A/HRC/10/11/Add.2 page 24 85. The stigmatization of young Afro-Guyanese males and entire African communities is a serious concern. Derogatory stereotypes of criminality colour wider societal perceptions of Afro-Guyanese individuals and communities. Operations such as “Restore Order” focused on Buxton and other Afro-Guyanese communities add to the perception that they constitute a “problem” to be solved by security and law enforcement means. Buxtonians believe there is a presumption of criminality used to justify subsequent excessive force in the conduct of joint services operations in their community and that illegal covert “security” forces have been sanctioned to operate in Guyana. 86. Guyana must take immediate steps towards healing the wounds of history and those inflicted by recent events. It must close the widening fault lines that exist between communities and take all necessary steps to avoid a decline into lawlessness, impunity and ethnically based conflict. Short and long-term strategies, developed in consultation with all communities, must be put in place to address immediate concerns and the root causes of tensions that threaten to break out into violence. It is vital in the current climate of suspicion in Guyana to build trust between communities and faith in public institutions and in government. 87. For Guyana to progress, it cannot be acceptable for there to be an understanding, real or perceived, that the Government is an Indian administration working in the interest of Indians and that the opposition is African; that an Indian employer will recruit only an Indian worker; that public contracts will be granted on the basis of ethnicity; that the police and military are African institutions; that crime is a problem centred in the African community; or that certain villages are exclusively African or Indian. 88. A period of democratic dialogue under which the main political parties had agreed, on the basis of a joint communiqué on 6 May 2003, to work together to find solutions in the interests of all Guyanese people failed to achieve tangible results. Despite the initiation of numerous such political processes, little meaningful impact has been achieved. This has undermined confidence in political processes, particularly among Afro-Guyanese communities that feel politically disenfranchised. Reforms must be far reaching and highly consultative. However processes must be time-bound, action-oriented, and must lead to concrete, achievable outcomes. 89. The independent expert considers that previous conclusions and recommendations, including those of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism and the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of April 2006, remain highly relevant and she fully endorses them. However, with few exceptions, they have not been implemented. The Government of Guyana, all political parties, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders are urged to fully implement those recommendations as a roadmap for equality, non-discrimination and respect for human rights which these collective recommendations provide. 90. The Government, all political parties, and religious, cultural and civil society groups representing different communities should take responsibility to reach out beyond the ethnic divide and to build bridges between communities. Moderate and conciliatory voices among all communities must come to the fore.