The Asia-Pacific Forum Conference meeting is happening!

This February 3rd, 4th and 5th we will be meeting in conjunction with the 4th annual Aotearoa/New Zealand Regional Convention to be held in Auckland. I urge all who are able, to attend. I have included the address and phone number for the Convention on the back of the newsletter.

Travel costs for all of us will be high, and some of our fellowships may not be able to send a representative. For that reason, members in Hawaii and Australia are trying to raise funds to help support others to attend the conference that might not otherwise be able to attend. If you are able to sponsor a fundraiser in your Region to help fund either a participant from your own area or to help some one from another Region to attend please do. I know that Hawaii and Australia will be there and I hope many others. We have requested participation by World Services and hope that they will be there also.

As well as discussing the many issues confronting the fellowship of NA worldwide we will be able to discuss those issues unique to us in this part of the world and also our own local fellowships. We will also be having workshops to help us better carry the message through public information work, in hospitals and institutions, and in translating our literature into our own languages

New Contacts

Last month I was informed that the WSO had received an inquiry about Narcotics Anonymous from the Peoples Republic of China. Specifically from a Psychiatrist at the "Institute of Drug Abuse" in Kunming. It's my understanding that the contact originated through a non-NA event. The WSO responded with an information packet and letter but a follow-up by us indicates that the packet had not been received. There may be some problem with getting printed literature through customs. We are following up and may already have found a solution. I will report back with more information in the next issue of the newsletter.

Also in Bangkok, Thailand we have information of a meeting being formed inside a women's prison facility. The inmate starting the meeting is an American incarcerated there. She has previous knowledge of NA and in fact several members of the fellowship here in Hawaii know her and are corresponding with her. She could probably use as much support as possible. Anyone wishing to write her may do so through the address of the Newsletter and will make sure she receives all correspondence.

Translations

At the World Service Conference held earlier this year we met with the Translation Committee. Part of our discussions included the idea of having a future WSTC meeting held at one of our Zonal Forum meetings. The idea was well received by everyone. This year they met in Amsterdam and from what I've read and been told it was quite a success. The time and location will need to be decided, but would probably be sometime in November or December of 1995. As far as location, we would need to discuss who might most benefit most from having such a meeting in their region. We would need to be in continued communication with the WSTC and also make a formal request to the Interim Committee, as they need to approve any meeting of the Translation Committee such as this. We can discuss this at our up-coming meeting in Auckland and make a formal request to them at that time but I think it would be good to write them as soon as possible and notify them that we are considering this. I think it would be very valuable experience for all of us.

Letters

We received letters recently from Japan, Malaysia and two from India. Many thanks for your input and comments. Keep the letters coming. It’s your ideas and suggestions that will make this newsletter a valuable addition to our Forum.

Roy, from Japan, wrote and gives his best to everyone. The fellowship in Japan loves travelling to conventions and members are planning to attend the Bombay Area Convention in India this January as well as the World Convention in Paris. Many members from Japan have, for many years, travelled to Hawaii for their "Gathering of the Fellowship on Oahu’’ which is coming up the end of March, 1995. Roy thought that although the newsletter was a good idea, he felt its impact in Japan would be very limited since so few of the members in Japan are able to read English. This will be a problem for many of us to some extent. I am currently exploring the possibility of having the Newsletter translated into Japanese. Although the process for translating recovery literature can be quite time consuming the Newsletter does not fall into this category and might more easily be translated.

Robert, in Malaysia, wrote and gave us an update on the fellowship there. NA began in Malaysia in 1985, and although small and growing slowly, they are very active, supporting 2 H&I meetings. For those wishing to write and support Robert and others in the fellowship there I have included his address on the back.

Also writing us was Peter, from the Bombay area and "Dennis" from the Manipur area of India. Peter is well and invites everyone to the Up-coming 3rd Bombay Area Convention this January. He is distributing the Newsletter to other Areas in India. He welcomes anyone to write him to share their "experience, strength and hope" with him. "Dennis is also doing well and is excited about the growth of NA in the eastern part of India. Both have represented India at the World Service Conference in past years.

Additional Resources

The World Service Office also provides a variety of services to addicts who are geographically isolated. They produce a phone line directory that lists all known NA phone line numbers in the world, as well as an International Meeting Directory, which lists all registered meetings outside the continental United States. They also will send out a free Group Starter Kit and informational packets upon request. You can write or call to find out where the nearest NA meeting or office is. You might also find the Narcotics Anonymous Loner Group helpful. It is a means by which geographically isolated addicts can communicate with one another by mail. This "Meeting by Mail" allows recovering addicts to share their experience, strength, and hope through regular correspondence. The "Meeting by Mail" is a bi-monthly newsletter published by the Loner Group. If you wish to receive these newsletters write to: Loner Group, PO box 9999, Van Nuys, CA. 91409-9999, USA.

There are two other publications that you might find helpful. One is the Newsline that you can have sent to you free of charge. NA groups, registered with the WSO, are sent this publication automatically. It contains notices of up-coming NA conventions and events, as well as a lot of useful information about the Office and the many services they provide. The NA Way Magazine is another helpful publication. This fellowship magazine contains many articles of recovery written by addicts for addicts. We suggest you or your group subscribe to the magazine so that you can receive issues on a monthly basis.

The most important service NA offers is the experience, strength, and hope of the recovering addict. Remember, the "therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel." So if it's possible, contact another recovering addict either by phone or mail. If you contact the NA World Service Office they will assist you in reaching the nearest recovering addicts. Remember that you don't have to be lonely, even though you might be alone.

Send us your letters

I can't stress strongly enough how much we want your comments, suggestions and input. We want this newsletter to be your newsletter, an open forum to provide all of us a way to share with each other. Write us at:

ASIA-PACIFIC NEWSLETTER

PO BOX 90397

HONOLULU, HAWAII, 96835-0397

USA

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE ASIA-PACIFIC FORUM YOU MAY CONTACT:

LARRY R - LIB E

6312 Kaiwiki pl. 23 Metropolitan Rd.

Honolulu, Hawaii 96825 Enmore, 2042

USA N.S.W. Australia

Ph. (808) 396-2316 Ph. 02 565-1875

Fax (808) 395-6809

Up Coming Conventions

New Zealand: North Island

3-5 Feb. 1995

4th Regional Convention Oratia

(09) 445-2665; fax (09) 302-2334

Regional Convention

PO Box 6826

Wesley Street, Oratia,

Auckland, New Zealand

India: Maharashtra

27-29 Jan 1995

3rd Bombay Area Convention

Khandala

Fax 0091-492-26-87

BACNA-3

PO Box 16489

Bombay, India 40016

Hawaii: North Shore, Oahu

24-26 Mar 1995

11th Annual Gathering of the Fellowship on Oahu

11th Annual Gathering Subcommittee

PO Box 75271

Honolulu, HI 96836 USA

The Asia-Pacific Forum Newsletter is distributed free of charge by the Asia-Pacific Forum to its members. We invite your input and suggestions. This newsletter is intended to be a place where the NA fellowship in the Pacific Rim and Asia can share experience strength and hope in print. Send us your articles about recovery, opinions on NA matters, and features. All submitted manuscripts become the property of this newsletter.

The Asia-Pacific Newsletter presents the experiences and views of individual members of Narcotics Anonymous. The opinions expressed herein do not represent the views of Narcotics Anonymous as a whole, the Asia-Pacific Forum, or its Newsletter. Any publication of materials does not imply endorsement.

The Newsletter gratefully gives permission to any NA fellowship publication to reprint articles published in the Asia-Pacific Newsletter. We request that when doing so, they cite the source.