THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE  RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY: AN EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCES BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
	APRIL 10-12, VILNIUS to be held at Vilnius University, Universiteto st. 3, LT-2734 Vilnius, Lithuania

Organized by Center for Religious Studies and Research at Vilnius University, CESNUR and New Religions Research and Information Center

This international conference will be an opportunity for scholars and others from around the world to meet together and to share their insights about religions, interactions between "old" and "new" religions, interactions between religious and secular institutions, paying attention to the specific problems of Eastern and Central Europe. The conference will allow for the discussion and exchange of information and will be an opportunity for participants to develop wider networks for the future contributions working in the field of religion and analyzing its impact on the changes in society.

The speakers from different countries and a broad range of disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, social psychology, history of religion, law, religious studies and theology, are invited to give presentations on the following themes:

• The relations between religious groups and society, between the social institutions and religious minorities;
• Freedom of religion and conscience, the problems in the legislation on the activities  of religious groups in the contemporary states, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe;
• The impact of religious groups on the changes in the contemporary society;
• Religious minorities and their relations with "traditional religions".

Abstracts of between 100 and 200 words and a short c.v. should be sent in three copies, one to Center for Religious Studies and Research at Vilnius University, Universiteto str. 3, LT-2734 Vilnius, Lithuania, e-mail: religijosc@hotmail.com; one to New Religions Research and Information Center, PO Box 3550, LT-2001 Vilnius, Lithuania, e-mail: nr-tic@takas.lt; and one to CESNUR, Via Confienza 19, 10121 Torino, Italy, e-mail: cesnur_to@virgilio.it.

Abstracts must be submitted before December 20th, 2002.

Papers must be written and presented in English.