EDM History
First NA Meeting in Europe at 97th General Hospital US Air Base Frankfurt (Main) in Germany (every Friday night). An American therapist of the US army, which is at this time a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and aware of the importance of identification among drug addicts, invited two AA members from Frankfurt, who have consumed illegal drugs, to an NA meeting of soldiers called the “Young Love Group”.
A small group of Irish members traveled to London to attend a service meeting and this contact led to …
… the 1st European Service Conference which was held in Trinity College, Dublin, and was attended by members from the UK, Germany, and representatives from the World Service Office. This event developed into the European Service Conference of NA ESCNA 1, which has been hosted in turn by different European communities. It was primarily a celebration of recovery, with some time set aside for informal reports to the floor from the attending communities. Some years later called the European Conference and Convention of NA (ECCNA).
The World Convention of Narcotics Anonymous was held for the first time outside US in Europe at the Wembley Conference Court in London, with International Speakers, a Spiritual Brunch, and a Banquet.
At the Convention in Lisbon in 1990, a small group was formed by members from Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, to study the possible options for a European service structure. This was known as the European Study Group, which after the ECCNA 1991 in Rome became the European Resource Group and presented its findings to the Convention two years later in Brussels.
At that meeting in Brussels, the Delegates recognized that in asking the question they had become one of the answers and were, in fact, the “Large Representative Body” option that had been described by the European Resource Group.
At this conference in Brussels, this body has evolved into the EUROPEAN DELEGATES MEETING (EDM), which meets twice yearly and is a forum of multilingual and multi-cultural NA communities inside and outside Europe, whose mission is to further their common welfare and unity, support their growth and help them fulfill their primary purpose of carrying the NA message to the still suffering addict.
1st Internet Meeting of the monthly EDM Steering Committee Meeting takes place on 18th April 2002. Just texting, but in real-time. International communication has become easier.
At the Winter EDM in Krakow, a decision was made to start a Fellowship Development Committee and to elect an FD Chair and FD-Vice Chair at the following Summer EDM in Halkidiki (Greece).
The European Delegates Meeting made a decision in February 2005 to apply to become an International non-profit association. The association was set up to help the body function legally as a Zonal Forum of Narcotics Anonymous within Europe.
At the Winter EDM in Malta, the EDM embarked on a new way of doing FD, by creating 6 Tasks to support Regions (Adriatic Region, Latvia, Czecho-Slovak Region, Italy, Iceland, Finland). We choose delegates who are located close to these Regions and they form a Task Team with a budget (Point Person/Budget Person). Delegates become a proactive part of EDM and FD.
EDM published the first issue of the EDM NEWS. The newsletter included information about EDM activities, events, and personal experiences, and was aimed at those who want to be informed about the current affairs of the EDM, now replaced by the EDM Blog.
EDM hosted the first European Service Learning Days (ESL) in Berlin. Members from 31 countries and 28 regions and communities come together for the first time in this way, to share experience, strength, and hope with each other.
Delegates made a decision to form a workgroup with the aim of bringing our message to the EU Parliament. These workgroup members were invited to attend a seminar in Brussels at the EU Parliament to show an NA presentation and share experiences with professionals
Creating the EDM Human Resource Pool (HRP) to identify NA members whose skills, talents, and experience support the FD vision.
Young Addicts in Recovery is an EDM Fellowship Development workgroup that started to notice and support recovery activities by young people: “It’s never too early to start recovering in the program of Narcotics Anonymous”.
1st Zonal Online Conference APF and EDM, Sunday 11-13.30 CET. Our 2 Zones are alike in many ways, we speak many languages and have much diversity amongst our member communities, many of whom are not seated at the World Service Conference. We share similar views on “the future of the WSC”, have now elected a Zonal Delegate to attend the next WSC, and are working on motions for the 2018 CAR. Technology is making it easy to reach out and share with other Zones. We jumped at the opportunity to make this happen.
At the World Service Conference in Los Angeles, participants passed several motions related to zonal delegates. As a result, zones that include two or more communities or regions that are not seated at the WSC may send a zonal delegate (ZD) and alternate to the Conference to represent those regions or communities. Zonal Delegates become funded, voting participants.
Due to the global pandemic, the EDM Meeting in Summer 2020 took place exclusively online for the first time. The annual ECCNA convention was canceled.
At the virtual Summer EDM we replaced the former PR workgroup with a Public Relations Committee and a PR Chair and PR Vice Chair were elected.
The first EDM Zonal Delegates, elected in 2019 at the Winter EDM in Spain (?), attending the World Service Conference 2022 (virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic), for the first time as fully participating members of WSC.
The 39th European Conference and Convention of Narcotics Anonymous (ECCNA) in Finland/Helsinki.
List of past EDM's
List of previous European Service Conferences (ESCNA)
- 1984 Dublin (Ireland) European Service Conference, Trinity College ESCNA 1
- 1985 London (UK) European Service Conference ESCNA 2
- 1986 Dublin (Ireland) European Service Conference ESCNA 3
- 1987 Frankfurt a.M (Germany) European Service Conference ESCNA 4
- 1988 Paris (France) European Service Conference ESCNA 5
- 1989 ???
- 1990 Lisbon (Portugal) European Study Group ESCNA 7
- 1991 Rome (Italy) European Resource Group at ESCNA 8
- 1992 July Antwerp (Belgium) European Service Conference ECCNA 9
The European Resource Group evolved into the
EUROPEAN DELEGATES MEETING (EDM)
and the annual European Convention into the
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE AND CONVENTION OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS (ECCNA)
- 1993 January Brussels (Belgium) Winter EDM
- 1993 July Stockholm (Sweden) Summer EDM ECCNA 10
- 1994 January Amsterdam (Netherlands) Winter EDM
- 1994 July Amsterdam (Netherlands) Summer EDM ECCNA 11
- 1995 January Brussels (Belgium) Winter EDM
- 1995 July Frankfurt (Germany) Summer EDM ECCNA 12
- 1996 January Lisbon (Portugal) Winter EDM
- 1996 July Lisbon (Portugal) Summer EDM ECCNA 13
- 1997 February London (UK) Winter EDM
- 1997 September Haifa (Israel) Summer EDM ECCNA 14
- 1998 February Manchester (UK) Winter EDM
- 1998 August Manchester (UK) Summer EDM ECCNA 15
- 1999 January Sitges (Spain) Winter EDM
- 1999 July Sitges (Spain) Summer EDM ECCNA 16
- 2000 February Lausanne (Switzerland) Winter EDM
- 2000 July Lausanne (Switzerland) Summer EDM ECCNA 17
- 2001 February Athens (Greece) Winter EDM
- 2001 July Montreal (Canada) Summer EDM ECCNA 18
- 2002 January Bellaria (Italy) Winter EDM
- 2002 September Bellaria (Italy) Summer EDM ECCNA 19
- 2003 February Krakow (Poland) Winter EDM
- 2003 October Halkidiki (Greece) Summer EDM ECCNA 20
- 2004 February St. Petersburg (Russia) Winter EDM
- 2004 July Frankfurt (Germany) Summer EDM ECCNA 21
- 2005 February Valencia (Spain) Winter EDM
- 2005 July Dublin (Ireland) Summer EDM ECCNA 22
- 2006 February Vilnius (Lithuania) Winter EDM
- 2006 July Porto (Portugal) Summer EDM ECCNA 23
- 2007 February Geneva (Switzerland) Winter EDM
- 2007 August Wales (UK) Summer EDM ECCNA 24
- 2008 February Budapest (Hungary) Winter EDM
- 2008 July Helsinki (Finland) Summer EDM ECCNA 25
- 2009 March Aix-en-Provence (France) Winter EDM
- 2009 August Barcelona (Spain) Summer EDM no ECCNA WC33
- 2010 February Gizeh (Egypt) Winter EDM
- 2010 September Dead Sea (Israel) Summer EDM ECCNA 26
- 2011 March Qawra (Malta) Winter EDM
- 2011 August Malmö (Sweden) Summer EDM ECCNA 27
- 2012 February Istanbul (Turkey) Winter EDM
- 2012 August Moscow (Russia) Summer EDM ECCNA 28
- 2013 February Zagreb (Croatia) Winter EDM
- 2013 September Marbella (Spain) Summer EDM ECCNA 29
- 2014 February Porto (Portugal) Winter EDM
- 2014 September Athens (Greece) Summer EDM ECCNA 30
- 2015 February Warsaw (Poland) Winter EDM
- 2015 August Birmingham (UK) Summer EDM ECCNA 31
- 2016 February Reykjavik (Island) Winter EDM
- 2016 July Paris (France) Summer EDM ECCNA 32
- 2017 February Kiev (Ukraine) Winter EDM
- 2017 September Portimᾶo (Portugal) Summer EDM ECCNA 33
- 2018 February Thessaloniki (Greece) Winter EDM
- 2018 July Krakow (Poland) Summer EDM ECCNA 34
- 2019 February Fuengirola (Spain) Winter EDM
- 2019 July Zürich (Switzerland) Summer EDM ECCNA 35
- 2020 February Istanbul (Turkey) Winter EDM
- 2020 September Zoom (Online) Summer EDM | no ECCNA (Lockdown)
- 2021 February Zoom (Online) Winter EDM
- 2021 July Kyiv (Ukraine) ECCNA 36
- 2021 September Zoom (Online) Summer EDM
- 2022 February Rome (Italy) Winter EDM
- 2022 September Cairo (Egypt) Summer EDM ECCNA 37
- 2023 February Cascais (Portugal) Winter EDM
- 2023 August Budapest (Hungary) Summer EDM ECCNA 38
- 2024 March Sofia (Bulgaria) Winter EDM
- 2024 July Helsinki (Finland) Summer EDM ECCNA 39
History of Narcotics Anonymous
- 1953 mid-June to September 14 Six people met in Sun Valley, California to organize the first AA-NA group. The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous were adapted for use by the group from the very beginning. After checking with the Alcoholics General Service Office, the committee voted to change the name from San Fernando Valley AA-NA to Narcotics Anonymous (September 14).
- 1953 October 5 The first NA meeting was held in facilities rented from the local Salvation Army Dad’s Club, Sun Valley, California. Seventeen people attended that first meeting. These original members made a commitment to continue for one year, agreeing that one recovery would be significant.
- 1962 The original White Book, the pamphlet “Narcotics Anonymous” was published.
- 1963 In order to insure unity of purpose, the general membership in California established a Board of Trustees. A literature sub-committee was established as part of the service arm of the Board of Trustees.
- 1969 Because of continued growth a decision was made by the Board of Trustees and the general membership to establish a central office. This central office was to function as a clearing house, rather than a legislative body.
- 1971 November 5-7 The first World Convention was held at La Mirada Country Club, California. At a business meeting during the World Convention, the general membership voted to elect a Narcotics Anonymous business manager (November 6) with a formal office.
- 1972 January The World Central Office opens on Crenshaw Blvd. in Los Angeles.
- 1973 October 23 The first Area Service Committee, the San Fernando Valley (CA) ASC was created.
- 1974 November The World Central Office moved to its present location in Sun Valley, Highland Ave, LA, a room in the Suicide Prevention Center above a bail bonding company on Van Nuys Blvd. Before the move, the name had been officially changed to World Service Office.
- 1976 August 28 The first foreign language (Spanish) publication was authorized. This was followed by a German translation in late 1976, early 1977.
- 1976 November 13 The first World Service Conference was held in Ventura, CA.
- 1977 April 17 The first Regional Service Committee, the Southern California RSC, was created.
- 1978 Almost 200 Meetings in three countries were registered.
- 1979 April 28-29 The World Service Conference directed the Literature Committee to conduct a World Literature Conference to collect material to write an NA book on recovery. The work on the Basic Text begins.
- 1979 October 6-7 The first World Literature Conference was held in Wichita, Kansas. This conference established an initial style guide for the proposed book and began the task of cataloging hundreds of pages of material submitted by the Fellowship worldwide.
- 1983 The first Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous was published.
- 1983 About 2.966 Meetings in more than a dozen countries were registered.
- 1986 The first World Convention outside the U.S. was held in London, England.
- 2008 The Sixth Edition Basic Text was published.
- 2012 The Living Clean: The Journey Continues was published.
- 2018 At the World Service Conference in LA, participants passed several motions related to zonal delegates. As a result, Zonal Delegates become funded, voting participants.
- 2022 April 22-23 29-30 Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the World Service Conference was held exclusively virtual.
- 2022 The Spiritual Principal A Day (SPAD) was published.