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

• Approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform
• President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga points to the contradictions between several paragraphs of the Law on Education, discriminating minority schools
• Russias State Council is planning to establish economic sanctions against Latvia
• Director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa comments the increasing motivation of non-citizens to naturalize
• Interview with the70,000th naturalized non-citizen
• A call for Latvians to express more actively their positive attitude towards education reform

Yesterday approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform near the castle of the President of Latvia.

Yesterday approximately 8,000 minority students participated in the unapproved protest action against education reform near the castle of the President of Latvia. Neatkariga Rita Avize features statements of the director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa, who points out the necessity to solve the practical problems regarding the implementation of education reform and to provide all resources essential for minority schools. Chas prints an interview with the head of the Peoples Harmony Party parliamentary group Janis Urbanovics. He thinks that protest actions against education reform are a fiasco of the politicians. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Vechernaya Riga

Neatkariga Rita Avize prints a letter of the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga to the Prime Minister Einars Repse and the Saeima Speaker Ingrida Udre. The President of Latvia states that the latest amendments to the Law on Education do not deteriorate or restrict substantially minority rights, at the same time she points out contradictions between several paragraphs of the law that discriminate minority schools.

Russia State Council is planning to review a draft law, which might stipulate the establishment of economic sanctions against Latvia in order to respond to the events related to the education reform.

Russia State Council is planning to review a draft law, which might stipulate the establishment of economic sanctions against Latvia in order to respond to the events related to the education reform. Dienas commentator Aivars Ozolins believes that Russia only uses the education reform as an excuse, but the actual reason of its activities is a desire to maintain Russias influence on Latvia. The commentator prognosticates that the attempts to stop the integration process in Latvia and to provoke ethnic conflicts will continue as a part of the neo-imperialistic policy, realized by Moscow. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Public policy site

Public policy site www.politika.lv publishes an article by the director of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Brigita Zepa, commenting the increasing motivation of non-citizens to naturalize after the EU accession referendum. Brigita Zepa believes that the latest wave of naturalization embraces non-citizens who have been waiting the automatic granting of citizenship and those, who associate the citizenship with new possibilities, including possibility to find a work in the EU. According to the author, the increasing speed of naturalization could be connected also with the Latvian language courses offered by the Naturalization Board free of charge. For full text see here.

Diena features an interview with Tatjana Lahovica, the 70,000th naturalized non-citizen.

Latvijas Avize features an article by the leader of national-extremists organization Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars, calling Latvians to express their positive attitude towards education reform more actively.

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

• The President of Latvia has announced the amendments to the Education law
• Latvijas Avizes columnist Aija Calite comments the video clip against education reform
• Netakarigas columnist Aigars Dabolins about integration and education reform
• Alexander Shabanov about a familys experience regarding Latvian education system

The President of Latvia has announced the amendments to the Education law. According to the President, there are no legal or practical obstacles for the Law’s implementation. She has also stated that this year the changes will affect only the 10th grade’s students and that in most cases the number of subjects to be taught in Latvian will be increased only by two. The President has suggested to define more specifically that minority language schools themselves are able to choose 40% of subjects to be taught in minority language. She has suggested to change the principle that the state should provide a support to all the schools independently of their observation of language norms. Meanwhile the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools have organized protest actions in Riga.

The President of Latvia has announced the amendments to the Education law. According to the President, there are no legal or practical obstacles for the Laws implementation. She has also stated that this year the changes will affect only the 10th grades students and that in most cases the number of subjects to be taught in Latvian will be increased only by two. The President has suggested to define more specifically that minority language schools themselves are able to choose 40% of subjects to be taught in minority language. She has suggested to change the principle that the state should provide a support to all the schools independently of their observation of language norms. Meanwhile the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools have organized protest actions in Riga. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga, Chas, Rigas Balss, Vechernaya Riga, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features a commentary by columnist Aija Calite about the video clip with the Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall. The clip has been distributed among the protest activists against education reform. According to Calite, the clip deepens the conflict situation.

Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article by Aigars Dabolins about integration issues and education reform. The author believes that integration policy is a very difficult task especially in the two-society state like Latvia. He analyses three different models of integration and concludes that for a long time Latvians have pretended not to be interested in the problems of the Russian-speaking population. Dabolins considers that Russians living Latvia are a very important resource for the development of the society. He believes that the state should explain education reform in a friendly atmosphere and to listen to the Russian-speakers point of view.

Diena features an article by Alexander Shabanov analyzing a familys experience regarding education reform. In this case, the mother has decided to send her son to a Latvian school only because of the allegedly decreasing quality of education in Russian language schools. According to the students mother, her child is loosing his Russian identity after visiting Latvian language kindergarten.

 

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

• Planned protest actions against the education reform
• Latvijas Avize publishes an article about minority definition
• Vechernaya Riga publishes an interview with the Russian Ambassador Igor Studennikov

If the President of Latvia announces the amendments to the Education law, protest actions will be organized around the 1st of May, which is an official day of Latvia’s accession to the European Union, promise Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools.

If the President of Latvia announces the amendments to the Education law, protest actions will be organized around the 1st of May, which is an official day of Latvias accession to the European Union, promise Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf, Neatkariga, Vechernaya Riga

Latvijas Avize publishes an article about minority definition. Journalist Inara Murniece points out that minority definition is not included in Latvian legislation. She stresses that UN Declaration on the Rights of persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities does not include a minority definition, and is quoting minority definition that is included within the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The author informs about four different minority definitions elaborated by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Society Integration. This article includes two different opinions of Ineta Ziemele, international and human rights expert of Riga Graduate School of Law and Ina Druviete, Head of the Saeimas Human Rights and Social affairs committee. Ineta Ziemele says that Russian-speaking population living in Latvia is not a real minority, and that if we are talking about the minority rights protection, it is important to help Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Jews ant others to really regain their ethnic identity. Ina Druviete believes that from the socio-linguistic point of view it is possible to talk about the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia, but although definition of minority status is an important ideological and political issue, it has little practical importance.

Vechernaya Riga publishes an interview with Russian Ambassador Igor Studennikov. Asked about the best model for integration of Russian speakers into Latvian society, Ambassador Studennikov stresses that the best way is the one acceptable to the people themselves. His advice for those individuals who decided to stay in Latvia is to obtain the Latvian citizenship. Regarding the visa requirements introduced by the Russian government for the non-citizens of Latvia, he explains that this decision was a response to the Latvian governments decision to introduce the visa regime with Russia. As for the Russias attitude towards the education issues, Ambassador points out that Russian government is funding training of the Russian language teachers in Russia, participation of Latvian children in various competitions in Russia, and supply of textbooks. According to the Ambassador, right now the next shipment of textbooks in Russian to Latvian schools is being planned.

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

• USA Senator John McCain criticizes Russia about its attempts to exert pressure on Latvian government
• Planned ultimate protest action against the education reform
• Newspapers continue discussion about the latest amendments to the Law on Education
• European Peoples parties congress adopts a resolution condemning the totalitarian regime of communism
• Conflict between Russian and Latvian school pupils
• Council of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM condemns the Saeima decision, allowing to stand for the European Parliament electionsfor ex-officials of the State Security Committee

During the security policy conference in Munich, USA Senator John McCain has castigated Russia for attempts to manipulate the Russian minority in Latvia and to impede the import of the energetic recourses to Latvia, therefore exerting a pressure on the democratic government of the country.

During the security policy conference in Munich, USA Senator John McCain has castigated Russia for attempts to manipulate the Russian minority in Latvia and to impede the import of the energetic recourses to Latvia, therefore exerting a pressure on the democratic government of the country. Diena

Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools are planning to organize ultimate protest action against the education reform at 11 February, 2004 near the Castle of the President of Latvia. Until the 12 of February President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga is eligible to return the law to the Saeima for repeated screening. For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Vice speaker of the Russia State Council Dmitry Rogozin have already called for the President of Latvia not to announce these amendments.

Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-Language Schools are planning to organize ultimate protest action against the education reform at 11 February, 2004 near the Castle of the President of Latvia. Until the 12 of February President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga is eligible to return the law to the Saeima for repeated screening. For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Vice speaker of the Russia State Council Dmitry Rogozin have already called for the President of Latvia not to announce these amendments. Chas features a commentary by Leonyd Fedoseyev, who believes that the latest protest activities of the Latvian Russians indicate not an escalation of ethnic confrontation, but rather a conflict between the state power and the social group whose interests have been rudely ignored. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Newspapers continue discussion about the latest amendments to the Law on Education, allowing only up to 40% of instruction in minority language at minority schools.

Newspapers continue discussion about the latest amendments to the Law on Education, allowing only up to 40% of instruction in minority language at minority schools. Neatkariga Rita Avize publishes statements of the Minister of Education and Science Karlis Sadurskis. Russian language newspapers feature the statements of the head of the parliamentary group For Human Rights in the United Latvia Jakovs Pliners, which offers two alternatives to the education reform. According to Jakovs Pliners, the state has to grant an opportunity for minority schools council to determinate the level of bilingualism and the subjects to be taught in Latvian, or to provide that only Latvian language, literature, and three subjects by the schools choice shall be taught in Latvian. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vechernaya Riga, Chas

European People’s parties’ congress, following the initiative of the observer of Latvia to the European Parliament (EP) Liene Liepina, has adopted a resolution which condemns the totalitarian regime of communism. The document will be submitted also to the EP.

European Peoples parties congress, following the initiative of the observer of Latvia to the European Parliament (EP) Liene Liepina, has adopted a resolution which condemns the totalitarian regime of communism. The document will be submitted also to the EP. Diena

Rigas Balss features an article about the conflict between students of Riga Secondary School No. 34 and the Primary School of Agenskalns, who both have Latvian and Russian pupils. According to the students of the Primary School, since the beginning of the campaign against the education reform, its active opponents Russian students from Riga Secondary School No. 34 have frequently bullied Latvian students from the Primary School. In their turn, Russian students say that Latvians provoke them. The head of the Riga City Council Security and Order Committee Andrejs Vilks is being pessimistic about the whole affair and allows that the wave of the reciprocal hate will spread to other schools in Riga.

Council of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM has adopted a statement, condemning the decision of the Saeima to cancel the prohibition to stand for the European Parliament elections for ex-officials of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia and those individuals who were members of the Communist Party and related organizations after January 13, 1991.

Council of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM has adopted a statement, condemning the decision of the Saeima to cancel the prohibition to stand for the European Parliament electionsfor ex-officials of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia and those individuals who were members of the Communist Party and related organizations after January 13, 1991. Vesti Segodnya

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

• Discussions about the new government
• European Commission (EC) will not prepare any recommendations regarding the education reform
• Problems in the area of the education reform implementation
• Deputies of the Russia State Council discuss possible economic sanctions against Latvia
• Connection between the Venstpils Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools activist and the Russias State Council deputy speaker
• Saeima MP Boris Tsilevich points to the lack of discussion about the education reform
• Commentary of the political analyst Vladimir Grjaznevich (Russia) on the latest protest actions against the education reform in Latvia
• Seminar Ethnic cleavage in referendum on the Latvias accession to the European Union
• Embassy of Uzbekistan in Latvia opens a Sunday school

New government of Latvia could be established on the basis of five Saeima right-wing political parties. This initiative of People’s Party and Latvia’s First Party has been already supported by the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and the Union of Greens and Farmers.

New government of Latvia could be established on the basis of five Saeima right-wing political parties. This initiative of Peoples Party and Latvias First Party has been already supported by the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and the Union of Greens and Farmers. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

During the press conference the Spokesman for EU Enlargement Jean-Christophe Filori has reportedly stated that education system of Latvia is an interior affair of the state and not within the competence of the EC. Spokesman also stressed that the opinion of EC regarding observation of minority rights in Latvia has not changed, and that EC believes that Latvia complies with all EU standards in this area.

During the press conference the Spokesman for EU Enlargement Jean-Christophe Filori has reportedly stated that education system of Latvia is an interior affair of the state and not within the competence of the EC. Spokesman also stressed that the opinion of EC regarding observation of minority rights in Latvia has not changed, and that EC believes that Latvia complies with all EU standards in this area. Latvijas Avize

According to the information of the Ministry of Education and Science, the educational programs of approximately 40% minority schools already correspond to the requirements of the Law on Education, allowing up to 40% of instruction in minority language at minority schools. The schools directors, interviewed by

According to the information of the Ministry of Education and Science, the educational programs of approximately 40% minority schools already correspond to the requirements of the Law on Education, allowing up to 40% of instruction in minority language at minority schools. The schools directors, interviewed by Diena journalist, have pointed to radical negative changes in the attitude of minority students and their parents towards the reform over the last year, as one of the main problems.

Deputies of the Russia State Council have discussed the latest amendments to the Law on Education adopted by the Saeima. Several MPs have reportedly pointed to the necessity to adopt the law which would stipulate economic sanctions against Latvia.

Deputies of the Russia State Council have discussed the latest amendments to the Law on Education adopted by the Saeima. Several MPs have reportedly pointed to the necessity to adopt the law which would stipulate economic sanctions against Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Latvian foreign policy experts believe that actions against the education reform have been partly organized in Moscow. This statement is motivated by the fact that the leader of Venstpils Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools Aleksandrs Kazakovs is also an assistant to theRussia’s State Council deputy speaker Dmitry Rogozin.

Latvian foreign policy experts believe that actions against the education reform have been partly organized in Moscow. This statement is motivated by the fact that the leader of Venstpils Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools Aleksandrs Kazakovs is also an assistant to theRussias State Council deputy speaker Dmitry Rogozin. Diena

Chas featuresan article by the Saeima MP Boriss Tsilevich, who points to the lack of discussion in the area of education reform.

Diena features a commentary of the political analyst of the magazine Expert Severo-Zapad Vladimir Grjaznevich (Russia) about the latest protest actions against the education reform in Latvia. Vladimir Grjaznevich believes that the protest actions are mainly directed against the new political reality for Russian-speaking youth, where there is no bright future for ‘Russian-speaking political organizations retaining nostalgia for the USSR. According to the author, the actual situation in the area of minority languages has become more balanced in the Baltic States over the last 10 years.

Latvijas Avize features an article about the seminar Ethnic cleavage in referendum on the Latvias accession to the European Union. According to the researcher of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences Inese Supule, the most dangerous dividing factor is the attitude of Russian-speaking youth towards the national values, which has become aggressively negative over the last years. Media expert Sergejs Kruks has stated that the main problem is the unsuccessful communication between government and ethnic minorities or the lack of this communication.

Embassy of Uzbekistan in Latvia has opened a Sunday school, in order to provide an opportunity for Uzbek youth to study their mother tongue and traditions.

Embassy of Uzbekistan in Latvia has opened a Sunday school, in order to provide an opportunity for Uzbek youth to study their mother tongue and traditions. Diena