News
ARI staffs visited graduates in Zambia and Malawi!
From 1-26 August, two ARI staff members travelled to Zambia and Malawi to visit a total of 23 graduates. At the end of the trip, they attended an ECHO conference in Malawi. ECHO is an organization that works in South-East Asia and East and West Africa to tackle hunger by helping small-scale farmers become self-sufficient by providing training opportunities in sustainable farming methods that are adapted to local conditions. In connection with ECHO, AFARI (American Friends of ARI) organized and sponsored a gathering of ARI graduates at the conference, where … Read more
Director’s Report: ARI Featured in Japan Times – Stories of Change Across the Globe
Director’s Report:An article about ARI was featured in the Japan Times on September 2.It is titled “Over half a century, seeds of change grow at a Tochigi farm”https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2024/09/02/our-lives/asian-rural-insititute-tochigi-namibia-cambodia-germany/The article describes what this year’s participant from Namibia (pictured) is learning, how the lives of the German volunteers of 2003 and the Cambodian graduates of 2010 have been changed by coming to ARI, and the significance of ARI’s training programs.Medeleine Cuckson, the author of the article, is a British national who stayed at ARI for a three-week Christian group leadership training in … Read more
Director’s Report: ARI’s 2023 Annual Report Released – A Journey of Learning and Sustainability
Director’s Report:ARI’s Annual Report for 2023 FY was finally completed last month. It can be downloaded from ari.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/cmyk-Annual-Report-JP-2023-online.pdf (available only in Japanese yet)The picture on the cover is by Ms. Han Sakawa, a year-long volunteer of 2023. For the last week, the Participants were divided into two groups, one in the Shonai region and the other in the Kawanishi region of Yamagata Pref., and spent the last two days visiting a natural farm, Ureshipamosiri, in Towa-cho, Hanamaki, Iwate Pref. Mr. & Mrs. Sakawa, the couple who started the farm are … Read more
Former ARI volunteers’ activities in Uganda were featured in the local newspaper, Shimotsuke Shinbun
On 16, 17 and 20 of August, Shimotsuke newspaper published a series of articles entitled ”JICA, From the Land of Africa – Report on a Visit to Uganda”.The article was in three parts, covering support for infrastructure development, agriculture and education. Miki Kanai (currently a JICA staff in Uganda), an ARI volunteer from 2020-21, was interviewed as one of those who had learned agriculture in Tochigi. She says, “I want to spread the cultivation of rice using organic fertilisers in Uganda where there are many farmers”. Although not featured in … Read more
Director’s Report: ARI Director Assists Visioning Process at Dokuritsu Gakuen High School
Director’s Report:On August 23-24, I was invited by Dokuritsu Gakuen High School in Oguni-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, to help the faculty and staff learn about “visioning” (setting a vision of the school). ARI Participants visit the high school every year during ARI’s Rural Community Study Tour in Yamagata Prefecture, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to listen to the thoughts, wishes, dreams, and hopes of every member of the faculty and staff. I am grateful that I was able to touch even for a moment, the strength … Read more
Director’s Report: Lecture on “Peace from the Soil” by ARI’s Director, Tomoko Arakawa
Director’s Report:Thursday, August 22, I will be speaking at an event organized by the Maebashi Tomono Kai in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture. The title of the lecture is “Peace from the Soil”. The general public is welcome to attend, so please come if you are in the area!Zenkoku Tomonokai was founded in 1930 by readers of “Fujin-no Tomo”, a magazine first published by Motoko Hani. The aim is to nurture mutual friendship through “Fujin-no Tomo” and to grow by making the most of each other’s abilities.ARI and Tomono Kai share many … Read more
Director’s Report: Reporting Beyond the Headlines – Tomomi Ono’s Insightful Coverage of ARI
Director’s Report:Ms. Tomomi Ono, an Asahi Shimbun reporter has written many articles about ARI since she was assigned to the Otawara (Northern Tochigi) Bureau in 2021, and she will be transferred to the Tokyo head office on September 1st.Ono-san wrote about ARI’s events and covered a number of themes that touched the essence of ARI, such as radiation issues, organic farming, and servant leadership. She interviewed staff members many times and even attended classes. I am especially grateful to her for writing about me in the “Hito (People)” section on the … Read more
Director’s Report: Exploring Social Justice: Insights from ARI’s Associate Director at NPA
Director’s Report:Ms. Yukiko Oyanagi, Associate Director of ARI, will talk in the Webinar of “New Age Asia Peace Academy (NPA)” on Tuesday, August 13. You can register for just one lecture (2,000 yen for a fee), so please join. (Japanese only.)To register, please visit the link in our profile.*If you register, you can watch the archive even after the event date has passed.[Summary of the event]Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 19:00-21:00 Lecturer: Yukiko Oyanagi (Associate Director of ARI)Language: JapaneseSummary: Through learning the purpose and history of ARI, its current activities (Rural … Read more
Director’s Report: ARI’s Menstruation Hygiene Management Workshop
Director’s Report:Menstruation Hygiene Management (MHM) has been a focus of ARI’s gender class for several years.Today, a workshop on MHM was held for the entire ARI community.MHM aims to help menstruating women “stay safe and hygienic during their menstrual period”As prejudice, superstition, and lack of knowledge about menstruation limit the daily lives and rights of menstruating people, especially in developing countries, the awareness and education of MHM has been growing worldwide in recent years,This year, Participants and volunteers played a central role in the organization of the workshop, and the men … Read more
