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Friday, 6 June 2014

Conference questions (2014) – almost! (contd)


29. How does AA avoid outside influences resulting in its message being watered down?
How does AA avoid being misrepresented at a high public level?

Background

Conference Health Report 2013 reported on National Treatment Agency goals of 12‐step “facilitation” but how does this align to our AA Tradition of non‐affiliation and fact that AA shouldn’t be influenced by outside agencies?

There are many agencies working in the field of alcohol treatment. Some use “mutations” of the 12 Step programme but are not bound by our Traditions. There is a need to be very clear on how AA is distinct from these other services.

Tradition 6 in the long form ‘While an AA group may cooperate with anyone, such cooperation ought never to go so far as affiliation or endorsement, actual or implied. An AA group can bind itself to no one.’

Concept 12 Warranty 5 “…we shall need to maintain a continuous education of public communications channels of all kinds concerning the nature and purpose of our Traditions.”

Terms of Reference No. 7 Covered in Traditions and recently approved Service Handbook”

Comment: Simple! AA members need to take ACTION themselves. All these matters can be discussed, debated, analysed etc ad nauseam by the AA conference, and guidelines issued by the ream, but unless AA members ACTUALLY ACT the whole thing is reduced to an entirely pointless exercise. AA experience has already been comprehensively recorded in our extensive repository of conference approved literature. It isn't actually necessary for us to repeat the mistakes of the past if we remain aware of this heritage. When it comes to dealing with public agencies we simply make them aware of our modus operandi, and then ACT accordingly. What they then do is their business. How we operate is ours. A classic example of this is the “chit” (court mandated attendance) system. If the government of the day decide they want to adopt a policy (via the courts) of compelling individuals they believe to be suffering from some kind of drink problem to attend AA meetings that's up to them. If they ask us for our views on the subject we point to the relevant tradition ie. we DON'T have any. What WE DON'T do is then proceed to operate as an executive arm for THEIR policy. That isn't OUR business. If people turn up at meetings and ask to be provided with written evidence of their attendance we simply refer them to the relevant tradition. We DON'T provide this. If the probation service etc require their clients to provide such evidence then it is up to the probation service etc to set up (and implement THEMSELVES) the proper administrative procedures. It is NOT the business of AA to act on their behalf. This would imply affiliation and draw us potentially into an “outside” controversial issue. It is neither in our interest nor in the interests of prospective members to act otherwise. This is but one example. There are plenty of others besides. It is OUR responsibility therefore (and no one else's) to act in accordance with AA principles. If we do so the rest falls into place. Remember: if you want to know where the buck stops …. look in the mirror!

See here for a full list of other questions that didn't quite get through the 'filter'

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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