Tag: Service

The journey from self-obsession to God expression

Originally published on a website thefix.com in February 2020

Recently I was watching a TEDtalk titled “Fighting injustice with art and empathy” by Yana Buhrer Tavanier. She made a statement that profoundly altered my idea of unity. Her claim was that the opposite of unity is not uniformity but oppression.  I wrestled with this idea often over the next few weeks and discussed it with my friends and support group. How did this concept fit into my behaviors as a member of Narcotics Anonymous and what were my experiences with others?   I remember when I was first in the program I would get upset every time a member would identify themselves as ‘clean and sober.’ Early on I had been encouraged to identify myself as an ‘addict’, I was ‘clean’ and this simple idea would best carry a message to other addicts. I came to realize that there was a lot more to be gained by the application of spiritual principles in these matters than an angry finger poke to the chest of said members. My behaviors were about oppressing others even if my motives were pure. 

When we first come to the Program, we usually express a lot of things which seem to be important wants and needs.  As we grow spiritually and find out about a Power greater than ourselves, we begin to realize that as long as our spiritual needs are truly met, our living problems are reduced to a point of comfort. When we forget where our real strength lies, we quickly become subject to the same patterns of thinking and action that got us to the Program in the first place.

The Grey Book of Narcotics Anonymous (Step 11, Page 43)

In Narcotics Anonymous I’ve heard the saying ‘doing the right thing for the right reason is never wrong’.  I wonder if that includes this idea of enforcing the fundamental spiritual principles of the program. Do I have the right to impose my will on others?

Oppression

A few years ago, my job had ended in a wrongful termination and my support group had eroded. I was sitting in my addiction counsellor’s office rebuilding my fragile ego. We were talking about how I was being ordered to stop printing and distributing meeting lists for Narcotics Anonymous. I showed him the text from another member of NA and we both sat in silent reflection for a moment. He seemed puzzled by my confusion and I guess so was I. I was on the receiving end of oppression and I had no tools to deal with it.  He suggested that his office had four full time addiction counsellors and he had never had anyone ask if they could put meeting lists out.  I asked if he was willing and he looked even more puzzled then answered “of course”. I handed him a stack of a hundred that I printed and paid for myself.  It would seem to me that if addiction is self-obsession, then the natural path out is in thinking more of others than yourself. I was not working alone in this when I talked to other members worldwide. The application of the principles learned in the 12 traditions allowed me to work with other members in a home group, but they must be willing. As a member of NA, I have embraced the primary purpose of carrying a message to the still suffering addict and I personally see no better method than the distribution of accurate meeting lists to as many places as possible but that seemed to put me in opposition to others.  I was taught that my efforts to carry the message of hope to the still suffering addict was aligned with the primary purpose of Narcotics Anonymous groups.

Each group does have complete freedom, except when their actions affect other groups or N.A. as a whole. Like group conscience, autonomy can be a two-edged sword. Group autonomy has been used to justify the violation of the Traditions. If a contradiction exists, we have slipped away from our principles. If we check to make sure that our actions are clearly within the bounds of our Traditions; if we do not dictate to other groups, or force anything upon them; and if we consider the consequences of our action ahead of time, then all will be well.

(Grey book, tradition 4, page 100)

Groups vary in how they deliver the message of hope to the suffering addict. Some sign court attendance papers, and others refuse. One group might allow people on drug replacement therapies, like Suboxone to share, others ask them to sit quietly and listen. When my spiritual needs are not met, and I am not comfortable with the group, I can leave, start my own group or join another. My experience has shown me that groups dominated by oppressive members tend to stagnate or die out and close. Being inclusive is much more powerful in my experience.  When our intentions as a group are pure, the group seems to flourish and grow. I believe this is the idea of autonomy. In the same way that my spiritual needs are primary to my survival, then so is the spiritual needs of my group.  What happens when my group works with other groups and a conflict arises?

N.A. as such ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.”

Without this Tradition, our Fellowship would be in opposition to spiritual principles. A loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience is our ultimate authority.

(Grey book, tradition 9, page 110)

The Group

I have struggled many times in my journey. I have a new way to live thru the practical application of the spiritual principles learned in the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Narcotics Anonymous.  Sometimes there seemed to be dead ends when I practice spiritual principles in all my affairs. What I found is that the world unfolds with little concern for my desires. My wants can be just another layer of self-obsession I hold on to.  Perhaps the same can hold true for groups. That may be why Narcotics Anonymous is a Fellowship of members who meet regularly in groups. No individual is less than another.  The same holds true for groups it would seem. Organization of any sort may interfere with the expression of God. Service bodies clearly need to be organized to be effective and are not accountable to God, but to the groups they serve and therefore not part of NA.

Groups may choose to participate or not with any service structures according to tradition 4 and 9.  Some groups have operated independently and may form local service bodies that service the needs of the groups. In the 1990’s, The Narcotics Anonymous World Service corporation created the Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust on behalf of some groups with the intention of protecting the copywrites of Narcotics Anonymous. Other groups ignored the trust, the governance of the NAWS Corporation and continued to operate independently. The ability and right of the NAWS Corporation to manage the trust has been called into question by the Autonomous Region of Narcotics Anonymous who have launched a petition in the state of California where the trust is held. You can read more about the nature of the petition here. The oppression of others really does affect unity and this petition to the court will offer real hope to those groups who see service bodies in a different way.

The Spiritual Foundation

Anonymity might be one of the most misunderstood words used regularly at meetings in Narcotics Anonymous. Two of the Twelve Traditions in NA specifically reference the word. At meeting after meeting, members recite the Twelve Traditions. People who are new sometimes struggle to pronounce the word and many members are patient as newcomers learn not only the pronunciation but the meaning. I liked this definition I found on the internet.

Anonymity, the basic definition of this term is “being without a name.” Simply understood someone is anonymous if his/her identity is not known. Psychologically speaking, being anonymous may be perceived as a reduction in the accountability for the actions performed by the person.

“Online Anonymity”, Sudhanshu Chauhan, Nutan Kumar Panda, in Hacking Web Intelligence, 2015

Tradition Eleven

Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

I believe when some addicts hear the term ‘personal anonymity’ they think it relates to themselves. Self-obsession is the core of the disease, so that would be a natural conclusion but that is not a correct interpretation, in my opinion. Traditions are the basis of our Fellowship and Tradition Eleven clearly says ‘we need always maintain personal anonymity’, not ‘I’.  My personal anonymity is my responsibility. I can choose to behave or act in any way I like, even if that might offend other members. I am proud of the person I am today and happy with my actions. Dictating beliefs or behaviors to other members is not a part of our Fellowship. The opposite of unity is oppression, so any attempts to enforce my personal beliefs on others affect the unity of the group. I was encouraged to join a Home Group and work out my differences with other members. Newcomers get to see regular members working through their differences.  The road to understanding anonymity in Tradition Eleven starts with joining a Group or as many call it, a Home Group. Home Groups take on the responsibility of carrying the message by holding regular meetings that addicts can attend. Some are closed meetings for addicts only and others are open to the public. Everyone can carry a message to the public at an open meeting.  

We, The Home Group

In my Home Group we learned about Tradition One, which asks us to put unity ahead of our personal recovery. We learn the value of ‘personal anonymity’ so that we protect other members which benefits Narcotics Anonymous. My actions on behalf of the Group reflect the desire to maintain anonymity. I try and put the needs of the Group ahead of my own. This is the nature of service. Rather than make assumptions about what the Group wants, I will seek direction by communicating with other members of the Group.  Tradition Two says we arrive at a Group Conscience in our decision-making processes. These were hard lessons for me to learn but have become valuable in working with others.

I learned to appreciate it when members started identifying themselves as addicts rather than alcoholic addicts. Anonymity says we are all the same. Other addicts’ efforts to change and fit in were equally welcome.  I never went to a treatment centre and I grow weary of hearing about what someone learned in a group workshop today. These simple steps towards anonymity by others helped me with the changes I needed to make. No amount of shaming, persecution or abuse seems to have much effect on my behaviors or the behavior of others. Anonymity ensures that a newcomer can identify with other group members. I strive to blend in, rather than stand out.  

Conflict Resolution

When there are problems, we discuss them without making the discussion personal. How I speak reflects my desire to respect the anonymity of others. My questions can easily become a distraction if I put personalities ahead of the issues I raise. I learned about anonymity with the support of a Home Group. These lessons help me outside of NA in my personal life. It is particularly important when I carry the NA message to those outside our group.  

Public Anonymity

This need for anonymity is important when dealing with the public. I learned the Traditions by having discussions with members and other groups. The wider the base of recovery, the higher the freedom from self-obsession.  Growing our Fellowship is our primary purpose, which is achieved by attraction of the group, and not the individual. Any aspect of my life, regardless of how beneficial I find it, might not be attractive to others. Our diversity is our strength and that becomes evident at our meetings. Strong personalities can be a distraction for newcomers. I carry my experience, strength, and hope to members but not to the public. The adversity faced and overcome by some members is beneficial to other members but can be a distraction from the goal of attracting new members in the public.  Governments, treatment centres, and organizations that promote recovery love to portrait individual success stories. A good story generates much needed attention and financial donations. Narcotics Anonymous recommends the opposite by simply attracting anyone who has a desire to stop using, regardless of their present circumstances or understanding of their disease.  We offer a simple solution to those seeking help. Showcasing members or portraying a lifestyle might detract from the message. I dislike the Fellowship’s fascination with ‘Narcotics Anonymous’ conventions and would prefer we did not lend our name to these events. Conventions have become a distraction from being of service and our primary purpose. Those who promote them often talk about the unity created but there is little evidence of that in our service structures who continue to flounder with low attendance and little support.  

Tradition Twelve

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

It was an interesting thought when I read ‘Psychologically speaking, being anonymous may be perceived as a reduction in the accountability for the actions performed by the person.’ I wondered how this applied in my life and the definition fits for me today. I have tried very hard to reduce my will and replace it with my Higher Power’s will. When I take the Twelve Traditions into consideration in my life, then my actions as part of a Home Group become less about my personal desires and more about the Group. Someone who does not drink coffee might still make coffee for the group. It is these small acts of service that bring about unity and fellowship. With more than fifty or sixty thousand Narcotics Anonymous Groups worldwide, acting in unison, carrying a message to newcomers and supporting current members, the Fellowship continues to grow. A small number of groups support service structures but most Groups are predominately independent in carrying the message.

Tradition Four

Each Group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting other Groups, or N.A., as a whole.

The Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship becomes stronger as we put aside our personalities and adopt the principles contained within the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Everyone learns the benefit of working together within a Group. When I struggle, I have learned the value of honest communication and listening with the intent to hear. As the years go by, my complacency increases, and I find I have to work hard to be a part of.  Within a Group, we are completely autonomous, but part of our Traditions asks us to take on the responsibility of considering how our decisions will affect other groups or the whole of NA. Anonymity means I try not to offer judgement on what other groups do. Just like diversity benefits our membership in Groups, so does diversity benefit our various Home Groups. Some Groups sign verification papers and others oppose the practice. Anonymity means I can have opinions, express those opinions within my group but I am not the voice of the whole of NA. Anonymity helps direct service bodies as Tradition Nine says they should never govern, and Tradition Four ensures that service bodies are not part of NA.  

Help Others, not Self Help

Service is the basis of my recovery in Narcotics Anonymous. ‘We meet regularly to help each other’ in our readings taught me that NA is not a self-help program but a help others program. My choices about lifestyle can detract from the message I carry. If I was to share about cancelling a much-needed vacation to Mexico because my sports car needs expensive repairs that might be upsetting to me but could detract from the unity. The same is true for the many blessings we find in recovery. When I share my experience, strength and hope, I need to be mindful of anonymity. How I deal with the day to day living better serves the Fellowship when I remember to put principles ahead of my personality.  

Carrying the Message

Rebirth

I returned to the roots of my recovery at 14 years clean in British Columbia. My home group had a noon meeting that met daily, Monday to Friday. This was around 2016-17 after losing my job, and not being allowed to be of service in my old area to the north. I had very few friends and struggled to maintain a connection. The town where I attended the noon meeting is a city of about fifty thousand people. Our noon meeting had swollen to about forty people daily, with three newcomers a week. I was also a meeting list coordinator for the local area. I was amazed at how many meetings lists we used. We would require four hundred meeting lists distributed monthly to keep inventories up at all ninety locations where we stocked them. Some months I had nine people who helped. The Public Information Committee had a lot of members and were doing some presentations to various organizations.

I am an IT technician by trade. I have learned enough about websites to create simple designs. I did a website for the area and learned how to incorporate the BMLT (Basic Meeting List Toolbox – https:\\bmlt.app). I monitored our website traffic and we added our website to the meeting lists. Everything and everyone worked together. I was the ‘meeting list guy’ and the ‘website guy’ and with a strong fellowship I felt both trusted and a servant to the Fellowship. It was the most magical time in my recovery. I was surrounded with the love and enthusiasm of members. I was able to heal from several abusive relationships.

Public Information

I have always been fascinated by carrying the message. I was the briefly the website coordinator for the British Columbia Region over a decade ago. I talked to members and worked really hard on the website. We made a lot of improvements. Our website traffic went from fourteen hundred to fourteen thousand visitors every month. I was sad and angry when I was removed from the position. I understand now that the disease of addiction is always present. Some members lose the desire to stop using and return to old behaviors. There is lots of support for poor behaviors in any service structure where members come together. This results in disunity and a lack of support from the Fellowship.  I wish I had learned that lesson then, but I have often repeated behaviors before the lesson was learned.

By 2019, The area I attended had lost the momentum and the enthusiasm was gone. My experiences in service have taught me that support for the services to the Fellowship is like an ocean tide. The tides go in and out, sometimes washing addicts ashore and sometimes carrying them back out into addiction. When the tide is high, I am excited and when the tide is out, I am dejected.  I am powerless over everything that happens but I have choices about where I spend my energy and time. I try and stay involved but sometimes I find myself working alone.

Pandemic Unity

There was little service happening locally in 2019, and I was starting to participate in virtual Fellowship. I learned a lot about virtual meeting platforms and the application of the Twelve Traditions online. When the COVID Pandemic hit I felt well prepared, and it was as if my Higher Power had been preparing me for this. I started an online meeting and worked with anyone who joined our virtual home group. We had regular business meetings. Our group voted to create a website and do Facebook Boosts to carry the message to the public.  We peaked at nineteen meetings per week but today do about ten or twelve. Our website traffic has risen to seventy-five visitors per day, and over three hundred during a boost. We have members from isolated communities where no local meetings exist and members who struggle to feel apart of the local Fellowship where they live. Some newcomers feel safer attending their first meeting from the safety of their home. Our home group is healthy and inclusive. My perception is that we enjoy a rich blend of members who freely give of their time to support creating an atmosphere of recovery.

March 2023 Website Traffic for my Online Home Group

Repeated Success

I have returned to a stable job in a large urban centre of over a quarter of a million people north of where I live. I joined another noon meeting locally to try and support the Fellowship there. Many meetings have under twenty participants, but I see it as a starting point. I am still very passionate about doing Public Information and the group has been supportive. We now have a website and the traffic is rising steadily. We budget funds for Facebook boosts and have seen an increase in newcomers. I want to publish a meeting list with website information to support our efforts. I’m quite certain that a city of this size will support hundreds of members attending the daily noon meeting. I have a vision of multiple locations and three newcomers daily.  I cannot do it alone.

March 2023 Website traffic for my face to face local home group

Anonymi

“Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities”

Narcotics Anonymous, various publications, ‘Tradition Twelve’

I love the writing of a member who wrote Narcotics Anonymous IP #14, “One Addict’s Experience with Acceptance, Faith, and Commitment” and a personal book titled “A Matter of Principle”, available for free (Digital download copy at Nasalden, See this link) under the pen name of ‘Anonymi’.

Both these publications taught me a lot about anonymity.

  • The quality or state of being anonymous
  • One that is anonymous
“Anonymity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anonymity.
A well known entity within the Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship

It is very rewarding to be a part of but sometimes I find myself the lone voice of reality. There is a delicate balance in giving back and being a part of. Taking on the role of ‘trusted servant’ is difficult. For me what has been clear is that I understand the meaning of ‘trusted’ and ‘servant’. Open communication with home group members lays a solid foundation with the spiritual principles of Narcotics Anonymous.  

The real danger for me is when I sell my anonymity like a commodity.  It can start very subtilty when I mention I have twenty years clean. Suddenly my opinions and experiences carry weight at meetings.  No matter how much I try, sometimes my personality spills over the principles I try and convey. When I get involved in service, that danger increases but so do the returns on selling my anonymity. The community learns that I am a trusted figure in the Fellowship because I sell my anonymity to become a contact person for my group or efforts to serve.  Big personalities ahead of principles might prove to be entertaining at Narcotics Anonymous meetings and functions. I can even lie to myself and say ‘what I offer is attractive’ but dishonesty and self-deception prevents me from enjoying ‘complete recovery and acceptance within society’. I might hear and feel the love but miss out on a balanced perspective by shunning others. Being a part of a home group is the healthiest opportunity to fully experience anonymity.

Trusted Servants

Alcoholics Anonymous has done a good job with anonymity on a global scale. The World Board positions of the Alcoholic Corporations are a mix of alcoholics and non-alcoholic members.  They quietly perform their duties without prestige.

Narcotics Anonymous has not followed suit.  The NAWS Corporation world board members all identify as members and have prostituted their anonymity. They bear the full fruits of prestige. Each member enjoys a handsome financial return of travel and per diem expenses to participate in functions around the world. Selling this investment in personalities has become a business within the Fellowship and good convention speakers are much sought after.

Carrying the message has inherent dangers. All the trappings of success might not be evident to us, but a newcomer might be attracted or repulsed depending on their experiences. What we wear, the shapes of our bodies, and particularly our experiences can create an image that might be desirable to some but not all.  My sponsor told me once that I might be the whole world to a single addict in a single moment so be mindful.

Paper Empires

What is a Narcotics Anonymous Group?

I believe that the critical component of the success of a twelve-step program is the message heard in the rooms. The twelve steps, which originated in Alcoholics Anonymous, have been adopted and adapted by Narcotics Anonymous. Twelve step groups usually hold meetings regularly and publicly so new members can find them.  The support of group members is the basis of the recovery process.  This has improved the lives of millions of people. The messages that have affected me the most were very clear, and I believe I will remember them for the rest of my life. We all carry a message at meetings.  Members of a group work together to create the best environment to carry a message.  That atmosphere of recovery in a meeting could be the most important message for a newcomer.  Sometimes groups come together to create service structures that provide services and literature. The messages members commit to paper are powerful. Even a simple meeting list handed out by a local doctor can transform lives. A Narcotics Anonymous meeting list transformed my life and gave me access to the best of all the experience, strength and hope of a Fellowship. I found a group and supported that group as a part of my recovery. I have always had a group I called my home group. In Narcotics Anonymous I learned that self-obsession is the core of the disease, so working as part of a group, helping other addicts gave me a recovery path to follow. The Twelve Traditions protect each group and provide a simple structure for them to follow.

Service Structures

Both AA and NA are similar in structure since the groups are the top, and all the service bodies are directly responsible to the groups. While it is not a requirement to create service committees, there can be benefits. Tradition 9 in Narcotics Anonymous says “NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.”  Twelve Step Groups apply the Twelve Traditions to their efforts to provide structure and unity to the group. Creating service structures has benefited groups. The funding of services has the potential to create problems as well.  At the bottom of the service structures are world service offices. Alcoholics Anonymous is comprised of three corporations, and Narcotics Anonymous has one. Here are some numbers from their respective websites, for comparison.  

  • Alcoholics Anonymous World Services (2015) 117,248 Groups registered, contributed $7,154,146.
  • Narcotics Anonymous World Services (2015) approximately 63,000 Groups contributed $1,038,626.

Iranian NA groups account for approximately 18,000 groups as of 2015. Iran has a huge fellowship that exploded into life in the 1990’s and was not well connected to the rest of the fellowship until after the millennium.  Due to sanctions, Iran cannot contribute financially.

To Be Incorporated or Not, that is the Question.

The relationship between spiritual organizations and the service structures created in both AA and NA have been discussed a great deal since the inception of the Twelve Step program. As Alcoholics Anonymous grew, the discussion about incorporating came up. These were the recommendations of an advisory group in 1953.

(CONFERENCE ADVISORY ACTIONS 1953 pg 32)

REPORT of the COMMITTEE on

CONGRESSIONAL INCORPORATION of AA

We have reviewed all of the arguments pro and con on this subject, have discussed it with many members of AA within the Conference and outside of it and have come to these conclusions:

  1. The evils which caused the question to arise have largely abated.
  2. It would create by law a power to govern which would be contrary to, and violative of, our Traditions.
  3. It would implement the spiritual force of AA with a legal power, which we believe would tend to weaken its spiritual strength.
  4. When we ask for legal rights, enforceable in Courts of Law, we by
    the same act subject ourselves to possible legal regulation.
  5. We might well become endlessly entangled in litigation which, together with the incident expense and publicity, could seriously threaten our very existence.
  6. Incorporation could conceivably become the opening wedge that might
    engender politics and a struggle for power within our own ranks.
  7. Continuously since its beginning and today, AA has been a fellowship and not an organization. Incorporation necessarily makes it an organization.
  8. We believe that “spiritual faith” and a “way of life” cannot be incorporated.
  9. AA can and will survive so long as it remains a spiritual faith and
    a way of life to all men and women who suffer from alcoholism.

Charles Bishop, Jr. full-time Antiquarian Bookseller-Appraiser specializing in the Literature of Alcoholics Anonymous and Alcoholism. He wrote an article on this subject and documented many of the abuses of incorporation over the history of AA. His comments in his article are poignant.

Those 9 points above are a wonderful spiritual precedent.  They stand in stark contrast to the current New York office service corporations and their legal actions…

It is important to remember the General Service Conference of A.A. is unincorporated, a service body and not a government for A.A.  The Charter is a voluntary compact and also unincorporated.   It is not a grant from a state or other jurisdiction.  Nor is it a legal contract document.  The World Service Meeting also is unincorporated.

The following are all CORPORATIONS: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.; the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc.; and the Alcoholics Anonymous Grapevine, Inc.   They are NOT Alcoholics Anonymous.  They are service organizations and corporations whose purpose and existence is to serve the Fellowship.  In effect, they are temporary, albeit long-lived, committees that could all be thrown away and Alcoholics Anonymous would still exist.

Charles Bishop, “Spiritualty Versus Legalism in Alcoholics Anonymous”

You can read his article here where he documents some significant abuses of power by the corporations of AA.

“Spirituality Versus Legalism In Alcoholics Anonymous” By Charlie Bishop, Jr.

Narcotics Anonymous members had arrived at the same conclusions when creating the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text. The first Basic Text included the following phrases.

Tradition 4         “Narcotics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women, addicts, meeting together in groups, and using a given set of spiritual principles to find freedom from addiction and a new way to live. All else is not N.A.”

Tradition 9         “This is the basis of our service structure, but keep in mind that although these entities are created to serve our Fellowship they are not, in fact, a part of Narcotics Anonymous.”

This was the language included in the Basic Text, and Fellowship Approved in 1981. Unfortunately, the Leadership felt differently and amended the text before publication. The phrases were inserted again after protest and were removed again. The World Service Conference and the World Service Office (eventually becoming the NAWS Corporation) never recovered the support of the fellowship. This is seen in the dismally low contributions from groups that exist today when compared to AA. NAWS Corporation is supported by heavily marking up the literature and producing a steady stream of new literature for consumption by a small loyal following of members. As both the AA and NA Corporations grow, so will the need to control literature production and profits. A significant difference between the AA Corporations and NAWS Corporation is that AA Groups are listed as members of the Corporations, but NA Groups are not listed in Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc (NAWS Inc) Articles of Incorporation.

Abuses of Power

Section Mexicana was created by 2000 AA Groups in Mexico in the 1980’s.  This service structure was independently tasked to produce and distribute literature at a low cost. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services quietly modified Article II of the Conference Charter, which then allowed them to control publishing rights and assigning publishing to the Central Mexican Service Structure. They raided the offices of Section Mexicana, seized literature, and jailed an organizer.

The NAWS Corporation has introduced changes to the Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust which will tighten their control on the production of profitable literature.  These changes will be approved by a very weak World Service Conference that represents a small segment of the existing Narcotics Anonymous Groups.  

A Solution

The NAWS Corporation has been plagued by independent service structures that ignore the corporation. These independent organizations are largely unrecognized by the NAWS Corporation. The Basic Meeting List Toolbox (BMLT) is an independent organization of volunteers who provide a method of registering and providing access to meetings worldwide. Virtual NA provides information on virtual meetings for over a decade and saved countless addicts during the recent COVID pandemic. Neither service structure is part of the larger Corporate structure and both organizations are accountable to the groups they serve. Independent action is critical to the success of healthy AA and NA Groups.

The Gideon’s is a Christian fellowship of three hundred thousand people worldwide (according to their website). They are dedicated to putting their literature into the hands of people in need of salvation, and every hotel room in the world seems to have a bible because of them. Their annual budget is about one hundred and fifteen million dollars, of which one hundred million is for literature that they give away. The cost works out to about $400 annually to each member.

Personally, I have spent a tremendous amount of money and time printing and distributing meeting lists. I’m not looking for a pat on the back or acknowledgement of any sort. I am happy to work independently of diseased service structures. Taking responsibility for my recovery and Tradition One (‘Personal Recovery depends on NA Unity) drives my passion for meeting list distribution. Often the worst examples of the Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship become parasites feeding on the manipulation and control that service structures seem to create. Power and corruption seem to walk hand in hand so my efforts to be a part of continue but so does my independent spirit. I am a member of Narcotics Anonymous and you will not silence me.