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Rural Leaders Training Center

Rural Leaders
Training Center

leadership for rural communities

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture in theory and practice on ARI's organic farm.

Servant Leadership

Leadership that puts serving people at the center.

Community Building

Unlocking the full potential of grassroots communities.

ARI provides powerful leadership training for grassroots community leaders through the annual Rural Leaders Training Program.

Every year, we invite such leaders from organizations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific to our campus in Japan. 

The 9-month training is guided by our motto, ‘That We May Live Together.’

Our Rural Leaders Training Center empowers some of the most marginalized communities on earth, so that they can enjoy and share the wealth of food, land, and community. 

Rural Leaders Training Program

Our 9-month Rural Leaders Training Program is a rare combination of daily practice, theory, and encounter that takes place in ARI’s international farming community. 

Our Program in Detail

Our program has evolved over the course of around 50 years to help leaders immerse themselves in an integrated learning experience.  

Participants are deeply transformed as they live and study in a diverse Community of Learning for 9 months. 

Surrounded by forests and fields, ARI’s Rural Leaders Training Center is a special place to find inspiration and change. It features classroom facilities, an organic farm, livestock facilities, dormitories that foster community living, along with many other shared spaces 

Curriculum

Meaningful knowledge, values, and skills to strengthen each leader’s capacity.

Our Curriculum in Detail

Our curriculum blends classroom learning, farming practice, and community life into a powerful hands-on experience. Through lively discussions, group projects, and study trips across Japan, participants gain practical skills and fresh insight to lead real change in their communities.

Every activity, whether in class, on the farm, or around the dinner table, deepens the learning journey. These shared experiences help participants grow as leaders and discover the true meaning of our motto: “That We May Live Together.”

Who is it for?

Every year, we select about 30 leaders from rural community organizations as participants. 

We look for candidates of high personal integrity and work in organizations that work directly for the benefit of the people.  

Rural Communities

Our graduates return to serve some of the most marginalized communities on earth: war widows in Liberia, outcast groups in India, remote villages in South East Asia, and schools in Papua New Guinea, to mention a few.

Dedicated Local Organizations

We partner with organizations that work directly with their people. They are often orphanages, NGOs, churches, farmers cooperatives, and disaster relief groups. They send their promising staff for training at ARI.

Grassroots Leaders

Farmers, teachers, social workers, and community organizers—we directly train a diverse international group of grassroots leaders who have high motivation to improve the lives of their people.

How does it work?

ARI reverses the common model of international development aid by which resources are sent from ‘rich’ to ‘poor’ countries. Rather, grassroots people should activate their own abilities and resources as servant leaders  who have high integrity and skill.  

Selection in Home Country

The local community or organization nominates a rural leader for training. ARI screens the candidate and invites her/him to Japan.

Training in Japan

At ARI, the leader gains new knowledge, values, and skills.
After 9 months, s/he goes back home with a long-term vision for the community.

Transformation in Home Country

The organization and community work together to make change based on the leaders' new learning and vision.

What is the impact?

ARI graduates act in important leadership roles, building resilience and sustainability for community and planet.

More about ARI's Impact

Be it in farming, education, gender equality or climate action—ARI graduates and their communities achieve remarkable progress. In over 57 countries, our spirit of sharing life inspires them to find better solutions for peace, wealth, and people’s livelihoods.

We stress that our training is not to advance the individual’s career or position but for the benefit of rural community people.

Rural Leaders have taken part since 1973
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Get Leadership Training

Do you want to send a member from your organization to our training? Our program can greatly enhance the capacities of your key leaders.

Apply for
the Training

We will help you on every step of the process.

Support
our Students

Our students come from the most marginalized communities on Earth. They need financial support to come to Japan and take part in the Rural Leaders Training Program.

Donate Today

Your assistance can help rural communities for decades to come.

Download the
School Guide

School Guide

A great overview of ARI and our Rural Leaders Training Program.

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Koinonia Dinning Hall

This is where the community gathers to share meals and fellowship together. More than just a dining hall, it also serves as a venue for events, meetings, and learning activities. Koinonia is a Greek word meaning “fellowship” or “sharing.”

Kitchen

At peak times, meals are prepared for as many as 100 people at once. Students, staff, and volunteers all take part in cooking and meal preparation. The kitchen is not only a place for preparing food but also a space for learning, serving others, and building relationships within the community.

Classroom and Library

Participants attend classes in these classrooms throughout the training program. The library contains a wide range of English and Japanese books, audiovisual materials, and magazines covering agriculture, social issues, community development, and many other fields of study.

Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.

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