Rural Leaders
Training Program
The Asian Rural Institute is a training center for ruralcommunity leaders, set on a 6-hectare farm in Northern
Japan.

Each year, from April to December, we carry out our
Rural Leaders Training Program which focuses onservant leadership, community building, andsustainable agriculture. The aim of the program is tonurture and train grassroots leaders to be more
effective in their communities as they work to serve
the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized.
The training is community-based, and hands-on
learning is emphasized in all areas. Each year we
invite about 30 women and men from a wide varietyof countries, cultures, and faiths. Working together,
we produce and share our own food.
At the heart of the program is ‘Foodlife’—our basic
philosophy to value and work with the deep
connections that exist between food and life. Since
our foundation in 1973, ARI has trained more than
1,400 rural leaders - dedicated servants committed toworking side by side with their people toward moresustainable, healthy, self-reliant communities.
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ARI MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Asian Rural Institute is to build
an environmentally, healthy, just and peaceful worldin which each person can live to his or her fullest potential.
This mission is rooted in the love of Jesus Christ.
To carry out this mission,
we nurture and train rural leaders for a life of sharing.
Leaders, both women and men, who live and workin grassroots rural communities primarily in Asia, Africa
and the Pacific, form a community of learning
each year together with staff and other residents.
Through community-based learning, we study the best
ways for rural people to share and enhance local resources
and abilities for the common good.
We present a challenge to ourselves and to the whole worldin our approach to food and life.
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Training Rural Leaders
ARI is looking for grassroots rural leaders, who are living and working with marginalized groups intheir rural communities. We are seeking local leaders who have demonstrated through their actions acommitment to serve their people and act as catalysts for positive change within their own
communities. In a world that is rapidly changing, our curriculum focuses on core principles that are
relevant in a variety of contexts. Adaptation and resilience, key factors in creating strong ruralcommunities, are only possible with a deep understanding of the needs of one’s own community.
The Asian Rural Institute is a training institute duly registered with the Japanese
Government. Our training methods, however, are quite different from what you might find at a
traditional school, college, or university. We do not provide an academic degree, nor do we promoteindustrialized agricultural technology, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides or large scalemonocultures. Much of the learning takes place through the simple acts of living in community,
working on an organic farm, and sharing food. Upon completion of the program, participants areissued a "Certificate of Graduation."
The ARI curriculum can roughly be divided into four categories: hands on training/field study, fieldmanagement, classroom lectures, and off campus observation trips. Perhaps the greatest strength of
our program is its practical orientation — learning by doing.
ARI graduate Peter Chandi (Kenya, 1990) said it best:"When you learn by doing, you get the skill right inside you."

The "three pillars" of the ARI curriculum:

Foodlife

Servant Leadership
ARI is a place where every person canlearn about himself or herself throughnew experiences and ideas, so we may
come to a deeper understanding of what
it means to be a leader who serves
people.

That We
May Live
Together

ARI is a place that values the soil—including
the farmers and rural communities that work
the soil—and finds dignity and satisfaction in
producing food with our own hands.

Community of Learning

ARI is a place where we can learn through sharing—sharing foods and sharing
life. We come as people of different cultures, ethnicities and faiths, choosing
to live and grow together through our differences and difficulties. In our life
together, we work toward the goal of becoming effective servant-leaders,learning with and from one another.

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Daily Schedule
Every day at ARI is full of activities. During the daytime, Participants focus on their training while the staff
and volunteers work in their respective sections.

Weekends are usually free, but there are many
activities offered, such as recreation, special workshops, and worship services.

6:30

Exercise, prayer and cleaning

7:00

Foodlife Work

8:15

Breakfast & Break

9:30

Morning Gathering

Time frame

10:20

Class Session / Farmwork / Other Activities

The annual nine-month program runs from April to
December, which coincides with one full agricultural
cycle from spring planting to autumn harvest.

12:30

Lunch & Break

13:30

Class Session / Farmwork / Other Activities

15:30

Reflection & Independent Study Hour

17:00

Evening Foodlife work

18:30

Dinner & Free time

Accommodations

Dormitories are provided for participants and volunteers. Rooms are double occupancy, so you will be
asked to share your room with a person from another country and perhaps another religion.
Dormitory life is an integral part of the learning in ARI and provides many opportunities to put our motto
into practice — "That We May Live Together".

Financial Information
The costs of the training program is US$ 17,840. This includes tuition fees, room, board, study tours,
health insurance, and a small monthly stipend. Additionally, there is the expense of the round trip airfare,which varies depending on the country of origin. We also require an additional US$ 100 registration fee
upon acceptance of the applicant.
As ARI actively seeks to serve some of the poorest and most marginalized people, we are very much awarethat many Sending Bodies cannot cover these costs. Because we do not wish to discriminate against any
applicant due to financial capability, we work hard to assist in connecting potential supporters to Sending
Bodies in need of funding.
We ask for the fullest cooperation of SBs and applicants, to work with us to secure funding.
ARI was founded by Rev. Dr. Toshihiro Takami in 1973. He strongly
believed in the capacity of rural leaders to change themselves and theircommunities, in order for ALL living beings to enjoy a full life. Afterall, it is they
who have the power to support their communities by growing the food that
nurtures life. He considered it essential to invest in such grassroots leaders who
are willing to dedicate their whole lives to sustain life for the future. For this, heemphasizes, we must all be willing to learn from each other and participate insuch a community that is constantly learning.
His hope for us is simple:“Let us create a world in which life
and the food that sustains life have the highest value”
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Apply to the Rural Leaders Training Program
Two-step Admissions Process
1. Approval of the organization as a Sending Body

2. Submissions of the individual's application

1. Approval of the organization as a Sending Body
Anyone interested in taking part in the ARI Rural Leaders Training Program must be employed, or
actively involved, in an organization that will serve as her/his Sending Body (SB). The organization
may be an international, national or local NGO, religious organization, or other organization based
in a rural area. The organization must have a clear history of working for at least 3 years with
marginalized people in the local community, and a commitment toward self-sustainability.
Single church organizations should apply through their regional association or Diocesan authority.
Government offices or departments are normally not considered as SBs. Exceptions are made forcountries without NGOs or church organizations. ARI does NOT promote church-planting
evangelism, large-scale agriculture, and industrial development, and will not consider
organizations with these goals.

Director of the Asian Rural Institute and other staff visiting graduates and their Sending Bodies

Sending Body: the bridge between the Individual applicant and ARI.
ARI views SBs as partners in a common mission. In order to form a productive relationship, it isessential to begin with a mutual understanding of each other's work and mission. To maintain thisrelationship, SBs must select a “SB representative” - this is typically the head of the organization—
who ARI maintains contact with throughout the application process, the training, and continues
communication even after the graduate’s return to their community.
The applicant must be nominated by a Sending Body (SB) - a specific organization within which she/he is carrying out her/his work as staff or as volunteer. We strongly encourage the SB to selectqualified women leaders to apply for this training program. The applicant, together with the SB,must be able to provide a clear objective or plan for the use of the ARI training. Additionally, boththe applicant and SB must pledge to collaborate after the completion of the training. The applicant,as a new graduate, has the responsibility to bring back his/her learning from ARI to the SB, and the
SB must reintegrate the new graduate into the organization.
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If you are interested in sending someone from your organization for training, please submit
the following information to ARI by email:1) Organization Profile (page 7)2) Detailed answers to the Six Questions (box below)
3) Information materials about your organization, such as brochures, annual re ports, andproject descriptions4) Financial statements, such as recent details of income, expenditures, assets, liabilities, andcapital5) Organization Chart listing the names and positions of your organization's officers,
management, staff, and volunteers, in order of responsibility6) NGO Registration Certificate from government of your country (if applicable)
7) Map of your country showing your work area(s) and office location

The Six Questions
These questions along with the organization profile, must be answered by the Sending Body representative,
NOT the individual applicant.

1. How did you learn about the ARI Training Program and why are you interested in it?
Do you know any ARI graduates? Tell us their names and how you know them.

2. Describe in detail the community and the people that you are serving.
Where exactly does your organization operate? Who are the people you are serving? Describe the cultural,
historical, and environmental situations of your community.

3. Provide a brief history of your organization.
What is the mission of your organization? Include how and why it began.

4. Provide detailed descriptions of 3 projects or activities that your organization has completed
or is currently carrying out. Choose both successful and unsuccessful projects and provide reasons why you
feel your projects succeeded or failed. Within your descriptions include a timeline, the project goals, target people,
activities, duration, challenges, results and reasons for success or shortfalls.

5. Tell us about the proposed applicant. Provide the complete name, work status (full time, part time,volunteer, # of hours each week, how long they have worked with the organization), date of birth, and work
activities of the person you would like to send to ARI. Explain why you feel she/he is suitable for ARI training.

6. Describe your future plan concerning the applicant. What will she/he do when returning to theorganization after ARI training? Specifically, how will the ARI training be utilized by your organization?
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ARI will carefully review the materials sent by the organization. If the information received is not
sufficient, we may ask you some additional questions. The process may take a few weeks or even longer.
Upon approval of your organization as a Sending Body, we will send you an official ARI
Application Form for the individual applicant. An SB may recommend up to 2 people for the training.

2. Individual Application
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The applicant should be a woman or man dedicated to se rving pe ople at the grassroots le ve l inrural areas. The applicant must have at le ast 3 ye ars of e xpe rie nce as a le ade r in he r/his ruralcommunity.
In our selection of participants, preference is placed on field staff who are working directly with thepeople. Those working primarily in administration or in the directorship will not be considered. ARI
places high priority on the training of women, that they may participate more fully and equally in all
aspects of society. We welcome people of all faiths, as well as those without any religion.
ARI accepts overseas applicants between the ages of 25 and 45. The applicant must be prepared tolive a simple and demanding life. Daily manual labor on the farm and campus is required of allcommunity members. The applicant must be physically and mentally fit.
English is use d for all program activitie s and also in daily life . The applicant should have sufficie nt
ability to communicate in English.

Flow of Application Process:Submission of Sending Body Application by June 30th.
ARI Admissions checks your application, if all requirements are fulfilled,
we provide you with an Individual application.
Submission of Individual Application by July 31st.
ARI Screening Team checks your application and follows up with any questions in August.
Skype interview may be conducted between August and September.
Answer follow up questions, Applicant and SB representative appear
for online Skype interview.
ARI conducts further screening and informs you of results in October

The submission deadline for SB documents is June 30th of each year.
You may send completed application materials
to ARI via email to: recruitment@ari-edu.org
If you have no internet, please send by fax: +81-287-37-5833
or post: Asian Rural Institute | 442-1 Tsukinokizawa,
Nasushiobara | Tochigi 329-2703 | JAPANwww.ari-edu.org

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Date ________________
Sending Body Organization Profile
Please fill the form in CAPITAL letters if handwritten.

Full name of Organization _______________________________________________________________________________
Organization address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email Address______________________________________________Website_____________________________________
Phone
Organization date of Foundation
country code

area codeday

number

month

year

Name of SB representative __________________________________________________Position_______________________
Email of SB representative ________________________________________________________________________________
Category of the organization (please check all applicable fields)
National NGO

Foreign-based organization (international organization/NGO
Other: ______________________________

Number of employees Full-timePart-time

Total

women

men

Total

women

men

Other workers
e.g. volunteers

Total

Religious organization

women

men

Purpose of the organization __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Activities/projects/programs (please check all applicable fields)
Agriculture / livestock / forestry / fishery (specify) _____________________________________________________________
Cooperatives / group formation / SHGs
Gender
Education / training
Legal aid / advocacy
Environment
Health / nutrition
YouthMicro-FinanceSocial welfare
Income generation (specify) ________________________________________________________________________________
Other (describe) __________________________________________________________________________________________

Project locations _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Summary of activities _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is your organization affiliated with any church organization or larger organization, local, national or international?
Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Type of organization____________________________________________________________________________________
Partner organization(s) (relationship e.g. funding, endorsing, affiliate, mutual cooperation etc.)
Name

Contact Info (Country, email, phone#)

Relationship

1_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
2_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I confirm that I have attached the following documents with this application:
Answers to Six Questions
Financial statement

Organization chart
Other ______________________

Map of region
NGO Registration certificate (if applicable)
Information materials (specify) ___________________________________________________________________________________

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