A/HRC/17/38/Add.1 reportedly suffers high rates of suicide and school drop-out, malnutrition, domestic and other forms of violence and alcoholism, together with a lack of self-esteem and the systematic loss of cultural identity. 72. On the other hand, the independent expert observed and interacted with Guaraní communities, which together with religious groups, the academia and the local government have constituted a cultural point (Teko Arandu) in the Aldea Te'yikue in Caarapó, where they teach in their own language and build the capacity of indigenous peoples as video producers and journalists. They have rebuilt places for religious activities in close proximity to schools so as to enable culturally appropriate transmission of cultural heritage, teaching their belief systems to indigenous children and promoting their cultural manifestations, including, sometimes, for tourism. 73. Taking into consideration these contrasting trends, the independent expert encourages indigenous peoples, in line with the recommendation made by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, to endeavour to strengthen the capacities of local communities to control and manage their own affairs and to participate effectively in all decisions affecting them, in a spirit of cooperation and partnership with Governmental authorities and the CSOs with which they choose to work (A/HRC/12/34/Add.2, paragraph 99). Further, a review of the dissimilar impact that programmes have on different communities can provide the basis for tailoring interventions to the specific needs of particular communities. D. 1. The right to profess and practice one’s own religion together with the right to enjoy one’s own culture: the case of Afro-Brazilians Freedom of religion in the Constitution and the law, and its implementation 74. The Federal Constitution recognizes the inviolable character of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief. It seeks to protect places of worship, religious celebrations and rituals, and the free exercise of religious beliefs. It recognizes that no one shall be deprived of any rights because of religious beliefs or philosophical or political convictions. (article 5, VI-VIII) 75. The Federal Constitution (article 210.1) states that religious education shall be offered as an optional course during normal school hours in public elementary schools. This provision is further developed by Law 9.475 of 1997 (modifying law 9.394 of 1996), which stresses that the implementation of the Constitutional provision should ensure respect for the religious diversity of Brazil and proscribes any form of proselytism. 76. The urgent need for the Federal State not to intervene in, and therefore not to comment on, the content of religious teaching has been stressed by Brazil’s National Council of Education, through Decision CNR/97/99. The federated states and municipalities have the prerogative both to define the contents of religious instruction and to establish standards for the qualification and admission of teachers of religion. In most instances, however, this is left to the discretion of teachers and principals, with detrimental consequences particularly for religions of African origin. The dearth of governmental guidance on this matter at the levels of the federated states and the municipalities has led many stakeholders to advocate a constitutional amendment to article 210.1. A number of stakeholders expressed concern at the absence of procedures to formally take up the issues being confronted. Two existing mechanisms mentioned were DHESCA, a CSO platform which has received complaints regarding racism in schools and, in the state of Bahia, the municipal Secretariat of Reparation (SEMUR), which is part of the city administration (prefeitura) of Salvador; but neither, it seems, is widely known or utilised. 17