• Newspapers reports on events in the framework of the Week against Racism
• Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens calls on the mass media stop producing stereotypes about people of other races and ethnicities
• Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee considers that the Association of Ethnic Minorities should be granted bigger funding

Yesterday, an NGO “Golden Ball” in co-operation with the association “European Minorities – Branch of the Baltic and Scandinavian States” in the framework of the Week against Racism held an event “All Different. All Equal” for secondary school students in Riga. Representatives of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration, Ombudsman’s Office, Afro-Latvian organisation and various ethnic minority NGOs took part in the discussion of issues concerning racism. The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has stated that Latvia has and will always remain a multinational state. In the framework of the anti-racism days an internet portal on Roma culture, history, NGOs and their activities

Yesterday, an NGO Golden Ball in co-operation with the association European Minorities – Branch of the Baltic and Scandinavian States in the framework of the Week against Racism held an event All Different. All Equal for secondary school students in Riga. Representatives of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration, Ombudsmans Office, Afro-Latvian organisation and various ethnic minority NGOs took part in the discussion of issues concerning racism. The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has stated that Latvia has and will always remain a multinational state. In the framework of the anti-racism days an internet portal on Roma culture, history, NGOs and their activities www.romi.lv was presented. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena

Diena reports that yesterday, the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens called on the mass media to stop production of stereotypes about people of other races and ethnicities. The Minister drew attention to a particular advertisement placed by a shopping chain Buvniecibas ABC which according to the Minister contains an insulting picture and text. The advertisement shows an African man who in broken Latvian says I to want building yours house and the text behind the advertisement says All for construction and repair work but foreign labour force.

Latvijas Avize reports that the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee has held its meeting at premises of the Association of Ethnic Cultural Organisations of Latvia (AECOL). Members of the Committee stated that the government should find the ways to increase the AEOCLs funding. Head of the AEOCL Rafi Haradzanjans claimed that some representatives of the Integration Secretariat (IUMSILS in its Latvian acronym) are trying to split the organisation, as well as that the Secretariat fails to ensure appropriate funding.

• NGO Russian Community in Latvia asks MPs to grant voting rights in municipal elections to all permanent residents of Latvia
• First curriculum for teaching mathematics in ethnic minority schools presented in the State Language Agency

NGO “Russian Community in Latvia” has sent a letter to Speaker of the Saeima Indulis Emsis and to all MPs asking to support the draft amendments to the Election Law proposed by For Human Rights in United Latvia and “The Concord Centre” which stipulate granting all permanent residents of Latvia voting rights in municipal elections. The Saeima will review the draft amendments on 22 March.

NGO Russian Community in Latvia has sent a letter to Speaker of the Saeima Indulis Emsis and to all MPs asking to support the draft amendments to the Election Law proposed by For Human Rights in United Latvia and The Concord Centre which stipulate granting all permanent residents of Latvia voting rights in municipal elections. The Saeima will review the draft amendments on 22 March. Chas

Chas reports that first curriculum for teaching mathematics in ethnic minority schools was presented in the State Language Agency. Director of the State Language Agency believes that the curriculum will be very helpful for teachers who teach mathematics in the state language at minority schools, as well as, for those teachers who teach mathematics to ethnic minority children in Latvian-language schools.

• Latvijas Avize prints an article state language positions and government stance concerning these issues
• Head of the Council of Jewish Parishes and Communities: international Jewish organisations will get involved in issues concerning compensations for the Latvian Jewish Community

Latvijas Avize provides its views regarding positions of the state language and interprets the governments attitude towards the issue. The columnist of the newspaper believes that the Latvian language yields to the dominance of the Russian language in a number of business areas. The columnist criticizes the decision of the government to refuse a proposal to introduce norms stipulating higher fines for failure to use or insufficient use of the state language in certain areas. As reported, last week, the Saeima has declined the draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code proposed by For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM to increase fines for violations regarding use of the Latvian language.

Head of the Latvian Council of Jewish Parishes and Communities Arkadijs Suharenko in an interview with

Head of the Latvian Council of Jewish Parishes and Communities Arkadijs Suharenko in an interview with NRA stated that international Jewish organisations will get involved in the issue of allotting compensations for the Latvian Jewish Community for lost properties during the Holocaust. As reported, in November, the majority of the Saeima did not support the draft law on granting LVL 32,000,000 (EUR 45,531,897) and some real estate buildings to the Jewish Community.

• Newspapers report that several Lithuanian and German national radicals were planning to take part in 16 March events
• Various events are planned to be hold in Latvia in the framework of the Russian Language Year

Newspapers report that on Friday, several persons from Lithuania and Germany allegedly members of ultra-right organisations arrived to Latvia to take part in processions of 16 March – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian WWII legionaries. However, the security forces have convinced them to not to get involved.

Newspapers report that on Friday, several persons from Lithuania and Germany allegedly members of ultra-right organisations arrived to Latvia to take part in processions of 16 March – unofficial commemoration day of Latvian WWII legionaries. However, the security forces have convinced them to not to get involved. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Vesti Segodnya reports that several cultural events, conferences and seminars are planned to be hold in Latvia in the framework of the Russian Language Year in 2007.

• Newspapers report on events of 16 March

Newspapers report on events on 16 March - unofficial commemoration day of Latvian WWII legionaries. As planned, several ultra-right wing organisations hold two commemorative processions, while the Latvian Anti-Fascistic Committee held an anti-fascistic meeting in the centre of Riga. All events were massively observed and controlled by police and security forces. The police detained 12 persons for small administrative violations. No serious conflicts were registered.

Newspapers report on events on 16 March - unofficial commemoration day of Latvian WWII legionaries. As planned, several ultra-right wing organisations hold two commemorative processions, while the Latvian Anti-Fascistic Committee held an anti-fascistic meeting in the centre of Riga. All events were massively observed and controlled by police and security forces. The police detained 12 persons for small administrative violations. No serious conflicts were registered. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize, NRA