Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Ministry of Defence plans to increase funding for the Young Guards
• Candidate for the post of the Minister of Education Lolita Cigane refused to speak to journalists in Russian language
• Latvijas Avize questions why the representatives of the Congress of Non-citizens were allowed to sign letter prepared by other NGOs about traditional values

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Ministry of Defence plans to increase funding for the Young Guards. According to the Ministry, Young Guards is a platform for social and civil integration. It is planned to attract more representatives of ethnic minorities to the Guards Young with a view to promote their integration, comprehension about Latvian history and culture, and sense of belonging to the state.

According to Vesti Segodnya, the MP and candidate for the post of the Minister of Education Lolita Cigane (Unity) refused to speak to journalists in Russian language. Mrs Cigane requested to speak to her in Latvian when a journalist of a local Russian language radio station asked her question about possible appointment to the post of the Minister. Even after the journalist repeated the question in Latvia, Mrs Cigane said that she does not have any comments besides those she already has given to news agencies.

Latvijas Avize reports about a letter sent to the Saeima and the Ministry of Education and Science about meaning of traditional values in Latvia signed by representatives of different NGOs. The newspaper puts special attention that, in row with such organisations as “Parents’ Forum”, family planning and sexual health association “Papardes Zieds”, and women’s rights centre “Marta”, the letter was signed also by an activist of the Congress of Non-citizens Elizabete Krivcova and its board member Vladimirs Sokolovs. Authors of the letter are concerned that traditional values in the public discourse are manifested as religious intolerance, non-acceptance of diversity of individuals and their condemnation, positioning supremacy of one nation over another, and fight for granting privileges to only one model of family. Thus, too close adherence to traditional values might promote intolerance towards people who think differently. The newspaper questions why representatives of such organisation as the Congress of Non-citizens where invited to sign the letter. The Minister of Education Ina Druviete also is confused by it saying that thus good ideas of the letter might be discredited. Head of “Papardes Zieds” (initiator of the letter) Iveta Kelle, in her turn, says that the letter should not be politicized because what matters is that all people who signed it share the same opinion.