POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK ON PROTECTING CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN LATVIA AND SRI LANKA.

The article focuses on comparing policies and legislation, that affect social-work professionals in implementing children’s rights of Latvia and Sri Lanka. It attempts to disclose legal framework of the two countries in different socio-cultural, economic and geographical contexts (European and South-Asian) on implementing children’s rights, with base of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This study analyses local policies, laws, institutional structure and its implementation processes. Policy review has been made by a content analysis, empirical research conducted doing expert interviews (n = 10) focusing on implementation process. Similarities and differences are discussed between two contexts with the standpoint of global perspective of Social work as a global profession. Research results reveal that both countries have sufficient level of policies and legislation to adapt UNCRC, and established specific government bodies for ensuring children’s rights. At the same time differences are identified in application of Foster Families, Engagement of children in employments, Children employed as domestic servants, Corporal Punishment to children, in Policy implementation process in Latvia and Sri Lanka.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Transition trajectories from youth institutional care to adulthood

The main trajectories of transitions have essential importance for a child and youth living in child long-term institutional care – moving from family care to institutional care, life in institution(s), and the second trajectory – transition from institution to independent adult life. In this article trajectories of child and youth transitions from institutional care are discussed. The study is based on the qualitative methodology. Methods used – 20 interviews with staff of the institutions and youth leaving the institutions. The trajectories of the transitions are analysed on the basis of the assessment of existing practice

Social orphanhood in Latvia

The reform processes and the developments of social policy to solve the major social problems of the socially vulnerable population, among them, children in particular, take place in Latvia during the last 20 years. Protection of children rights is declared one of the strategic priorities of the state social policy. At the same time the problem of child neglect and child abandonment in Latvia has not yet been sufficiently conceptualized. Already since 1990-ies Latvian society has clearly faced with an objective necessity of solving problems of child abandonment in connection with an increasing number of social orphans. The situation was complicated by the fact that the formation of a fundamentally new system of social policy, social support and assistance to risk children had to be developed and implemented in conditions of economic transition to market economy relations, increasing social tensions, and sharp increase in social inequality and social discrimination. Among the enourmous number of economical and social problems in the developing democratic state, the issue of child abandonment as an important social problem has been addressed rather fragmentary. The term “social orphanhood” does not appear in the social policy vocabulary of the Latvian social policy doscourse

Urban Public Space Development Possibilities: Case of Cesis Town

Maģistra darba mērķis ir izstrādāt publiskās telpas attīstības priekšlikumu Cēsu pilsētai. Līdz šim publiskā telpas analīzei un plānošanai pilsētplānošanas kontekstā tiek pievērsta maza uzmanība. Kopš Latvijas neatkarības atgūšanas trūkst publiskās telpas attīstības plānošanas piemēru un risinājumu un arī Cēsu pilsētā nav skaidra viedokļa un risinājuma par publisko telpu, tās struktūru un attīstības nepieciešamību. Ņemot vērā, ka publiskajai telpai pilsētas struktūrā ir ļoti nozīmīga loma šāda situācija arvien pasliktina dzīves kvalitāti pilsētā. Maģistra darba pirmajā daļā tiek analizēts, kas ir publiskā telpa, kāda ir tās nozīme pilsētas kopējā struktūrā. Lai realizētu maģistra darbā izvirzīto mērķi, tika analizēta literatūra un izvērtēta publiskās telpas nozīme un funkcijas mūsdienu pilsētā. Tad tika veikta literatūras analīze pētot publiskās telpas analīzes un plānošanas metodes un piemērus citur pasaulē un tika izvērtēta to pielietošanas iespējas Latvijā un tieši Cēsu pilsētā. Darba ietvaros, veicot pilsētas uzbūves un struktūras analīzi, tika noteiktas pilsētas apkaimes, kurās tika analizēta publiskā telpa pēc funkcionālā pielietojuma un kvalitatīvajiem rādītājiem. Ņemot vērā pilsētas daļu struktūru, publiskās telpas funkcionālo un kvalitatīvo analīzi, tika izstrādāts kompleks Cēsu publiskās telpas struktūras attīstības priekšlikums, nosakot publiskās telpas struktūras elementus. Maģistra darba kopējais apjoms ir 89 lapaspuses. Darbā iekļauti 21 attēls un 13.pielikumi, kas ilsutrē un paskaidro darba saturu. Atslēgas vārdi – Cēsu pilsēta, publiskā telpa, publiskās telpas funkcijas, publiskās telpas attīstības priekšlikums.The aim of the master theses is to work out the proposal for Cesis public space development. During the city and town planning process the public space analyses and plaaning is missing. Since Latvia independence in 90-ties there is lack of examples about public space problem solutions and development possibilities and also for Cesis there isn’t clear position and understanding about public space structure and development possibilities. Taking in to account the importance of public space in urban structure, lack of pubic space analyses and clear development position is leading to decreasing life quality in to the town. To achieve the aim of the master thesis, literature analyses and evaluation of the public space importance and funkctions in modern town has been done. Afterwards the analyses about diferent public space planning methods and development examples in the world has been desribed. The method for Cesis public space analses has been developed. After analysing Cesis town structure, Cesis town neighbourhoods has been set and the public space has been studied describing its functions and quality. Taking in to account Cesis neighbourhood structure, public space functional and qualitative research, teh proposal for Cesis public space structure development has been worked out, pointing out diferent strucutre elements. Master thesis consist of 89 pages, including 21 pictures and 13 appendixes. Key words – Cesis town, public space, public space funkcion, public space development proposal

Greeting and Parting Phrases in Latvian

Bakalaura darbā „Sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzes latviešu valodā” tiek pētītas sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzes saziņas formālā un neformālā aspektā. Bakalaura darba mērķis ir noskaidrot, kādas sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzes tiek lietotas formālās un neformālās saziņas situācijās un kāds ir to lietošanas iemesls. Uzdevumi – ekscerpēt, bakalaura darbam nepieciešamos sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāžu piemērus; analizēt ekscerpētos piemērus; apgūt teorētisko literatūru par sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzēm, to lietojumu latviešu valodā, to piederību pie diskursa iezīmētājām, un interjekcijām, to piederību pie valodas etiķetes formulām. Darbam ir trīs daļas, pirmā daļa par sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzēm, kā tās ietilpst diskursa iezīmētājās un interjekcijās. Otrajā daļā aprakstītas sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāzes kā etiķetes formulas. Trešajā daļā analizēti ekscerpētie sasveicināšanās un atvadīšanās frāžu piemēri. Darba beigās apkopoti secinājumi.Bachelor`s paper theme is „Greeting and Parting Phrases in Latvian” are researched greeting and parting phrases in formal and informal form of communication. The aim of bachelor thesis is to find out which greeting and parting phrases are used in situations of formal and unformal communication and what is use of them. Tasks – to collect examples of greeting and parting phrases; analyze collected examples; acquire teoretical literature about greeting and parting phrases, usage in Latvian language, membership to etiquette formulas of language. Thesis have thee parts, first part is about greeting and parting phrases, how they include into discurse markers and interjections. In the second part there is written about greeting and parting phrases asetiquette formulas. In the third part there are analyzed collected examples of greeting and parting phrases. In the end of thesis conclusions are gathered