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Thanks for your assistance, as well as the materials you sent us. We tried to follow your instructions to the best of our ability and increase our PI activities. Thank God, we have been very successful so far. Since May 2004, we have sent a lot of panels to make presentations about NA to high-ranking government officials, and religious leaders and I should say that all these efforts have worked out well. It is usually very hard to meet our officials, as you have to go through a lot of stages to set an appointment with them. They are usually skeptical about non-governmental organizations because, in the past, no NGO has been successful without the government's aid, especially in the field of addiction. However once we meet the officials, introduce the NA program to them, and give them accurate information about NA they all become willing and supportive. They even understand some of the principles of our program, although they do question why we call ourselves addicts after years of recovery, why we accept anyone as a member regardless of sex, age, etc., and why we do not impose any control over religious beliefs. So far, every PI effort we had in this regard has had very good results. We realized that all the efforts put in against NA and that have denounced our fellowship actually worked the other way around and for the benefit of NA in Iran . The thing that worked the best here for NA was our Seventh Tradition. One thing that attracts our officials to NA is that we never have asked them for any money or financial support-and even if they offer us such, we humbly turn it down. Most of the NGO's, here are looking for financial aid from the government, and anytime an NGO contacts our officials it usually is because they are going to ask for some assistance. So the officials all approve of our tradition of self-support, and they all confess this may be a big reason why NA is so successful and growing every day They suggest that we should keep up like this! I once read an interview with an official from the United Nations in Iran . The reporter asked him if they give any financial aid to NGO's that are active in the drug or addiction
field in Iran . He answered, “Yes we give money to all except two NGOs. One is NA, which does not accept any outside contributions, and the other ones are NGO's that have not contacted us yet!” Even though several offers of financial support have been made to NA by our government, these offers all have been turned down with humility Actually, we were informed by the official that NA is the only NGO that does not accept financial support in Iran . The officials are quite astonished by that fact. Anyway, our PI activities have worked so well that a couple of days ago we were informed by our government that NA has been chosen as the most successful NGO in Iran, and they want to present NA with a trophy (no financial value). But as make television reports of this ceremony we explained our Eleventh. Tradition and told them, that we cannot send any of our members to take the trophy. They can announce that NA has won and that they will send us the trophy after the ceremony. And last, but not least, the officials confirmed to us that their long-term policy is to let NA grow in Iran . They informed us that, due to the social and political situation, we may sometimes face problems, but we should not be disappointed. and we should let time solve those problems. We should also maintain our contact with the officials with whom we have spoken. All of the above has created an environment that allowed us to hold a national convention here in Iran , and we received full cooperation and moral support from our government and our officials. Even our vice-president sent us a greeting message, which was read by one of our members before the opening of the convention. We received full recognition by our officials, as some of them attended our open meeting, and since then two national newspapers, have written full-page articles about NA and our convention. The most prominent newspaper called it the "best gathering ever to happen in Iran ." The attendance of over 12,000 recovering addicts at this gathering has caused our community and officials to recognize us as a reality. Recently we were invited to send our PI panel to a lot of different places as a part of the seminars our government holds on the drug issue. In three days, we are supposed to attend a seminar held by the Iranian Police Force on drug issues. In Iran , the most active organization in the field of drugs and addiction is the Drug Prevention Committee. The first NGO they have invited to send PI panels to different gatherings is Narcotics Anonymous.
Respectfully submitted, Translation of the certificate plate on the trophy that was presented to NA: Appreciation Plate Exaltation of public hearth in our society through prevention, cure, and reducing of social damages caused by use of drugs is indebted to endless efforts of NGO, which their honest fervor and intelligence is admirable.
Narcotics Anonymous of Iran This Appreciation Plate is presented to your society in order to admire and appreciate your efforts as an active NGO in the field of addiction. We wish your NGO an ever-increasing success. Ali Hashemi, The NA Way Magazine If you have additional information on NA Iran / NA in the Persian language, please e-mail us at address below. |
