Download CA-12-Concepts-Workbook
An introduction to the the Twelve Concepts of Cocaine Anonymous
As the Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous are our recipe for individual recovery, the Twelve Traditions of Cocaine Anonymous are our recipe for group unity and the Twelve Concepts are our recipe for world service.
- The final responsibility and the ultimate authority for C.A. World Services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
- The World Service Conference of C.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice, and the effective conscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.
- To ensure effective leadership, we should endow each element of C.A. —the Conference, the World Service Board of Trustees and its service corporations, staffs, committees, and executives — with a traditional “Right of Decision.”
- At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge.
- Throughout our World Service structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, thus assuring us that minority opinion will be heard and that petitions for the redress of personal grievances will be carefully considered.
- The World Service Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised by the trustee members of the Conference acting as the World Service Board of Cocaine Anonymous.
- The Charter and bylaws of the World Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the C.A. purse for final effectiveness.
- The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities.
- Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees.
- Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority to be always well defined.
- The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern.
- The Conference shall observe the spirit of the C.A. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and, whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government; and that, like the Fellowship it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action.
*The Twelve Concepts are reprinted and adapted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Concepts does not mean that A.A. is affiliated with this program. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism. Use of the Concepts in connection with program and activities, which are patterned after A.A. but which address other problems, does not imply otherwise.
THE TWELVE CONCEPTS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: 1. Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services shall always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship. 2. The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the actual voice and the effective conscience for our whole Society in its world affairs. 3. To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. – the Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporation, staffs, committees, and executives with traditional “Right of Decision.” 4. At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge. 5. Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances receive careful consideration. 6. The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised primarily by the trustee members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board. 7. The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct all of the world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness. 8. The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities. 9. Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustee. 10. Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority always well defined. 11. The Trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs and consultants. Composition, qualifications induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern. 12. The Conference shall observe the spirit of the A.A. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth and power; that the sufficient operating funds and reserves be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government, and that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action.