Concept V

The resource may have been unknown to you also, so here it is again.

From the Alcoholics Anonymous web site… a break down of the Concepts for discussion – good stuff!

Concept V

“Throughout our world services 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.”

• Do we encourage the minority opinion, the “Right of Appeal”, to be heard at our home group, district committee meetings, area assemblies and the Conference?

• What does our group accept as “substantial unanimity”?

• Has our group experienced the “tyranny of the majority” or the “tyranny of the minority”?

• Does our group understand the importance of all points of view being heard before a vote is taken?

Very interesting…

From the pamphlet “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated;”

“This “Right of Appeal” recognizes that minorities frequently can be right; that even when they are in error they still perform a most valuable service when they compel a thorough-going debate on important issues. The well-heard minority, therefore, is our chief protection against an uninformed, misinformed, hasty or angry majority.”

And…

“This Concept also warns us of “the tyranny of the majority” and points out that in A.A., a simple majority is seldom sufficient basis for a decision. That’s why we usually require at least a two-thirds majority. Lacking this, it is preferable to delay the decision; or in the case of an election following the “Third Legacy Procedure,” (hmmm- a whole new topic) to “go to the hat.”