A/HRC/23/34/Add.2 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, she encourages the Government to consider this as a priority. IV. Realizing cultural rights in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: good practices and challenges 29. Efforts by the Government to ensure better recognition of the country’s diverse cultural heritage have included general support to the work undertaken by various organizations, such as the Garifuna Heritage Foundation. Concrete steps have been adopted to this end, including proclaiming as a national hero, in 2002, the Paramount Chief of the indigenous peoples, Joseph Chatoyer. The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the Garifuna retrieval programme which was launched in 2002 by the Government, with the support of UNESCO and Belize. 30. The Government has also been supportive of the work of the Indian Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization set up in 2006 with the task, among others, of raising awareness about the history and culture of East Indians in the country, the first of whom arrived in the mid-19th century following the abolition of slavery. In 2007, the Parliament officially recognized 1 June as Indian Arrival Day, and 7 October as Indian Heritage Day. A section on Indian history has also been introduced in textbooks. 31. Several booklets have been published on a variety of Saint Vincent and the Grenadine’s cultural heritage, such as traditional songs, customs and traditions, festivals. Although there have been difficulties in terms of their dissemination due to financial constraints, copies may be found in libraries. The establishment of a national calendar of cultural events has enabled promotion of said events. 32. The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the official recognition of the Rastafarian religion. Over the years, Rastafarian organizations have been increasingly involved in matters relating to history and cultural heritage, with a view to raising awareness about Africa, African descent and heritage. According to information received during the visit, today, Rastafarians confront a lesser degree of discrimination in their daily life. While the Special Rapporteur welcomes this positive development, she encourages the Government to further address the concerns raised by Rastafarians regarding the pursuit of their cultural and religious life without hindrance and stigmatization, including when it comes to the consumption of cannabis for religious purposes. The Special Rapporteur also encourages the Government to enact clear directives for prisons so as to ensure that Rastafarians held in prison will not have their dreadlocks cut. A. Right to choose and express one’s identities: history, memory and selfidentification 33. The Special Rapporteur was impressed by the public desire for and commitment to retrieving and reviving parts of their cultural heritage, including history. This also leads to discussion regarding how individuals and groups identify themselves. 34. The efforts of Vincentians to research and write their nation’s history following independence in 1979 have met with many difficulties. One of the major challenges is that the archives of the colonizers constitute the main sources of information, which poses difficulties in terms of both access and content. In terms of access, archives are located primarily in England, with some in France, precluding access for most researchers. In terms of content, since the documents were prepared by the colonizers, they are necessarily biased 8