Background/History

Due in part to trends of industrialization and globalization, the quality of life in rural areas of Asia and Africa continues to deteriorate. ARI concentrates its efforts on inviting and training grassroots rural leaders, such as tribal leaders, rural clergy, locally established NGO workers, etc. who dedicate themselves to working for the betterment of their own people. ARI was established in 1973 in response to the call of the Inaugural Assembly in 1959 of the East Asia Christian Conference at Kuala Lumpur calling on Japanese churches to begin rural leaders training.

Goals & Objectives

Human resource training. Each year, ARI carries out a 9-month rural leaders training program to study sustainable agriculture through integrated organic farming, community development, and leadership. Upon completion of this training, the participant will return to work in his/her sending body in his/her community, utilizing what they have learned in ARI to work for the development of their own people.

Since ARI seeks out some of the most marginalized rural people in the world, we do not expect them to have the financial resources to cover this training. Therefore, on their behalf, we are always seeking to raise funds for their training.

Activities Plan

Our training program is community-based and practically oriented. Covering nearly 2000 hours of instruction, participants take part in hands on learning, lectures, and study tours in integrated organic agriculture (raising crops and rearing livestock), community building, and leadership. Each year we build a community of learning and sharing, which is composed of staff, volunteers, and international program participants. Strong emphasis is placed on self-sustainability. We teach the community how to identify and use local resources, including human resources as well as natural resources. Working as a community, we produce 90% of the food we eat here on campus.