History of AA in Portugal
Service Manual
HISTORY OF AA IN PORTUGAL
The origins of A.A. in Portugal are not well documented, as the first members left no written accounts or testimonies about this period.
It is believed that Alcoholics Anonymous was introduced to Portugal by an Englishman living in Lisbon, who had come into contact with A.A. during a detox in his home country. Upon returning to Portugal, he shared the message of recovery with an old drinking friend, architect Guilherme S., who was informed about A.A. and how it helped him stop drinking. Guilherme, known as Guili, also stopped drinking, and the two began meeting regularly, sometimes at each other’s homes. They soon started helping other alcoholics, leading to the initial, albeit small-scale, spread of the A.A. recovery program in Portugal.
Although still in its early stages, A.A. had taken root, particularly in Lisbon. The archives of the New York Office of General Services provide a tructured overview of A.A. in Portugal: 1956: The total number of A.A. members registered with the New York General Services Office (GSO) was two.
1957-1972
Records indicate that English-speaking groups, comprising 2 to 12 members, existed between Lisbon and the Lajes Base in the Azores.
1972
From 1972 to 1977, members registered with the New York GSO were solo members and part of the group known as the “Lisbon International Group” based at Corpo Santo. In 1972, Reg W., an Englishman from Brazil, began holding regular meetings at the Corpo Santo hall in Lisbon, which is believed to be the first official A.A. group in Portugal. Reg W. was essentially the founder of the Corpo Santo Group, though he was largely a lone member for many years.
1975
Ed L., an A.A. member from the United States, arrived in Portugal and began spreading the A.A. message in hospitals, particularly at the Casa de Saúde do Telhal, and among charity associations and doctors. Through Dr. Aires Gameiro, a psychologist and priest at the Casa de Saúde do Telhal, he started holding meetings for inpatients. This marked the beginning of Portuguese-speaking A.A. members, although none had yet achieved sobriety. Meetings were conducted in English, with Ed translating them into Portuguese.
1978
Ed passed the message to Jorge L., a Portuguese man who stopped drinking and began accompanying Ed on visits to Telhal. The first Portuguese A.A. members began to appear in the International Group at Corpo Santo.
In October 1978, Alcoholics Anonymous Lisbon attended the VII Congress of Social Psychiatry, setting up a literature and information stand with four A.A. members present. Ed L. shared his testimony about the A.A. recovery program.
Shortly after the congress, Norman, another lone member from Porto, founded the Porto A.A. group with Argentil S. Ed L. eventually left Portugal, but his efforts planted the seeds for A.A. to grow nationwide.
An Englishspeaking A.A. group had already been established in Portimão, Algarve, registered in 1977 with the New York GSO, but it struggled to reach Portuguese alcoholics.
Jorge L. continued visiting the Casa de Saúde do Telhal, supported by Dr. Aires Gameiro and Dr. Pistachini Galvão, who spoke about A.A.’s Twelve-Step Program and encouraged patients to read A.A. literature.
1979
The Corpo Santo A.A. group was officially established, with meetings held on Mondays and Thursdays at 9 PM.
In November 1979, at the First Ibero-American A.A. Meeting, Brazil decided to sponsor the movement in Portugal, sending notices for future meetings and maintaining correspondence. This support included sending free literature for opening new groups and exempting postage for literature orders from Portugal.
1984
The Corpo Santo A.A. group saw a revival with new members brought in by family or referrals from medical professionals, including Dr. Leitão de Barros, Dr. Aires Gameiro, Dr. Margarida Cordo, and Dr. Joaquim M. Carrilho.
1989
The first rudimentary A.A. service structure was set up in Portugal, integrating groups from Lisbon and surrounding areas. The Lisbon Intergroup was formed to ensure basic A.A. services such as literature, telephone, and hospital outreach. The translation of A.A. literature into European Portuguese began, starting with basic pamphlets and later the “Blue Book,” which was first published in Portugal in 1994.
There was a clear need to extend the service structure to northern Portugal to prevent Lisbon groups from making national decisions alone.
1990-1995
There was a clear need to extend the service structure to northern Portugal to prevent Lisbon groups from making national decisions alone.
The NorthernIntergroup was created in 1993, similar to the Lisbon Intergroup. The formation of a Representative Assembly between 1994 and 1995 aimed to improve national coordination.
Portugal was invited to participate in the European Service Meeting and had two European delegates from 1989.
1995
In October 1995, with sponsorship from Alcoholics Anonymous Spain, the Assembly of Representatives was transformed into an Assembly of General Services, marking the beginning of a permanent structure for General Services in Portugal.
On October 5, 1997, the General Services Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous in Portugal was established, formalizing the national service structure guided by the principles of the Constitutive Charter.
1999
The 1st General Services Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous in Portugal, under the theme “Serving United to Grow.” The Conference recommended celebrating National A.A. Day on March 19, the date of the first national service meeting in 1994.
HISTORY OF ONLINE GROUPS IN PORTUGAL
2016
At the 2016 National A.A. Forum in Fatima, Pedro M. and Carlos D. discussed starting an online meeting. The idea was enthusiastically received, and Carlos V., Porfírio S., and Teresa M. joined the effort.
Preparatory meetings were held, and the group sought information and help from the International Intergroup. Various platforms were considered, and eventually, Jorge F., Alexandra T., and Fernando T. joined.
The first meeting began on October 16, 2016, under the name “Sóbrio Online” (Sober Online), initially meeting weekly for an hour, then twice a week. The first meeting included members from Fundão, Angola, Lisbon, and Brazil.
2020 – 2023
With “Sóbrio Online” well established, new groups were formed: Grupo Recuperação Online on February 4, 2020.
Grupo Sexta Online (Friday Online), now 36 Online, on June 5, 2020.
The Grupo de Mulheres Online (Women’s Online Group) on July 10, 2020, the first of its kind in Portugal.
The Online Intergroup of Portugãl was created on November 7, 2020, including Sóbrio Online; Recuperação Online; Sexta Online e Mulheres Online, to integrate online groups into the National Structure of Alcoholics Anonymous
Two additional groups were formed: Grupo Caminhamos Juntos Online on October 9, 2021, and Grupo Ponte para a Serenidade Online on May 5, 2022.
Atlântico, another online group, was launched on April 1, 2023. At the 2023 A.A. Conference, it was approved to transform the Intergroup into Area 13, represented by a Delegate starting in 2024.
Currently, there are seven online groups, all meeting more than once a week, offering Steps, Traditions, Thematic, and Open meetings. Some groups also offer meditation meetings based on the 11th Step and women’s alcoholism meetings. They have well-attended meetings with members from around the world, and some group members also serve on Area 13 and Council Committees.
The online groups fulfil the purpose of the 3rd Tradition, similar to any other A.A. group.
1) Groups from Amora, Amadora, Amoreiras, Corpo Santo, and Santa Isabel.
2) Term used in AA slang in Portugal, because the cover of the first Portuguese edition was blue. The Anglo‑Saxon term is Big Book.
3) Integrating the groups from Braga, Ermesinde, Famalicão, Matosinhos, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, and Valadares.