A Mission Of Social Integration

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A Mission of Social Integration

Media And Press...

"Excellent and very professional program!"
(Ojars Rubenis, Chairman of National Radio and TV Council of Latvia)

"RFE/RL's new program is very informative and very topical. It is being produced in a way that is of interest not just to Russians of Latvia but also to other minorities: Belorussians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians and others."
(Eizenija Aldermane, Director of Naturalization Board of Latvia)

"RFE/RL's new program is very successful. We need more of it. There will never be too much of such discussion on Latvian airwaves."
(Abrams Kleckins, Professor of communication and journalism, University of Latvia)

"I am very pleased with the fact that RFE/RLķs new program has taken initiative to tell our story."
(Vanda Rutkovska, member of the Board of Polish Community of Latvia)

RFE/RL president's press conference at Latvian State Radio was covered by all of Latvia's major newspaper and three TV stations

Interview with Voldemars Hermanis, one of the Latvia's most veteran journalists, at the newspaper "Neatkariga Rita Avize"

RFE/RL President Tom Dine (left) and Martins Zvaners, acting director of Communications Division looking at the coverage by Latvia's Russian language newspapers of RFE/RL's Social Integration Program

President of RFE/RL

Tom Dine before delivering his speech at the LATO think-tank conference

"For years, our Latvian Service helped keep the dream of freedom alive, helped encourage those who were struggling for democracy and independence, and made sure that Latvia would one day recover its independence."

"Broadcasting in the Russian language to Latvia in this way represents the best possible fulfillment of our mission of helping to build the foundations for democracy and free markets through the free flow of information across entire societies."

(Tom Dine, President of RFE/RL)

Tom Dine's Visit To Latvia

Tom Dine meeting Mavriks Vulafsons, a veteran publicist and scholar - one of the leaders of the pro-independence movement in Latvia in 1990s

RFE/RL's President Tom Dine (center) and RFE/RL's Latvian Service Director Peter Zvagulis (right) meeting with chairman of the National Radio and TV Council of Latvia, Ojars Rubenis

RFE/RL President Tom Dine and, at the time, U.S. ambassador to Latvia, James Holmes

Tom Dine and Peter Zvagulis before a discussion with professor Abrams Kleckins, one of the most prominent intellectuals of Latvia

Officials of the past and the present

Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga visiting RFE/RL hedaquarters in Prague, Czech Republic

Former Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis (right) confirmed to Tom Dine that he is still a strong supporter of RFE/RL's social integration programming to Latvia

Jeff Trimble, RFE/RL's director of Broadcasting, meeting Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins at RFE/RL headquarters in Prague

Tom Dine meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Berzins who was very supportive of the RFE/RL social integration programming to Latvia

RFE/RL's President at the business lunch with members of Saeima (Latvian Parliament): Valdis Birkavs, Rihards Piks (deputy speaker), and Juris Sinka

Tom Dine (right) with Ojars Kalnins, the director of the Institute of Latvia (former ambassador of Latvia to U.S.), and Vesna Krage, director of the Academic Library of Latvia

Latvian Service...

Broadcasting to Both Parties Involved in a Dialogue

Since the first regular broadcasts from Munich in 1975 the Latvian Service and its programming have undergone many changes. While the core values of RFE/RLķs Latvian Service are still the same: providing objective, unbiased and accurate news to promote democratic and free market-based society; the ways of delivering the message have evolved along with the needs of its target audience. When Latvia was under Soviet occupation the message was mostly the basic human right to freedom of information. After Latvia regained its independence in 1991 the focus of broadcasting had to change.

Consolidation of the ethnic groups living in one country into one political nation has proven to be a difficult task for many post-Soviet countries. Latvia with its ethnically divided society where 53% consider their mother tongue to be Latvian, but 47% consider it to be Russian, face an even greater challenge. The Latvian government has recognized the peculiarity of the situation and has made the social integration of the whole society its highest priority. It was consistent with RFE/RLķs mission to support this effort. To help the dialogue between the two communities in Latvia, RFE/RL had to address both parties involved.