About
About NERF
The North Eastern Regional Forum (NERF) is a service body within the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous that represents NA communities in India’s North Eastern region (North East India). It functions as a regional forum for communication, fellowship development, cooperation, and service coordination among NA Service bodies and groups in the North East India region.
States Covered in the NERF
NERF comprises the following states:
• Manipur
• Nagaland
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Assam
Affiliated with the Asia Pacific Forum (APF)
NERF is affiliated with the Asia Pacific Forum of Narcotics Anonymous, a zonal forum that connects NA communities across the Asia-Pacific region. APF supports fellowship growth, public relations, literature distribution, service workshops, and communication among member communities. NERF is one of the participating NA communities within the APF structure.
Purpose of NERF
Like other NA regional forums, NERF helps:
• Coordinate regional service activities.
• Support the growth of new NA groups and areas.
• Facilitate workshops and guidance for trusted servants.
• Strengthen Public Relations efforts.
• Improve communication between local NA communities and wider NA service structures.
• Help carry the NA message to addicts who still suffer.
Narcotics Anonymous in North East India Region
The development of NERF cannot be understood without examining the history of Narcotics Anonymous in Manipur.
Manipur has faced significant challenges related to substance use due to its geographical proximity to the Golden Triangle region. As the problem of drug abuse began to seep into Manipur around 1978-79, the numbers of drug users rose exponentially. With no clear policy for treatment, drug users were locked up in jails. In 1987, opportunities arose among the inmates who were jailed for drug abuse, to seek treatment in Kolkata. While the drug users were under treatment in Kolkata, members of Hospitals and Institution sub-committee (H & I), Kolkata Area Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous, came to give them panel presentations. After listening to the panel presentation given by H & I and attending the group meetings of Kolkata Narcotics Anonymous, they were filled with a new hope of quitting drugs and were inspired to even establish similar fellowships of Narcotics Anonymous in Manipur. Once their treatment was completed and as soon as they reached Manipur, they started working to organizing Narcotics Anonymous group meetings in Manipur.
The first NA meeting was held at Don Bosco School, Chingmeirong on 4th August 1987. These were just simple meetings; it had no proper structures that an NA meeting should have. They didn’t have any group names either.
On 1st Sept, 1988, the first Narcotics Anonymous group “Karuna” was formed and it remains functioning still today. In the beginning with only 20 to 30 members, Narcotics Anonymous began. On 18th October, 1990 the “Goodwill” Group was formed. Shortly on June 15, 1991 “Service Committee” which was later renamed to “Imphal Area Service Committee”. Shortly after the committee formed on June 15, 1991, an individual member from the Imphal fellowship traveled to the United States during the 1992 WSC cycle. This trip served as the community’s first step in learning about the World Service Committee structure and establishing a direct link between Imphal and the global fellowship.
By 1993, while not holding an independent vote as a seated region, the IASC submitted detailed committee breakdowns, localized group inventories, and letters through the broader 1993 Narcotics Anonymous India Inventory to be formally reviewed at the WSC.
NERF (North East Regional Forum) was formed on 14th June, 1998. The local fellowship eventually unified under a larger regional structure to gain official voting privileges. The North East Regional Forum (NERF), was formally recognized and officially seated at the WSC in 2018, giving the region its first direct delegate vote in conference business sessions.