E/CN.4/2004/18/Add.1 page 23 D. Action by civil society 57. The various religious faiths and congregations are very active in Trinidad and Tobago, and this helps to maintain national cohesion. Orishas, Anglicans, Baptists, Buddhists and Hindus meet together for ecumenical services in temples, mandirs and mosques. The Special Rapporteur found that there is genuine religious tolerance and respect for different beliefs when he visited an Orisha temple and the great temple of the Hindu god Hanuman, in Port of Spain. He was told that people join various faiths irrespective of their racial origins. 58. The Inter-Religious Organization of Trinidad and Tobago (IRO), which brings together members of the African faiths (Orisha), Christians, Baha’is, Buddhists and Muslims, is an original and effective mechanism for intercommunity dialogue that genuinely helps to preserve social harmony. It was established in 1983, and its services emphasize what the communities have in common rather than what divides them, i.e., the search for justice, truth and peace. In its press releases, it regularly calls on politicians and political parties to exercise moderation. 59. Other civil society organizations, such as Working Women for Social Progress, work for the elimination of racism and the improvement of race relations by speaking out against political manipulation, organizing talks and campaigning intensively on the radio, and handing out leaflets and stickers against racial prejudice. Working Women for Social Progress also monitors and denounces racist comments in the press. E. Recommendations 60. The Special Rapporteur’s conclusions and recommendations contain proposals for political commitment and democratic consensus, proposals for an intercultural strategy and, lastly, some pointers towards a legal and judicial strategy to combat all forms of discrimination: (a) (b) Political commitment and democratic consensus: (i) Linking the fight against all forms of discrimination with reinforcement of the democratic process is essential for the thorough, permanent eradication both of historical legacies and of political exploitation of the ethnic factor; (ii) Accordingly, the process of political and constitutional reform aimed at eradicating all forms and manifestations of ethnic polarization should be based on the principle of political cooperation at the highest level. The Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition should express their political will and commitment in a joint declaration setting out the political, constitutional and legislative measures needed in this regard; Proposals for an intercultural strategy: (i) The underlying intercultural relationship, in the sense of living together day by day, and the current process of interreligious