AFARI: American Friends of the Asian Rural Institute

AFARI is the US-based non-profit fund-raising and support organization for the Asian Rural Institute (ARI). ARI is an international training center in Japan. Participants from developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Pacific are invited to study at ARI for nine months in sustainable, organic agriculture techniques, leadership and community development. ARI invites 25 to 30 grassroots rural leaders to study at Nasushiobara, Japan, every year.

Indianapolis Couple Describes 15-month Stay at ARI

Episcopal Life recently published an article about Meghan and Andy McConnell from Indianapolis who spent 15 months living and working at ARI. They "waded through rice paddies, cared for various barnyard animals, learned how to make charcoal and lived in community with people from at least 15 different countries."

Meghan comments, "A lot of what we did at ARI felt mundane -- cooking rice, getting up early to do exercises and farm work, sitting at meals together, but it challenged me to put spiritual meaning into those routines and to find a greater goodness in life."

You can read the Full Article or read more about their experience on Andy and Meghan's web site.

Reference: "Changing perspectives: Indianapolis couple learns about faith, chickens and computer ministry in Japan" by Kathryn Tietz Treece, March 25, 2008

Labels: Article

posted by Craig D. Rice @ Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 12:14 PM

Participant Profile: Florence Fomujong Mah from Cameroon, '07

Introducing Florence Fomujong Mah from Cameroon, ARI Class of '07

This posting is the first of what we hope is a series of ARI Participant Profiles. The following excerpts are shared from Florence's final participant report.

Special thanks go to two special ladies --- Tomoko san and JB Redding san, who both have inspired me with their way of leadership as women working with and leading men very successfully. From them both I learned a lot, either by asking questions or observations. They gave me the courage, confidence and inspiration on my vision which I trust they will still remain as mirrors and guides to help me succeed with it.

I narrate this story today as though it was a very smooth journey. The truth is that, there were times I felt as though I was sleeping on a bed full of thorns.

I was only interested in going to the classroom or field to learn more about organic farming.

It was not long that I started observing that at ARI, all was not just sitting in the classroom and learning from a teacher but a lot more was learned from observing the whole community, their reasons of being at ARI and the way they interacted with each other.

At ARI, a lot is learned in the classroom that is the theoretical part of the training. What makes ARI different from other Agricultural training schools is the fact that, all you learn in class, you are given the opportunity to practice on the field for nine months. This is done in what we call here, “Learning by doing.”

Florence

Labels: Participant Profile

posted by Craig D. Rice @ Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:54 PM

2006 ARI Annual Report

The ARI 2006 Annual Report (April 1, 2006 through March 31, 2007) is now available online.

Labels: AFARI News

posted by Craig D. Rice @ Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 8:32 AM

AFARI SAFARI III

AFARI is planning AFARI SAFARI III in October 2008, and we would like to gauge your interest in participating. No firm commitment is required at this stage. For more information, please consult the AFARI SAFARI III Details.

Labels: General

posted by Craig D. Rice @ Saturday, September 15, 2007 - 2:05 PM

"Take My Hand" Summer, 2007 Issue Online

The Summer 2007 issue of "Take My Hand" is now online.

Articles include:

Excerpt from: By Sharing Life We Live
Participants' Voices: Toshang Khaling, Manipur, India; Farid Juma Shariff, Tanzania
Graduate Letters: V S Roy David, India, 2003; Gilbert Hoggang [Jil], Philippines, 2004; Phoebe Mission, Philippines, 2004; Ariel del la Cruz, Philippies, 2005
Key Contepts of ARI Training
AFARI Tour 2007 by Father Laksiri Peiris
AFARI Board Selects J.B. Hoover as Development Coordinator
Three Willows Global Work Project by Anne Dance

Labels: AFARI News

posted by Craig D. Rice @ - 1:53 PM

ARI Video Documentary

Rod Booth and Berkeley Studios produced the following "That We May Live Together" documentary about the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in 1994. The entire video is 29 minutes long; it is presented below in three parts: