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

• Visit of Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia in Latvia
• UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination published recommendations for Latvian government

The Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo, is visiting Latvia. He will meet with the Special Taks Minister for Societal Integration, Nils Muiznieks, the Head of the Naturalisation Board, Eizenija Aldermane and the Special Task Minister for Family and Children issues, Ainars Bastiks.

The Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Paul-Erik Rummo, is visiting Latvia. He will meet with the Special Taks Minister for Societal Integration, Nils Muiznieks, the Head of the Naturalisation Board, Eizenija Aldermane and the Special Task Minister for Family and Children issues, Ainars Bastiks. Chas

Russian-language newspapers report that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has published recommendations for the Latvian government. The Committee experts are reported to recommend taking necessary measures in order to increase the pace of naturalisation, to give the rights to vote in municipal elections for long-term resident non-citizens in Latvia. The experts are allegedly concerned about possible discrimination of national minorities regarding language norms and the employment.

Russian-language newspapers report that the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has published recommendations for the Latvian government. The Committee experts are reported to recommend taking necessary measures in order to increase the pace of naturalisation, to give the rights to vote in municipal elections for long-term resident non-citizens in Latvia. The experts are allegedly concerned about possible discrimination of national minorities regarding language norms and the employment. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

 

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

• Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, Juris Dobelis, the MP FF/LNNK and Dr Anita Jakobsone discuss integration issues
• Protest meeting For the free choice of language of education will take place on 4th of September
• Comments about the administration of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies
• Human rights activist plans to complain to the European Human Rights Court about the writing of his family name in the passport

Rigas Balss features a discussion on integration issues among Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, Juris Dobelis, the MP FF/LNNK and Dr Anita Jakobsone. Nils Muiznieks said that there are many integration problems to solve in Latvia and that by creating the Special Task Ministers office for Societal Integration the government decided that social integration is one of its priorities. Juris Dobelis stresses the need to strengthen the positions of Latvian language. He explains that there were serious discussions in the FF/LNNK faction before the vote about Nils Muiznieks candidature for the position of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. Regarding the criticism about the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, Dr Anita Jakobsone stresses that there are no precisely defined criteria to evaluate the necessity of this new institution. Juris Dobelis announces that before the referendum about the Latvias EU membership the FF/LNNK faction will not request the ministers resignation.

The Headquarters of the Opponents to the education reform will organise a protest meeting “For the free choice of language of education” near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis on 4th of September.

The Headquarters of the Opponents to the education reform will organise a protest meeting For the free choice of language of education near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis on 4th of September. Vechernaya Riga, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Chas features the comments of Irina Vinnika, the Head of the department of national minorities of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, and Rafi Haradzajan, the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies (LANCS), about the governments decision that the state budget grants for LANCS will be administered and controlled by the Ministry of Culture and not by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration.

Vesti Segodnya reports that Leonid Raihman, one of the founders of the NGO Latvian Human Rights Committee and currently the representative of the Open Society Institute in Budapest plans to complain to the European Human Rights Court about the fact that his family name in the passport is not written in its original form Raihman, but Raihmans.

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

• Nils Muiznieks joined the Latvian First Party
• Article by the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration about integration
• Two-day conference Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe

The Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks joined the Latvian First Party. The chairman of the Board of the Latvian First Party Ainars Slesers said that the party will take full responsibility about the integration policy implemented by Nils Muiznieks.

The Special Task Minister for Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks joined the Latvian First Party. The chairman of the Board of the Latvian First Party Ainars Slesers said that the party will take full responsibility about the integration policy implemented by Nils Muiznieks. Diena, Telegraf

Lauku Avize features an article by Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. The Minister replies to the criticism about his work. He stresses that the opinions about integration are very different. Nils Muiznieks explains that he is open for cooperation regarding the implementation of the education reform. He believes that it is necessary to maintain the dialogue with the opponents of the education reform. Regarding the criticism about the number of employees and the budget of the Secretariat, he stresses that the Secretariats budget for nine month in 2003 was 286 018 LVL and that state institutions never before had had such a small budget. He stresses that all employees of the Secretariat were appointed as a result of competition. The Minister explains that the ideology of his Secretariat is based on the governments declaration, the Society Integration programme, international human rights standards and the Constitution, which state that the Latvian is the only state language. In the conclusion Nils Muiznieks states that it is impossible to change resentment, alienation, passivity, fear about the loosing of identity and the language usage in such a short time. According to Nils Muiznieks social integration is a long process to strengthen the cooperation, the participation, the position of the Latvian language as the only state language and the feeling of affiliation to Latvia.

The two-day conference “Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe” will be organised by the NGO D.V.I.N.A. with financial assistance of the Danish embassy about the future of Russian speaking minority after Latvia’s EU membership.

The two-day conference Russians in Latvia – Russians in Europe will be organised by the NGO D.V.I.N.A. with financial assistance of the Danish embassy about the future of Russian speaking minority after Latvias EU membership. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

 

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

• Latvian First Party will defend the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration
• Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies will be supervised by the Ministry of Culture
• Article by Dr Dzintra Hirsa about integration issues
• Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council
• Article about the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia

The Board of the Latvian First Party plans to evaluate the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. The Minister was nominated by the Latvian First Party. The Chairman of the Board Ainars Slesers informed that the Party will defend the Minister if there will be requests for the minister’s resignation. He admitted that Nils Muiznieks could become member of the Latvian First Party.

The Board of the Latvian First Party plans to evaluate the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. The Minister was nominated by the Latvian First Party. The Chairman of the Board Ainars Slesers informed that the Party will defend the Minister if there will be requests for the ministers resignation. He admitted that Nils Muiznieks could become member of the Latvian First Party. Diena

The government adopted the decision that the state budget grants for Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies (LANCS) will be administered and controlled by the Ministry of Culture and not by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration as it was before. Four Ministers of the Latvian First Party voted against this decision. Aleksandrs Brandavs, the vice-chairman of the Latvian First Party and the advisor of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration informed that the Party will discuss about further cooperation with other coalition members but that it doesn’t mean that the Party will quit the coalition. Nils Muiznieks announced that the decision is a bad example because compared to other NGOs the LANCS will be in a privileged status.

The government adopted the decision that the state budget grants for Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies (LANCS) will be administered and controlled by the Ministry of Culture and not by the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration as it was before. Four Ministers of the Latvian First Party voted against this decision. Aleksandrs Brandavs, the vice-chairman of the Latvian First Party and the advisor of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration informed that the Party will discuss about further cooperation with other coalition members but that it doesnt mean that the Party will quit the coalition. Nils Muiznieks announced that the decision is a bad example because compared to other NGOs the LANCS will be in a privileged status. Diena, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Lauku Avize features an article by Dr Dzintra Hirsa about integration issues. She criticises the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. According to Dzintra Hirsa the employees of the Secretariat are not experts on ethnopolitics and therefore are not able to implement qualitative ethnic policy in Latvia. She criticises the minister for the concentration of administration of the integration institutions in one hand.

The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council after the refusal to allow a protest meeting on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. The Headquarter activists announced that in spite of the denial to organise the meeting it will take place as “a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate”.

The Headquarter of the Opponents to the education reform filed a court case against the Riga City Council after the refusal to allow a protest meeting on 4th of September near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis. The Headquarter activists announced that in spite of the denial to organise the meeting it will take place as a meeting of members of parliament with the electorate. Lauku Avize, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

The public policy portal

The public policy portal www.politika.lv features an article by Dace Lukumiete and Signe Martisune, the researchers of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies, about the principal conclusions of the first study on the situation of Roma in Latvia.The article in Latvian is available here.

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

• Meeting of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration with the FF/LNNK Saeima faction
• Criticism of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration
• Interview with Dainis Ivans about the denial to organise a public meeting near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis
• Amendments to the Law on Professional Education Institutions

After the meeting with Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, the Head of the FF/LNNK Saeima faction Maris Grinblats informed that the party considers that it is necessary to continue the discussion about the abolition of the Minister’s office in order to reduce the budget, nevertheless the FF/LNNK will not ask for Minister’s resignation. Nils Muiznieks informed that in spite of criticism about his work he will not resign. Lauku Avize, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

After the meeting with Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, the Head of the FF/LNNK Saeima faction Maris Grinblats informed that the party considers that it is necessary to continue the discussion about the abolition of the Ministers office in order to reduce the budget, nevertheless the FF/LNNK will not ask for Ministers resignation. Nils Muiznieks informed that in spite of criticism about his work he will not resign. Lauku Avize, Neatkariga, Telegraf, Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Lauku Avize columnist Voldemars Krustins criticises the work of the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration. He considers that the process of integration has to continue with a more concrete programme to consolidate Latvias society.

Lauku Avize reports about the critical statements regarding the rights of national minorities in Latvia made by Tatjana Zdanoka and Miroslavs Mitrofanovs, members of the left-wing political party Solidarity, during the meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva.

Lauku Avize features an interview with Dainis Ivans, the Head of the Riga City Council Committee of Culture and the chairperson of the Latvian Social Democratic party, in which he discusses the official refusal to allow a public meeting against the education reform near the monument of the Latvian poet Janis Rainis.

The government adopted amendments to the Law on Professional Education Institutions stipulating that the education reform language norms will apply to these institutions.

The government adopted amendments to the Law on Professional Education Institutions stipulating that the education reform language norms will apply to these institutions. Vechernaya Riga