(Brussels) - “The role of religious actors in strengthening civil society and democratisation in the European neighbourhood” is the title of the second meeting of the series of seminars on “Islam, Christianity and Europe” organised by COMECE, EKD and the Adenauer Foundation which is currently taking place in Brussels. “Religious actors have played a key role in the democratisation processes of some central European countries, such as in the Poland of Solidarnosc or in the peaceful German revolution of 1989”, explained Professor Klaus Ziemer, expert in political, social and economic transformation in Eastern Europe. “If today Churches have lost the monopoly on social state, they can enjoy the company of many other actors in a pluralist context and make an important contribution to the building of civil society thanks to their well-structured organisations that support the functioning of the new democratic institutions”. Ziemer upholds that “social actors can bring about a change in mentality towards neighbouring countries and precede political and institutional changes” as in the case of the German-Polish relations. Nevertheless, “the relations between the EU’s new member states and their south-eastern neighbours are still much influenced by past history and political manipulations” in which the Churches have also been involved. “Religion is an ambivalent factor in the processes of development and social transformation”, declared Dr. Thorsten Göbel, member of “Bread for the World”, and “it is necessary to frankly face the underlying risks” such as the fact that, for instance, “religions can be manipulated in social, political and economic conflicts” or the fact that if religions try to achieve power and social influence through a close collaboration with the State, they are reduced to silence on matters relating to democratisation or the settlement of conflicts”. Speaking at the Seminar on “The role of religious actors in strengthening civil society and democratisation in the European neighbourhood”, that is currently taking place in Brussels on the initiative of COMECE, EKD and the Adenauer Foundation, Göbel explained that, on the other hand, religions have great potential: “The Churches are offered the great chance to become engaged in the promotion of peace and justice at all levels. Being rooted in the structure of society, they can link local events with developments at other levels”. For this reason, Göbel declared that: “those actors of change who are moved by religious ends must be supported in their initiatives for cooperation and development, so that they may play their role in transforming the societies in which they operate”.  (Brussels) - “Are the Islamic players capable of creating democracy?”: this was the key question in the speech of Amr Elshobaki, president of the Arab Forum for Alternatives al Cairo, the third speakee at the workshop “The role of religious players in strengthening society and democratisation in the countries bordering on the EU”, which has just finished in Brussels, on the initiative of Comece, EKD and the Adenauer Foundation. Elshobaki, in the light of his 10-year study of the reality of the “Muslim Brothers”, pointed out that “democratisation processes in the Islamic countries must be initiated by lay reformers who do not belong to political movements of a religious inspiration, and only later should the forces that have a religious connotation be integrated”. As the European experience teaches us, a democracy cannot be afraid of starting talking with the most extreme and radical forces to “integrate them”. This applies, then, also to such forces as Hamas, which, once the democratic processes have begun, shall have to be involved.