Thank you for being present. All VA members are welcome to engage in discussion here. We ask for recognition by the chairperson before speaking. Voting members carry out the business of this meeting by making and voting on motions. The chairperson takes
responsibility for the pace of the discussion by making room for the quieter among us to express their perspectives, and by requesting that the more vocal among us allow space for others to be heard. It is important for us to hear and respectfully consider a wide range of
experience when making decisions that affect the whole of VA.
We work in a cooperative fashion, discussing different points of view and preferably coming to consensus prior to presenting a motion. We value serenity and the process of cooperative communication in achieving our goals. Minority opinions are recorded in the minutes for future reference. The chairperson uses reflection as needed to ensure that people’s views are understood.
It is possible to become triggered in this or any VA meeting. As recovering VAs, we take responsibility for our own triggers and remove ourselves from discussion while triggered so that we can use the tools of VA to process the trigger and regain a neutral state of mind. Once we have neutralized our trigger, we re-engage in the conversation in a cooperative and conscious fashion.
In order to create a safe environment and for the effectiveness and unity of this meeting, any voting member of the meeting may request: to table a topic; close the meeting; or request that a person take a few minutes of silence before re-engaging in the conversation.
There may also be times when a VA is asked to take a break and possibly resume their conversation offline (outside the meeting on a one-to-one basis). In these instances, the chairperson will do their best to use NVC and keep the meeting running efficiently and
compassionately. If you have concerns that are not addressed, or if you need to take a break as the result of a trigger during the business meeting, you are encouraged to reach out to any voting member after the meeting to make sure your view is understood.
In all that we do at this meeting, we take guidance from the 12 Traditions of Violence Anonymous:
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon VA unity.
- For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
- The only requirement for VA membership is a desire to stop participating in the cycle of violence.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or VA as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the person who still suffers from violence.
- A VA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the VA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
- Every VA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- Violence Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- VA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Violence Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the VA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, television, films, the internet and all other media.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.