Declaration O Responsability

I am Responsible.
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A.
always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.

In April 1965, the 30th General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous was held in New York, with the theme “Responsibility to Those We Serve.” At 70 years old, Bill was reflecting on Alcoholics Anonymous, reviewing what had been achieved and what still needed to be done within the community. During the Conference, he spoke about the older members, including the so-called "old-timers," who were disappearing or had already passed away. He expressed a wish that they would leave a sufficient legacy for current members to address emerging needs, and hoped this legacy could be extended and enriched. He also took stock of the state of Alcoholics Anonymous, noting that while many members were in recovery, there were also many alcoholics who had not managed to stay with the fellowship and wondered what could be done to help them.

On July 3rd of that same year, the 30th Alcoholics Anonymous Convention was held in Toronto, with the theme simply being
“Responsibility.” At the convention, Bill largely repeated the speech he had given at the April Conference.
In response to Bill's concerns, the Declaration of Responsibility was drafted by Al S., editor of the Grapevine and then serving custodian. At that Convention, over 10,000 delegates, custodians, and representatives from 21 countries stood up, joined hands, and, led by Bill W., recited the newly created Declaration of Responsibility together.

DECLARAÇÃO DE UNIDADE

"This we owe to A.A.'s future: to place our common welfare first; to keep our fellowship united. For on A.A. unity depend on our lives, and the lives of those to come."

“Unity is our most precious asset and the best guarantee of A.A.'s future,” said Bill W. For years, he stated that “Unity was really what could guarantee the future of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
The acceptance of this declaration at the Miami International Convention in July 1970 marked the culmination of Bill W.'s decades long campaign. It was at this convention that 11,000 A.A. members recited it together, in 11 different languages, for the first time.

It is also notable that the Committee preparing the 1970 Convention (celebrating A.A.'s 35th anniversary) proposed “Unity Within Our Fellowship” as the theme for the event. According to Alcoholics
Anonymous archives, the author of this statement was likely the same person who composed the Responsibility Statement: AlS.