Project activities include Latvian language courses in six towns across Latvia: Aluksne, Balvi, Liepaja, Olaine, Stopini, Riga at various language skill levels mostly for seniors, youth, international students – third-country nationals.
! Latvian language course schedule:
January 6 at 18:00, Liepaja, Liela iela 14;
January 7 at 17:30, Balvi, Brivibas iela 47;
January 8 at 18:00, Aluksne, Kanavinu iela 14;
January 9 at 18:00, Olaine, Stacijas iela 38a;
January 9 at18:00, Stopinu novada Sauriesi, Burtnieku iela 7;
January 13 at 17:30, Riga, Lacplesa iela 75-1;
For more information and to apply for project activities contact: Gunta Viksne (Gunta Vīksne), tel: (+371) 67898343, (+371) 25565098, email: drosa.maja@apollo.lv.
All the aforementioned towns will also host Latvian conversational language clubs that will introduce the target group to Latvian culture, traditions, history, landmarks through engaging community resources of local importance: museums, libraries, schools, cultural centres thus reducing the psychological barrier to speak Latvian.
Daily use of Latvian will be encouraged by the opportunity to engage in volunteer work as well as integration classes for people of various age groups and nationalities – support measures for socially vulnerable groups of third-country nationals. Creative workshops commenced in previous** integration projects – masterclasses will be continued in Riga while in Stopini, Aluksne, and Balvi project target groups will be made aware of the importance of such activities in establishing social contacts as the local socially vulnerable groups – seniors, people with disabilities, women, families with children will be engaged in order to improve availability of social support.
In order to improve accessibility of information on services available to third-country nationals and their rights in Latvia the project will provide individual assistance before or after arriving in Latvia through expert consultations over the phone, electronically and face to face.
Special series of stories Find out Where to Find out! will show solutions for problem situations often faced by third-country nationals by ensuring the project target group with access to the series when in Latvia as well as before arriving.
Accessibility of information on services available to third-country nationals and their rights will be ensured through the website www.dzivotlatvija.lv as well as via roundtable discussions on NVOTV for Integration on-line with the opportunity to ask question before the show as well as during the live broadcast.
Informative Day Ricu Racu (Riču Raču) will serve as an opportunity for the target group to not only meet third-country nationals engaged in activities in other regions by practising Latvian language skills and telling about their region but also be consulted by project staff-field experts, project consultants, project partner`s Centre for Public Policy PROVIDUS experts on topical immigration issues.
In order to encourage shaping of public organizations of active immigrants we will kick-start a mentor programme to facilitate engagement of third-country nationals aimed at involving third-country nationals, recently naturalized Latvian citizens from immigrant families as well as aliens in civic activities, forming initiative groups and societies to explore and represent immigrant interests.
NGO capacity and cooperation matters will be resolved during the project through improving Dialogue platform. During Dialogue platform meetings NGOs active in the area of immigrant integration will share the latest developments of the area and needs of third-country nationals and discuss the most significant political instruments – planning activities of the EU Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants in Latvia, laws and action policy affecting immigrant integration. Meetings will also ensure engagement in discussions on matters discussed at the Consultative Board for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and Supervisory Board for the Implementation of Guidelines on National Identity, Civic Society, and Integration Policy.
Total project budget is EUR 169,939.12 of which EUR 127,454.34 are financed by the Fund and EUR 42,484.78 are state funded.
*Third-country nationals are all persons other than citizens of EU, EEA states or Swiss Confederation.
**The Project is a sequel to the integration projects for third-country nationals Diverse Solutions for Public Education and Integration and Diverse Solutions for Public Education and Integration 2 implemented in 2013 and 2014.
The project is co-financed by the European Union. Implementation of the project "Diverse Solutions for Public Education and Integration 3" is co-financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (75%) and state budget (25%). This publication is supported by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. Responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the society “Shelter “Safe House””.