Latvia: NGOs on Integration Programme
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 15:26:54 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: Latvia: NGOs on Integration Programme
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Yuri Abizov <[email protected]>
Latvia: NGOs on Integration Programme
FOR GENUINE INTEGRATION, AGAINST ASSIMILATION
Joint statement of Latvia's minority NGOs
The government of the Republic of Latvia published the draft national integration programme. Latvia's minorities appreciate eventual recognition by the government of the
necessity of integration of Latvia's society.
Unfortunately, the draft's chapter on education may undermine the entire programme's positive significance. The content of this chapter does not comply with the main
principles of the Integration programme, as formulated in the introductory chapter. The author of the chapter, an official of the Ministry of Education, misinforms the
readers when declaring minority schools "consequences of the Soviet occupation". In reality, not opening new schools for "foreigners" is questioned, but the author
advocates elimination of centuries-old system of minority education: before 1940, secondary education in Latvia could be received in eight languages, and university
education - in three languages.
In fact, under disguise of the minority education reform, assimilation of minorities is designed. The education chapter contradicts to the international standards of
minority rights in education reflected in the Hague recommendations. In particular, minorities should have the right to take part in making the decisions which directly
effect their interests. However, during elaboration of the chapter, all minority NGOs' proposals were flatly rejected.
The following basic principles of the education chapter are absolutely unacceptable for minorities:
1. Elimination of state-financed tertiary, professional and secondary education in languages of Latvia's historical minorities.
2. Distorted application of the "bilingualism" concept for primary schools, when bilingual education is used as merely tool for complete transition to instruction in the
state language only.
3. Training of teachers for minority schools is not envisaged - thus, these schools are doomed to extinction.
4. No mechanisms are envisaged to protect minorities from bureuacrats' arbitrary decisions concerning opening or closing the minority schools, determining the language
proportions in the course of teaching, etc. Neither minority NGOs nor parents of the students have any means to influence the decision-making in minority schools.
5. The draft is based on the coercive methods inherited from Soviet time, like mandatory ethnicity record in ID, and does not take into account a person's individual
choice.
Taking into account that the suggested draft education chapter does not meet the interests of the Latvia's minorities, and runs contrary to the main principles and the
spirit of the draft Integration programme, we demand establishment of the new working group, which shall include representatives nominated by minorities themselves. The
main task of this group shall be to seriously re-work the education chapter, according to the international standards of minority educational rights, as well as to
Latvia's democratic traditions.
"Unity in diversity" - this is, in our view, the most appropriate principle to facilitate integration of the society of Latvia. We hope that the government will have
sufficient political wisdom to acknowledge, that genuine integration of the society is impossible without participation of minorities.
Latvian society of Russian culture,
Chairman Y.Abyzov
Russian community of Latvia,
President G.Astahov
Latvian Association for support of schools with Russian language of instruction,
Chairman I.Pimenov
Latvian association of teachers of Russian language and literature,
President Dr T.Liguta
Society of history studies of ghetto and Jewish genocide,
President L.Koval
Russian cultural centre in Daugavpils,
Chairman Dr F.Fedorov
Daugavpils Jewish religious community,
Chairman S.Meerova
Russian community of Latvia Daugavpils branch,
Chairman J.Kriukov
Russian public union,
President S.Mirsky
Latvian union of Ukrainians,
Co-chairpersons V.Iliahova, V. Stroy
Union of citizens and non-citizens,
Chairman V.Sokolov
Latvian Human Rights Committee (F.I.D.H.),
Co-Chairman L.Raihman
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