– 3,000 km by Microbus. Preventing the Loss of Vital Learning Opportunities for Global Rural Communities. Striving Together Towards a Society Where We “Live Kindly with Neighbors” –
The Asian Rural Institute (ARI; Nasushiobara, Tochigi; Director: Osamu Arakawa) will launch its Summer Fundraising Campaign on August 1, 2026, via the crowdfunding platform “Syncable.” The campaign aims to realize the “Western Japan Study Tour” (scheduled for November), where grassroots community leaders from Asia and Africa experience and learn from Japan’s social issues and historical sites.
Prior to the official campaign launch, ARI begins the recruitment of “Support Funding Partners” today, July 1, to co-raise funds and spread awareness. The crowdfunding campaign will run until September 30, with a target goal of 1,000,000 JPY.
Details: https://ari.ac.jp/en/campaign/update?ari=news
If you are interested in making an advance donation, please contact us at [email protected].
1. Background: The Weight of Losing a “Learning Opportunity” for Future Leaders
Every year, ARI invites grassroots rural leaders from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific (22 leaders for this academic year) for a 9-month “Rural Leaders Training Program” focusing on organic agriculture and multicultural coexistence. The 12-day “Western Japan Study Tour” in November serves as the capstone and one of the most critical elements of this curriculum.
However, this year, the grant from the organization that had supported this tour for the past several years was not approved, leaving ARI in a critical situation with no secured funding for the tour at this moment.
The participants studying at ARI do not come merely to obtain academic credentials or to focus solely on personal self-improvement. They are “Servant Leaders” who will return home after graduation to spearhead environmental restoration, community development, and youth education—directly impacting the lives of hundreds and thousands of people in their villages. Depriving them of the opportunity to learn wisdom for peace and coexistence firsthand from Japan’s reality and history is not just a program cancellation; it represents a “profound opportunity loss for the development of global rural communities and the future of the people who live there.” To overcome this crisis and sustain this vital learning for the world’s future, ARI has decided to appeal to the wider public for support and collaboration.
2. This Year’s Theme: “Living Kindly with Neighbors: A Time to Heal”
“Living Kindly with neighbors begins with listening to the voices of suffering.”
In a world filled with endless news of division, conflict, and environmental destruction, are we truly able to think of those far away as our “neighbors” and sympathize with their pain?
The challenges these leaders face are not distant problems of strangers in a faraway country like Japan. Accepting issues such as discrimination and environmental destruction with the shocking realization that “this is happening in my own country” serves as the greatest driving force for them to tackle their own countries’ difficult challenges (poverty, conflict, and environmental destruction) and heal their communities upon return. We would be deeply grateful for your support in protecting this precious learning opportunity.
3. 3,000 km by Microbus: Destinations Confronting Realities of Life and Peace
Over the course of 12 days, the leaders will travel mainly through western Japan by microbus, visiting sites representing a history of pain and rebirth, as well as various modern social challenges.
- [Machida, Tokyo] Rural Mission Theological Seminary: The birthplace of ARI, where leaders learn about the post-war spirit of atonement that started the institute.
- [Hamamatsu, Shizuoka] Seirei Social Welfare Community: Learning about the pioneer spirit of medical care and social welfare that walks alongside the sick and suffering, and its contributions to local society.
- [Iga, Mie] Ainou Gakuen Agricultural High School: Visiting a unique organic agricultural high school to share life-fostering agricultural techniques and the ideal form of community.
- [Osaka, Osaka] Human Rights & Multicultural Coexistence Sites: Confronting human rights issues and histories of discrimination to gain wisdom for achieving a multicultural society (with support from Osaka YMCA and others).
- [Minamata, Kumamoto] History of Pollution & Environmental Ethics: Learning about the history of Minamata disease, listening to the voices of those affected, and studying community regeneration to consider environmental ethics that ensure no more lives are sacrificed behind economic growth.
- [Hiroshima, Hiroshima] Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum & Park: Visiting the atomic-bombed city to experience the tragedy of war and the preciousness of peace, offering prayers for world peace.
4. Launching July 1: Recruiting “Support Funding Partners”
Ahead of the official fundraising launch on August 1, ARI is inviting individuals to become “Support Funding Partners” starting today, July 1.
Support Funding Partners are peer-to-peer fundraisers who can set up their own unique advocacy pages as “sub-campaigns” under ARI’s main campaign on the Syncable platform. By writing about your personal thoughts on ARI and the importance of the Western Japan Study Tour in your own words, and calling for donations from your friends, acquaintances, and social media followers, you will play a vital role in expanding the warm circle of support across society that ARI cannot reach alone. We look forward to welcoming many partners to walk alongside these future global leaders.
From all of us at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI)
Details: https://ari.ac.jp/en/campaign/update?ari=news
If you are interested in making an advance donation, please contact us at [email protected].
