DRAFT FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GROUP CONSCIENCE
“Kindr should remain forever non-professional, but our service centres may employ special workers.”
Tradition Eight affirms that the heart of Kindr is spiritual, not professional. We are not therapists, doctors, or caseworkers—we are recovering addicts helping each other to heal. The wisdom we share is not academic; it is lived. What we offer in Kindr comes not from qualifications, but from experience, honesty, and love.
Recovery cannot be bought or sold. It happens in the sacred space of mutual service, where one person reaches out to another. No one gets paid to lead a meeting or to sponsor someone. No one earns a salary to share their story. Our power lies precisely in this: we help each other freely, and in doing so, we recover together.
This Tradition also acknowledges that some practical tasks may require paid help. We may need to hire a cleaner for a service centre, an accountant for financial records, or an IT professional for our website. These are not acts of recovery—they are acts of administration. Tradition Eight draws a clear line: we remain non-professional in our spiritual work, but we may employ special workers to support the functioning of Kindr behind the scenes.
That distinction is vital. If money ever enters the heart of our fellowship, we are in danger. If someone is paid to carry the message, the message becomes distorted. If service is motivated by salary, it loses its soul. But if a worker is paid to fix a toilet or manage a database, that does not violate the spirit of this Tradition—it strengthens our capacity to serve.
For us in Kindr, the most powerful help we can give is not professional—it is personal. We say, “This is what helped me. Maybe it will help you.” That is enough. No one is above another. The addict who speaks at the meeting has no more authority than the one who sweeps the floor. We all belong.
Tradition Eight invites us to trust in the power of peer support. It is not only valid—it is sacred. And while we may use professional help in our personal recovery journeys, in Kindr, we remain equals, walking the path together.
Key Spiritual Principles in Tradition Eight:
Equality – We stand on equal footing, each of us offering what we have freely.
Humility – We do not pretend to be experts; we speak only from our own experience.
Service – We help because we were helped, not for money, power, or recognition.
Clarity – We distinguish between spiritual service and practical employment.
Trust – We believe that recovery shared peer-to-peer carries its own profound authority.
DRAFT FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE GROUP CONSCIENCE