Did you know you can raise awareness about local events and engage in Twelfth Step work at the same time? When participating in local events such as health fairs, ask the event organizer if they make announcements on social media. If they do, ask them to mention Al‑Anon WSO, the World Service Office’s English‑language social media profile. This will not only raise awareness of Al‑Anon’s participation in the event, but it will also help carry the message of Al‑Anon Family Groups directly to your local community and a larger global audience.

Visit WSO’s Social Channels

As Daylight Saving Time ends in North America on Sunday, November 2nd, Al‑Anon Family Groups Mobile App (AFG Mobile App) meeting times might be temporarily affected. The World Service Office (WSO) is working diligently to ensure a smooth transition and overcome the challenges of managing these biannual changes.

Your patience is greatly appreciated, and members can rest assured that we will monitor the meetings throughout the day to quickly resolve any issues. We encourage participants to double‑check meeting times within the app close to the beginning of the meeting. 

“I’ve always had an opinion, but I didn’t always have a safe place to express it, so I kept it hidden to avoid family ridicule. As I grew into an adult, trying to express my opinions sometimes sounded like I was picking a fight. Didn’t sharing my opinion imply that I wanted you to agree with it and maybe even appreciate my brilliant thinking and aspire to think like me? …”

In the August 2024 issue of The Forum, we highlighted a public outreach poster with an image of a woman and child trapped in a bottle and stated that the idea had originated with members in Florida. While trusted servants in Florida had reached out to us to review a public outreach poster containing these elements,  in actuality, the idea had originated, as shown here, with the South Africa General Service Office (GSO) many years earlier. The World Service Office (WSO) deeply regrets this inadvertent mistake and the harm it caused, and we sincerely apologize for the inaccurate credit and for the time it took to make this correction and amends to the South Africa GSO.

When South Africa brought this to the attention of the WSO following publication of the August 2024 mention in The Forum, we had an opportunity to research the WSO archival records. We can now place the original image in its proper context.

This powerful image has a long history. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2010, the South Africa GSO Public Outreach team funded the “HOPE in a Bottle” media campaign, which was exhibited extensively around South Africa. The South Africa GSO and their advertising vendor developed the poster image through their creative efforts and hard work. In 2012, South Africa hosted the International Al‑Anon General Services Meeting (IAGSM), where members displayed materials from the campaign, attracting interest and generating excitement among International Delegates and attendees.

We marvel at the good that has emerged from this journey: these compelling images honestly reflect the feelings of those trapped in the family disease of alcoholism. Across distance and time, the unifying message of help and hope continues to reach the truly worldwide fellowship of Al‑Anon.

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