The Latest

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 and depth of the foundation and spirit that has built Dokuritsu Gakuen High School (like the “corner pillar stone” placed at the entrance to the school) and the pure hearts of the faculty and staff who are working to realize it (like a river flowing through nature by the school)! (Photo: “The truth shall make you free,” John 8:32, written by a former staff member of the school that was displayed in the entrance hall.)

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 values, and they have long supported ARI. I have also been invited to give a talk at many Tomono Kai in various places in Japan.

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 newspapers, to which I received many good responses!
She was also a big fan of ARI’s produce (and I’m sure you will continue to).
Come back again, Ono-san!

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: Japanese
Summary: Through learning the purpose and history of ARI, its current activities (Rural Leadership Training Program and Open Learning Program), and the activities of its graduates in the world, we will think about how we can realize a sustainable society.

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 actively participated in the presentations.
There were very open and positive discussions about how to change mindsets, how to support those in need, and so on.
I listened to everyone’s diverse voices, wondering if there is any other MHM workshop in Japan that is as advanced as this one.
In September, we will try making homemade sanitary napkins.

Director’s Report: Peace Sunday at UCCJ Daita Church

Director’s Report:

On August 4 (Sun.), I will preach at the Peace Sunday Service at UCCJ Daita Church (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo). I will also continue to speak at the “Peace Gathering” in the afternoon (13:30-). We will also be selling ARI items. Please join us if you are in the area!

Director’s Report: A Call for Support – Understanding Haiti’s Current Challenges

Director’s Report:

We received a newsletter from the Haiti no Kai, a Japanese NGO that supports the KFP in the Republic of Haiti, to which two of our graduates belong.
Although rarely reported in Japan, security in Haiti has deteriorated drastically since the assassination of the president three years ago, and earlier this year the country was said to be in unprecedented turmoil in all aspects: social, political, economic, and security.
Especially in the capital, armed gangs controlled 80% of the capital and crime was rampant, which turned the city a lawless area. However, it is said that security has improved slightly since the beginning of June.
In the words of Eiko Nakano, a representative of Haiti no Kai, “Even if it takes time, Haitians themselves must correct this wrongness of the Haitian society and open the way for the future. What we can do with the Haitian people is only to support them by ‘protecting today’s life through agriculture and nurturing tomorrow’s Haiti through education.’ ”

Director’s Report: ICU Reconciliation Forum’s Third ARI Retreat

Director’s Report:

A retreat camp of ICU Reconciliation Forum members is being held at ARI from July 15th to 17th. This is the third camp of the group with 19 people participating, the most ever.
This group, led by Williams Ikuko, is a group that studies and thinks about reconciliation, which started as an online book club during the coronavirus pandemic. ICU students, teachers, staff, and alumni gather irregularly, and soon their activities have expanded to lectures on the ICU campus, training camps outside, and participation in the Northeast Asia Christian Forum for Reconciliation. I have also been a part of this group for some time.
As an alumnus, I share the same dream that someday an institution focused on reconciliation will be established within ICU.