In Latvia, the Ministry of Culture is responsible for integration policy.
Together with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of the Environment and Regional Development, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, the State Chancellery, the Society Integration Foundation and non-governmental organizations are involved in the process of developing cohesive and active civil society.
The heart of integration policy is mutual understanding and cooperation between different groups and individuals to create democratic, cohesive and active civil society based on common fundamental values. The integration of society involves processes that take place in the ethnic, educational, cultural, legal, political, socio-psychological, social and other areas of human life. The process of integration requires awareness of socially unifying values, such as democracy and the rule of law, positive communication between people of different nationalities, and respect for the development and preservation of different ethnic and cultural values. Social links, exchanges of views and intercultural communication are the basis for living together. In the context of integration knowledge of the state language and preservation of cultural traditions play an important role both in Latvia and in the diasporas home countries.
On February 5, 2021 the Cabinet of Ministers approved Guidelines for the Development of Cohesive and Active Civil Society for 2021-2027. The overarching goal of the guidelines is a national[1], cohesive, open and active civil society, the existence of which is based on the democratic values and human rights set forth in Satversme, the Latvian language and the Latvian cultural space.
The guidelines set forth the following lines of action:
1) National identity and nationality:
Tasks:
- Strengthening of the sense of nationhood and belonging to Latvia.
- Strengthening of the Latvian language as a foundation for unifying society in everyday communication.
- Promoting the development of a common understanding of social memory in society.
2) Culture of democracy and inclusive citizenship:
Tasks:
- Promoting the acquisition of democratic skills and knowledge by the population in line with global challenges and challenges of our age, including in the context of lifelong learning.
- Strengthening the development and sustainability of civil society through civic culture and inclusive citizenship.
- Creation of a high-quality, secure and inclusive space for democratic participation and information.
3) Integration:
Tasks:
- Promotion of integration of foreign nationals[2] living in Latvia into society.
- Raising awareness of the population of social diversity by reducing attitude based on negative stereotypes towards different groups of society.
[1] Within the framework of the guidelines it is a society that respects and is motivated to preserve the national values of Latvia in the context of increasing diversification of society (cultural and linguistic diversity caused by migration).
[2] For the purposes of the guidelines foreign nationals are the citizens of EU and European Economic Area and non-EU and non-European Economic Area countries.
