AA to or in Remote Communities
In recent years there appears to have been a gradual increase in interest in carrying the message to remote communities.This is not just a metter of PI - attracting remote alcoholics to AA, or CPC - explaining AA and offering co-operation to relevant professionals including Treatment professionals and Corrections professionals, or Tradition 5 work - a Group doing 12th Step work in an awkward location or to an inaccessible community. It often includes all these rolled into one small group of Members, who therefore need every clever strategy they can find to support their energy and commitment.
In North America, a publication has been produced called the "Remote Communities Communicator". This defines remote communities as "Any community where it is difficult to carry the message because of language, culture or geography", but allows for the fact that Areas will make up their own minds how this fits their own situations.
Using such a broad definition, 'remote' can mean any group of people who are hard to access: this could include geographically non-remote non-English language groups in cities, the aged, the institutionalised, deaf or otherwise disabled. For example, in Australia Conference has approved a video for the deaf alcoholic, and we have literature in Braille and the Big Book in a very large number of foreign languages (which are rarely bought in fact).
In North America, Area Delegates who service remote communities meet for a week before Conference, to share their wisdom, strength and hope around carrying the message in these non-standard situations - mostly interpreted in terms of geographical remoteness, but culture or language barriers are often also at issue. The term 'outreach' is often used, and Al-Anon has acted in parallel, even participating in a non-voting capacity on the AA Remote Communities Committees, while organising their own activities as usual. National Office can supply copies of two editions of the Remote Communities Communicator on request. They contain many good suggestions.
We are gaining knowledge. The current North-Eastern Regional Trustee (Mary) has been travelling and communicating, making amazing efforts to reach out to rural Members. The Northern Regional Trustee (Leon) is experienced in working in remote Aboriginal communities. Regional Trustees in Australia often have such huge areas to cover in addition to busy cities, that they really struggle to do remote areas justice. We occasionally have tag-along meetings, many isolated people use Loners Internationalists and on-line meetings are increasing in number, and of course can be accessed globally.
I will be travelling to Thursday Island next week to participate in a PI lunch event on 10th October and work with both local AA members and local professionals. The invitees will be a mixture of many kinds of professionals who deal with alcoholics in their work.
If anyone has any suggestions or useful contacts in or for the TI community I would welcome hearing about them. I will be reporting to the Board on my return. Thanks, Vanda R.
Trustee Emeritus, GSB 0427 864 310 ecoweb@internode.on.net