, but the reviews of the Latvian language mass media – in the Russian language.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the head of Daugavpils regional centre of the National Programme for Latvian Language Training Silva Kucina about the Latvian language courses provided by the Centre in the city. According to Silva Kucina, the largest amount of money has been allotted to the Latvian language courses for teachers.

Newspapers continue to write about the camp for young people who are against the education reform. Leaders of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools explain that the camp offered lectures on the history of the Russian community in Latvia and organised discussions about activities necessary to bring in equality between the Russian and Latvian communities. The organisers of the camp refused to name the sponsors of the camp.

Newspapers continue to write about the camp for young people who are against the education reform. Leaders of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools explain that the camp offered lectures on the history of the Russian community in Latvia and organised discussions about activities necessary to bring in equality between the Russian and Latvian communities. The organisers of the camp refused to name the sponsors of the camp. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

The Riga City Council will re-evaluate the petition to authorise protest actions against the education reform, planned by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia.

The Riga City Council will re-evaluate the petition to authorise protest actions against the education reform, planned by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia. Latvijas Avize

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with doctor and participant of the protest action against the education reform in Strasbourg Maksims Margolins. According to the Maksims Margolins, there is no necessity for the education reform because Russian-speaking youth already know the Latvian language very well and do not experience any difficulties to enter higher education institutions where studies are conducted only in Latvian.

• Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science votes against an establishment of the moratorium on the education reform
• Cabinet of Ministers supports the National Programme against Intolerance
• Director of the Integration Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule talks about the implementation of the education reform
• State Police express readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder during protest actions against the education reform
• Opinion poll on the role of ethnicity in the labour market in Latvia
• Vesti Segodnya reports on an initiative to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences
• Human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin expresses readiness to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states
• Article by the leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars

Yesterday the Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science did not support a proposal to establish the moratorium on education reform. Majority of the council’s members regarded the idea to abolish the reform absurd, because, according to the chairman of the Department of the General Education Guntis Vasilevskis, only ten out of 137 minority secondary schools have not received licences for new curricula developed in accordance with the requirements stipulated by the Education Law. Members of the council plan to appeal to the Minister of Education and Science asking to promote drafting of the Law on Minority Schools. The director of the Riga Ukrainian Secondary School Lidija Kravcenko believes that the law should provide goals, tasks and contents of minority schools, foresee cooperation with ethnic groups and specify tasks concerning training and further education of teachers.

Yesterday the Minority Education Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education and Science did not support a proposal to establish the moratorium on education reform. Majority of the councils members regarded the idea to abolish the reform absurd, because, according to the chairman of the Department of the General Education Guntis Vasilevskis, only ten out of 137 minority secondary schools have not received licences for new curricula developed in accordance with the requirements stipulated by the Education Law. Members of the council plan to appeal to the Minister of Education and Science asking to promote drafting of the Law on Minority Schools. The director of the Riga Ukrainian Secondary School Lidija Kravcenko believes that the law should provide goals, tasks and contents of minority schools, foresee cooperation with ethnic groups and specify tasks concerning training and further education of teachers. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers supported the National Programme against Intolerance. The implementation of the programme will require LVL 187,400. It is topical issue as the opinion poll, conducted in 2000, shows that 24% of residents (18% Latvians and 31% non-Latvians) claim that they have experienced discrimination, and indicate ethnicity and language as its main reasons. Besides ethnicity and language, the working group, which developed the programme, has also indicated other sources of discrimination, such as intolerance towards several social groups: sexual minorities, former inmates, mentally ill persons and HIV/AIDS patients. According to the working group, expansion of Islam-phobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance towards people with different colour of skin are possible in Latvia in the future.

Yesterday the Cabinet of Ministers supported the National Programme against Intolerance. The implementation of the programme will require LVL187,400. It is topical issue as the opinion poll, conducted in 2000, shows that 24% of residents (18% Latvians and 31% non-Latvians) claim that they have experienced discrimination, and indicate ethnicity and language as its main reasons. Besides ethnicity and language, the working group, which developed the programme, has also indicated other sources of discrimination, such as intolerance towards several social groups: sexual minorities, former inmates, mentally ill persons and HIV/AIDS patients. According to the working group, expansion of Islam-phobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance towards people with different colour of skin are possible in Latvia in the future. Latvijas Avize, Chas

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the head of the director of the Integration Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule about the implementation of the education reform and dialogue between the Ministry and the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools. Evija Papule foresees that the transition to studies mainly in the Latvian language in minority schools will be implemented because there are no minority schools that have declared that they would not be able to fulfil the requirements set by the Law on Education.

The State Police expressed readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder and, if necessary, prevent violence during the planned protest actions against the education reform. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia plans to organise continuous day and night protest actions in Esplanade, the centre of Riga, from 23 August till 3 September.

The State Police expressed readiness to ensure that there is no public disorder and, if necessary, prevent violence during the planned protest actions against the education reform. The union For Human Rights in the United Latvia plans to organise continuous day and night protest actions in Esplanade, the centre of Riga, from 23 August till 3 September. Rigas Balss, Chas

Latvijas Avize reports on the opinion poll, conducted by the youth organisation Junior Achievement Latvia, about the role of ethnicity in the labour market. Young researchers have concluded that companies are ethnically segregated. They base their conclusion on the thesis that there is a tendency that responsible managers hire employees of his/her ethnicity. Thus, according to the results of the survey, the proportion of Russians in Russian companies reaches even 88%, while the proportion of Latvians in Latvian companies reaches 68%. Managers of the surveyed companies have also expressed distrust towards Roma, describing them as dishonest persons and thieves, while Jews are pictured as foxy but also smarter in business matters.

Vesti Segodnya reports on an initiative of Latvian members of the European Parliament (EP), elected from the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, to ask the EP to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences.

A human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin has spread a statement where he voices a readiness within his competence to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states till the moment when the issue of citizenship is not fully solved.

A human rights ombudsman of Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin has spread a statement where he voices a readiness within his competence to protect the rights of non-citizens in the former USSR states till the moment when the issue of citizenship is not fully solved. Vesti Segodnya

Leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai!’ Raivis Dzintars writes about the draft declaration, drafted by several MPs, which condemns the Communist regime in the former USSR. Raivis Dzintars believes that Latvia should demand financial assistance from international community, particularly from those countries, which are responsible for Latvia’s colonisation. Financial support would be used to provide support for those repatriates and non-citizens who want to migrate to other states. At the same time, according to the author, it is also necessary also to implement broad campaign calling non-citizens to return to their native countries or migrate to other European countries.

Leader of national-extremist organisation ‘Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars writes about the draft declaration, drafted by several MPs, which condemns the Communist regime in the former USSR. Raivis Dzintars believes that Latvia should demand financial assistance from international community, particularly from those countries, which are responsible for Latvias colonisation. Financial support would be used to provide support for those repatriates and non-citizens who want to migrate to other states. At the same time, according to the author, it is also necessary also to implement broad campaign calling non-citizens to return to their native countries or migrate to other European countries. Latvijas Avize

• Prime Minister Indulis Emsis admits that protest actions against the education reform may cause a difficult situation on September 1
• Latvian members of the European Parliament (EP) plan to call to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement
• Cabinet of Ministers reviews the draft National Programme against Intolerance
• The leaders of the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools Olga Isakova and Igors Pimenovs talk about the implementation of the education reform
• Article of the President of Baltic Forum Janis Urbanovics on social integration in Latvia
• Information booth for propaganda against the education reform

The Prime Minister Indulis Emsis admits that protest actions against the education reform which are planned on September 1 may cause a very difficult and even dangerous situation in the country. Indulis Emsis also believes that the protest actions against the education reform are the ‘attempts to stir the public before municipal elections’.

The Prime Minister Indulis Emsis admits that protest actions against the education reform which are planned on September 1 may cause a very difficult and even dangerous situation in the country. Indulis Emsis also believes that the protest actions against the education reform are the ‘attempts to stir the public before municipal elections. Chas

Latvian members of the European Parliament (EP), elected from the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, plan to appeal to the EP and ask to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences.

Latvian members of the European Parliament (EP), elected from the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, plan to appeal to the EP and ask to evaluate the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement and its consequences. Latvijas Avize, referring to the one of the MPs Guntars Krasts, states that MPs want that Russia admits that the Molotov-Ribbentroph Agreement has illegally divided Europe and the USSR was one of the forces, actively participating in this criminal action. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Today the Cabinet of Ministers plans to review the draft National Programme against Intolerance, prepared by the Special Tasks Minister’s for Society Integration Secretariat. According to the studies, the main manifestations of intolerance are concerned with ethnic and religious affiliation. The particular risk group are Romany people.

Today the Cabinet of Ministers plans to review the draft National Programme against Intolerance, prepared by the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat. According to the studies, the main manifestations of intolerance are concerned with ethnic and religious affiliation. The particular risk group are Romany people. Vesti Segodnya

Russian language newspapers feature articles by the leaders of the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools (LASHOR) Olga Isakova and Igors Pimenovs about organisation’s dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Science concerning the education reform and the situation inside the LASHOR after its disunion. Both activists in the article, published by

Russian language newspapers feature articles by the leaders of the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-language Schools (LASHOR) Olga Isakova and Igors Pimenovs about organisations dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Science concerning the education reform and the situation inside the LASHOR after its disunion. Both activists in the article, published by Vesti Segodnya, point to the fact that the education reform applies not only to secondary but also to other levels of minority education. They stress that now the LASHOR has a dialogue with the Ministry on the implementation of education reform in primary school. In the article, published by the Telegraf, Igors Pimenovs also states that the Advisory Board of the Ministry should also review other proposals offered by the LASHOR, such as establishing a moratorium on the implementation of the education reform until 2007 and increasing competence of school councils. According to Igors Pimenovs, minority school councils should have the right to choose the language of instruction and the educational programmes. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Chas

Chas prints an article by the president of Baltic Forum Janis Urbanovics on social integration in Latvia. Janis Urbanovics points to the necessity of development of a new ‘positive programme on elimination of the cleavage in society. According to the chairperson, in the programme should recognised that not only Latvians, but also Russians and other minorities live legally in Latvia and do not include attempts ‘to convert minorities into Latvians.

Representatives of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia have set up an information booth in the centre of Riga to inform passing people about, according to them, ‘dangerous education reform’.

Representatives of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia have set up an information booth in the centre of Riga to inform passing people about, according to them, ‘dangerous education reform. Rigas Balss, Latvijas Avize