- The views and opinions expressed

during this podcast are

those of our guests.

No one person speaks for A.A. as a whole.

- Hello and welcome back

to Our Primary Purpose,

the official podcast of

the General Service Office

of Alcoholics Anonymous

for the US and Canada.

For the first episode of season two,

we are gonna pick up right

where we left off in season one,

which was a bonus episode, exploring what

to expect at the upcoming

International Convention,

celebrating 90 years of

Alcoholics Anonymous. Along

with 33,731 A.A. members,

their friends, families,

and other supporters,

we were there in Vancouver,

British Columbia, Canada

to capture this incredible experience so

that we can share it with you.

My name is Nathan, I'm an alcoholic.

This is Our Primary Purpose

and welcome to...Vancouver

- And the 2025 International Convention

of Alcoholics Anonymous!

- The weather on July 3rd

is perfect, warm, sunny,

and bright, as the thousands

of smiling faces from

around the world make their way

to the two massive buildings

that make up Canada Place

positioned on the waterfront

of Vancouver Harbour.

The day is designated for

registration, exploring the venue,

which includes an in-depth

General Service Office Archives

exhibit, bookstore, hospitality

suites, information booths,

and countless rooms where

the meetings, panels

and discussions will be taking

place in the days to come.

But this is also the day when

the thousands of visitors from

around the world get to

start meeting each other.

- Hi, my name is Nicola. I'm from Munich.

I'm an alcoholic, and I just arrived

and I run into my old friend Alexander

that I haven't seen in

Munich for a couple of years.

And here he is, right here.

- Hi, I am Alexander.

I am from Munich too.

I'm an alcoholic. Yes, I, I'm

glad to be here in Vancouver.

- Hi, my name is Vivian.

I'm an alcoholic from Malta.

Malta's, a very small island in the middle

of the Mediterranean.

I've been sober since the

12th of December, 1987.

Thanks to a very small group

over there who were six people

and now it's grown up to 120-something.

- Hola mi nombre es Aracely T.,

vengo de Colombia, Medellín.

Pertenezco a la comunidad

de Alcohólicos Anónimos

hace 32 años.

- Hello everyone, this

is Ali. I'm alcoholic.

I got sober in India in 1989 in Group

of Hyderabad and

Secunderabad, twin cities,

and I'm grateful to Alcoholics Anonymous

and also Grapevine for keeping me sober.

- [Speaking Mandarin]

- Hi, I'm an alcoholic

from China.

I live in Kunming, Yunnan.

My name is Chu. I'm very excited.

I just arrived here last night

and I couldn't sleep the whole night,

but today I still feel like full of power

and so very excited.

- Hi, my name is Luke. I'm an alcoholic.

I'm three years sober in August

this year. I'm from

United Kingdom, Nottingham.

And I'm here on my own just wanting

to meet fellow alcoholics,

soak up the atmosphere.

- My name is Shannon and I'm an alcoholic

from Vancouver, BC.

I am just humbled by the tens of thousands

of people who have recovered

from, you know, this seemingly

helpless disease.

You know, it's beautiful

outside, we're on the water,

there are thousands of people all saying

hello to one another.

There's nothing quite like it.

- And just when you think

this amazing first day

of the convention is winding down,

the live music starts up

out on the plaza marking the

beginning of the four hour block party.

- I said, Vancouver

are you still with us!?

This was a huge party,

awesome cover band on stage, framed

by the mountains in the background,

and thousands of people

singing and dancing so hard.

The concrete beneath our feet

was bouncing up and down.

- I don't need to be

drunk today to have fun

and I love that. -This is

a group of friends from

Oklahoma.

- The happiness is real and genuine.

- I had chills when I walked

up. - I was always a dancer.

But this I love.

I love seeing everyone out

here dancing, not caring,

being themselves and

just having a great time.

- This couples from Ontario. - It's

quite incredible for me actually,

because I wasn't a dancer before,

but now I really just don't

care what people think.

- Woo!

- Woohoo!

- Heck yeah. - These ladies

are from Vancouver.

- I've never experienced

anything like this.

- Now as you can see,

we're just like out there.

- Things like this is where are

what keep me sober. Totally.

- I'm just truly honored

that it's here in Vancouver.

You know, my home where

I live. And just amazed.

I think. I can't believe all the love

that I'm feeling in

the city. It's amazing.

- Once in a lifetime to actually

have it here in our city.

I mean, we are so blessed.

And look at this.

- You guys are rockstars!

- And what incredible

evening we have had like

- no rain. So let's give

a round of applause for

that. - I mean, no rain in Vancouver.

For more information about A.A. please

visit our website at aa.org.

- Day two is when the convention

really kicks into gear.

The fellowship, exploration,

and education continue

throughout the convention,

but this is when the

actual A.A. meetings, panels,

and discussions begin.

By this point, the marathon

meetings have been going since

midnight the night before

and would be held nonstop

throughout the weekend,

breaking only for the big meetings

that would be held at BC

Place Stadium in the evenings.

There was a total of 29 marathon meetings,

but 194 meetings were held in

the larger spaces throughout

the convention centre.

This includes meetings held in all kinds

of different languages,

[Speaking Japanese]

[Speaking Polish]

[Speaking French]

[Speaking Spanish]

[Speaking German]

- Different focuses.

- This is a BIPOC panel. - Pilots

and Cockpit Crew Members. - International

- Lawyers in A.A. - People

of Transgender Experience.

- Topics. - Technology in A.A.

- Going to Any Lengths. -

Why Alcoholics Anonymous

is Anonymous.

- Discussions.

- Carrying the Message

and Making it Accessible to

Neurodivergent Alcoholics.

- Online Meetings:

Are We Hiding Behind Our Screens?

- Skits and Plays in A.A.: Do They

- Help?

- And it wasn't just people

in the rooms that got

to enjoy these panels.

- This is a historic moment.

Our first International

Convention with online attendees.

- This is Kelley C., GSO Staff

Coordinator for Treatment,

Accessibilities, and Remote Communities.

- We have watch parties

from all over the world.

Shout out to our LIM

members. LIM is Loaners

Internationalist Meeting.

We have some joining us online

and A.A. members who have

gone into treatment centers

and correctional facilities

to bring the convention there.

So I just really wanna acknowledge them.

Welcome everyone to A.A. Around the

- World!

And it wasn't just members of A.A.

that experienced the convention.

There were also Al-Anon

events taking place

for family members and friends affected

by a loved one's alcoholism.

But all kinds of people

showed up who aren't members

of either organization.

- Hi, I am Cynthia. I'm an alcoholic.

I'm from Ajax, Ontario, Canada.

- My name is Gary. I'm Cynthia's husband.

I am not a member of A.A.

but I am in full support of it all

because it, it's changed

my life for the better.

My wife has been sober for numerous years

and I can appreciate what

it's done for my life

and what this actually means.

And to come and support

or just experience it, it's, it's,

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

- Where are you coming in

from? From Sydney, Australia.

- Sydney, Australia.

You are the first Aussie I've

gotten to talk to. - Really?

- We've got our kids with us.

- Hi. - Hey, what are your names?

- Archie and Charlotte. It's awesome.

- Yeah? - There's lots of people. -Yeah,

you ever seen anything

like this before? - Never.

- You walk 10 metres, you

see someone else, you know,

it's like opening a

present every five minutes.

It's amazing.

- Needless to say.

The International Convention is Massive

and there is no way it could

happen without the incredible

efforts of over 4,000

volunteers providing assistance,

support, and service

throughout the convention.

- Hi, my name is Jonathan.

I am an alcoholic and I'm from Montreal.

- Hi, I am Jordan W.

from Denver, Colorado.

- Hi, I am Vaughn from Mount

Pleasant, South Carolina.

- I've been on the job for three hours,

I've got half an hour left

and I'm really sad that

it's going to be over

because there's a guy playing

like electric guitar over here

and I feel electric

and people are getting

really, really excited

and I'm really excited to

say, "Hi, you're valued here.

How can I be of service?"

- Well, I knew they were gonna need help.

There's so many people

here. So just doing my part.

- Pretty much greeting, helping people

with disabilities just

to find a wheelchair

or just to sit down or to go

and get a scooter, for example.

Yeah, yeah. Or just to, to

to make sure that they're,

they're going on the right way.

That's where I met most

of my best friends,

so through services.

So that's why I'm doing the same here.

And I like, I meet people

from all around the world.

So I, after that, when

I'm traveling, I have kind

of a place to stay.

No, I'm just kidding. But,

but yeah, no, I like meeting

people. Making friends. Yeah.

- I wanted to sign up to volunteer

because this is the best way

for me to stand in one place

and see as many people as possible.

I'm here so if anyone else

needs to be lifted up,

I wanna be there right beside them.

- Have you been to an

International before?

- Yes, that's my second one.

The first one was in Toronto in 2005.

So I was one year sober and

that changed my life actually.

And that's pretty much why I'm here.

I didn't know that Alcoholics

Anonymous was that big,

so I really felt that I

was a part of something

and I really felt that there was a,

I felt hope.

I'm always asking

to everybody if it's

their first conference.

And I, I, I like to share that story

because it's changed my life here.

- But as the day winds

down, the volunteers do not.

Now many of them are spread

throughout the streets

of Vancouver, assisting the

convention goers to... - Walk the

- Walk! BC Place!

- As we make our way en

mass to BC Place Stadium

for the first of three big

meetings when we all gather

to celebrate Alcoholics Anonymous.

- Hey guys, so if you go to B.. You know

where you're going? Downstairs?

- Yeah! - The volunteers are

still there helping more than

33,000 attendees into the stadium

in time for the big event,

which is kicked off

with bagpipes and drums.

The performance was followed

by an opening speech from

General Service Board Chair,

Scott H.

- For all of us, we gather this weekend

to celebrate the fact

that just a little over 90

years ago today, two men

sat at a kitchen table

and the experience they

shared going both ways is the

foundational reason that most

of us are alive here tonight

in this beautiful place.

- We then were grateful to be presented

with a powerful welcome ceremony

by the Musqueam, Squamish,

and Tsleil-Waututh Nations,

indigenous to the lands

where we held our convention.

And then the evening's main event.

- And now the 2025 International

Convention opening flag

ceremony featuring 89 flags

from around the world.

Each flag is carried by a member

who has traveled from the

A.A. community in that land

to be here with us tonight. To

lead off our opening ceremony:

Albania!

- The ceremony is spectacular.

- Ghana!

- It is truly remarkable

to see Alcoholics Anonymous's

global presence brought

to life in a physical way.

Nicaragua! - The joy radiating

from the flag barer's faces.

Sri Lanka! - The support shared

by the crowd. -Ukraine!

The flags were presented in

alphabetical order. - Wales! - Except

for the last two. Canada

and the United States of America!

- Who shared the stage together.

- Please join me in reciting

the serenity prayer.

- After the ceremony,

we had an A.A. meeting.

- God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change.

- Just a regular A.A. meeting.

- Courage to change the things I can

and wisdom to know the difference

- With almost 34,000 in attendance.

- Tonight we have a three speaker meeting.

- My name is Diema and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi everybody, I'm

Mika, I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi everybody, my name is Jonie

and I am an alcoholic. Tánsi.

That's my language, Cree. It means

hello.

I'm a Métis.

I'm your true blue Canadian girl.

I was raised in a little

town, it's called Faust.

I don't think you know it, it's

where all the good looking

Cree Indians come from.

In our culture

we didn't speak English

or did we learn to write English.

So our heritage was passed

down by storytelling.

I was raised with beautiful,

beautiful storytellers

and I'm so deeply honoured to

be able to tell you my story.

- For Jonie's story.

Mika's and Dima's, the flag ceremony,

Along with all the events

of the big meetings from the

International Convention,

anonymized videos are

available for purchase at aa.org.

- To find a meeting near you

or a meeting online,

download the Meeting Guide

app on your mobile device.

- After the big meeting

the party did continue

throughout the night

with events like the young people's dance

and the marathon meetings.

But we'll move on to day three.

- So my name is Miguel. I'm an alcoholic

and a drug addict. I'm from Mexico City.

- Yeah, my name is

Miguel. I'm a alcoholic.

I come from Mexico. With the music

we, we make a bridge, a spiritual bridge

with another alcoholic,

you know. - I can't believe

how I can see a lot of people,

it's a lot of people, a lot of countries,

but the same objective. And

the more important is the all-

all is the the same. We

are the the same. No.

And this is for- I, I can't believe

that. I can't believe that.

- More bridges and connections

between alcoholics from

around the world were being

made in all kinds of ways

all weekend long,

and just a few blocks away

A.A.s monthly magazine's.

Grapevine and La Viña

were doing the same thing...

- Alright,

You ready to have some fun?

- Through theater.

A La Viña committee from Area 6,

Northern California

performed a movement piece

and a Grapevine committee from

Area 44, Northern New Jersey

delighted audiences

with an original piece...

- "My Fairly Drunk Lady"

- Complete with song parody.

- "I've trained my brain to

only drink champagne."

- Conflict.

- "Eliza, you betrayed my

trust, damaged my reputation

and furthermore-" *bleh*

- And resolution...

"I've got the thinking...people

call stinking,

- So get me to my group.

Get me to my group. For God's sake

get me to my group on time."

- The Grapevine play is always one

of the more popular events of the weekend.

But the event we consistently, time

and time again, heard people share

that they were most

looking forward to was...

- The old timers meeting, old timers

meeting, the old timers, the old timers

meeting, the old timers.

- So we sat down with an old timer.

- I consider myself a long timer.

- So we sat down with a long timer.

- My name is Trevor, I'm an alcoholic.

I'm from Burnaby, British Columbia,

and I am over 50 years sobriety.

- Before we walk the

walk back to the stadium

for the old timers meeting,

I asked Trevor why he put his

name in the hat in the place.

- This is a once in a time thing.

I will never be at this point again.

If I can carry the message

to somebody that needs

to hear it, then great.

- Just like the night before,

the crowds are buzzing

as we make our way into BC Place Stadium,

where over 205 members with 50 years

or more of sobriety in

A.A. are seated directly

in front of the stage.

Their sobriety dates range between 1960

and 1975, adding up

to more than 10,700 years

of sobriety. From this group

12 speakers are chosen at random to speak

for about five minutes each.

Hearing them share their

experience, strength, hope, and humor

it becomes very obvious why

so many people look forward to this event.

Here is Dave F. from Hudson,

Florida. 51 years of sobriety.

He began by pulling out his notes.

- I brought my notes with me.

- Then immediately put them away.

- I just,

Hey, wait a minute.

I, I don't want you

applauding all the time.

I only got five minutes

to talk so you can cut

that out right now.

There was a meeting called

Sober Buffaloes that I went to

and they, they were named

after some of the things

that buffaloes do.

One of them is they stay in a herd close.

They keep the young and

infirmed in the middle.

And that's what we tell new

people. Stay in the middle.

We also tell them,

come on in closer to us.

Come on and do what we're

doing. Don't be out there.

That's where you get picked off out there.

Thirdly, when there's, when

there's a storm coming,

I'm told they walk into it

because as they walk into it, it passes by

and it ends fairly soon.

And that's what we do with

new people. That's what we do.

Stop applauding!

Just what I figured. Nobody'd listen.

So the last thing I wanna

say, well I think it is.

The last thing I wanna

say is that, oh, this is

where the notes come in.

I usually say in a meeting at one time

or another that,

that I do not want justice for my past.

I do not want any justice.

Justice is what I deserve

and I don't want that.

And A.A. has shown me how

to live and not get that.

Secondly, I want mercy. I want mercy.

Mercy is what I get that I

don't deserve. And I want mercy.

I also want grace. And I've

been given mercy and grace.

And grace is getting

what you don't deserve.

And that's what I've gotten here in A.A.

Now you've got three seconds to applaud.

- This is Jerome S. from Corona,

California. 52 years sober.

- You know, if I was going to

talk about anything tonight,

I think I'd talk about Dr.

Silkworth. 'Cause when he

said strange as it may seem

to those that don't understand

that once a psychic change has occurred,

the very same person who

seemed doomed that he had

so many problems, he despaired

of ever solving them,

suddenly finds himself

able to control his desire

for alcohol.

The only thing required is

he follow a few simple rules.

But he didn't tell you the rules.

The first rule is you have

to have a sobriety date.

That date is non-negotiable.

The next thing you need,

a home group, a sponsor,

the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

And the fifth rule is the 12th step.

There's no other activity that

will immune me from drinking

as intense work with another alcoholic.

Through the 12 Steps of

Alcoholics Anonymous,

I get the sixth rule.

I get to insist on enjoying life,

avoiding the deliberate

manufacture of misery,

facing life on life's terms, not ducking

or dodging any of life's issues.

Walking in my own

personal branded dignity,

not making any excuse for my

existence, having healthy,

wholesome fun a day at a time

and can't you tell I'm having

some fun here in Canada and

Vancouver. Thank you so much.

- The final day of the

International Convention consists

of one last big meeting in the stadium.

It began by paying respect on

behalf of Alcoholics Anonymous

to all the correctional facilities

and correctional professionals

worldwide who have cooperated

with A.A. over the decades in

helping bring the A.A. message

of hope behind the walls.

We then heard recordings

from members of a group

that resides within the walls

of the Dorchester Penitentiary

in Dorchester, New Brunswick.

- I was inside for 30 months

for two dangerous driving

charges, breath refusal,

and assaulting officers.

My corrections didn't really start

until the day I walked

into my first A.A. meeting at

Dorchester Penitentiary.

- Alcohol is changed

my life for the worst,

and then A.A. has rescued me from that.

And there's no other place

you can go and get a handshake

and a smile and people really mean it.

- And it has been

remarkable for my existence

because I thought I was a complete loss.

I didn't think there

was any possibility of

changing my existence.

I have a lot of faith for

the future because of A.A.

and sobriety.

- Afterwards, the General

Service Board Chair, Scott H.

presented the 43rd millionth

published copy of the Big Book

to Dorchester Penitentiary

warden, Christopher Lamb.

- On June 22nd,

Dorchester Penitentiary

proudly began its 76th year,

of valued partnership

with Alcoholics Anonymous.

Within our walls, where hopes

can sometimes feel distant,

A.A. has positively impacted

countless lives. To me

A.A. is more than a program,

it's a beacon of light and hope.

It helps our inmates

hold onto their humanity,

to their potential, and

that change is possible.

This book will be on display in a place

of honor at Dorchester Penitentiary.

And its message will continue

to live in the hearts of those

who read it, share it, and live it.

Thank you for this extraordinary honor.

We are proud to be part

of this journey with you.

- We then wrapped it all up.

- My name's Marty. I'm an alcoholic.

- The same way this whole thing began.

- My name is Justin. I

am a recovered alcoholic.

- With an A.A. meeting.

- My name is Paz and I am an alcoholic.

- And as for us at GSO,

we headed to New York

and got back to work,

Looking forward to preparations

for the next International Convention.

- St. Louis is ready to welcome you

with open arms and open hearts.

See you in 2030!

- Thank you for listening

to Our Primary Purpose,

a podcast produced by the

General Service Office on behalf

of the Fellowship of

Alcoholics Anonymous in the US

and Canada.