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WHO IS
BEST SUITED TO CARRY THE MESSAGE IN AN H&I SETTING?
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Anyone with a clear and
consistent Narcotics Anonymous message who is willing to share is well
suited for H&I work. An H&I meeting provides the first exposure
to Narcotics Anonymous for many addicts, so it is imperative that we project
a positive image because our fellowship as a whole may be judged on how
we conduct ourselves. In our experience it is best for members to have
three months clean before attending an H&I meeting, and six months
clean before speaking at one.
Some facilities house only
men or only women; others house both men and women, but keep them separate.
In these facilities where your meetings will consist of only men or only
women, we feel strongly that only same sex NA members should participate.
Problems that arise in this area have the potential to seriously damage
the credibility of our fellowship. Experience has taught us that we can
avoid these problems if we follow this simple guideline.
A large majority of the facilities
where our H&I subcommittees provide an H&I presentation have other
Twelve Step fellowships providing meetings as well. Clients and/or inmates
will hear a variety of recovery messages. Other Twelve Step fellowships
do not need our assistance in carrying their message. References to other
fellowships and their literature may lead one to believe that the only
way an addict can recover is to attend all Twelve Step fellowships. As
a fellowship, we need to allow the addicts we may come in contact with
the opportunity to choose for themselves which fellowship is best suited
for them.
Any fellowship utilizing
twelve step recovery has a set of traditions. The Fellowship of Narcotics
Anonymous, as directed by our Fifth Tradition, has but one primary purpose.
Our primary purpose is to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
Unity is one of our greatest strengths in carrying the message. Unity of
purpose keeps our focus in carrying the message. What is the message that
we are asked to carry? That an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs,
lose the desire to use, find a new way to live, and that the freedom of
recovery (today) can be theirs also.
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