ARI Asian Rural Institute: Luce Program – Japan December 4, 2007
Posted by cwslibrary in Japan, Japanese, Juniors, Luce, Summer 2008, agriculture, environment, international relations, linguistic, peace and justice studies, sophomores, women.trackback
Rice fields at ARI
ARI Asian Rural Institute
Luce Program – Japan
ARI is an international training center set on a 6 hectare farm in Northern Japan where rural leaders from developing countries in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific are invited to study at ARI for nine months in sustainable, organic agriculture techniques, community development, and leadership. At the end of the program in December, participants return home to implement programs that will create healthier, more sustainable, and more independent villages and societies. A truly vibrant learning community, ARI hosts representatives from over 15 different countries with English used as the common language. Christian in inspiration, but ecumenical in practice, ARI welcomes people of all faiths, races, classes, and professions to learn and work together.
Internship Description:
Interns and volunteers are an integral part of the ARI community, growing alongside our participants and staff. Our dedicated interns support the training of our participants by living and working at ARI. They live simply and work humbly, offering them a chance to grow as individuals, as leaders and as valuable community members.
ARI interns must be ready for challenges and physically demanding work. Interns will be assigned to a work section in livestock, crops and vegetables, meal service, food processing, or office work. ARI is a completely self-sustaining community that does not revolve around a typical nine to five schedule. Interns sometimes start work at 6:30 in the morning and often work on Saturday mornings. Despite all the hard work, working at ARI is a lot of fun, with the chance to make lasting friendships and have a large impact on our international community.
ARI interns and participants live simply in a very diverse community, which can sometimes be frustrating. While interns are a crucial part of ARI, they serve in a purely supportive role, often putting the needs of others before themselves.
Ideal Internship Qualification:
| Logistical: Academic interest include agriculture, environmental studies, international relations, Japanese, linguistic studies, peace and justice issues, religious studies, and women’s studies. |
Personality: An ideal candidate does not need previous farm experience, but should welcome new challenges, such as living and working simply, living with a vast diversity of cultures, ideas, and mentalities, and contributing to the training program in a supportive role. |
The ARI community consists of staff members, volunteers and participants. The participants at ARI are trainees from rural communities in developing countries all across Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. At ARI, they receive training in organic, self-sustainable farming methods, which they are expected to implement in their home communities after graduation. Staff members arrange the training schedule of the participants and conduct the training. They work in various sectors and are incredibly committed to the ARI community and mission. Volunteers and interns assist the staff members in making the training run smoothly. Their tasks vary, but every volunteer is a crucial part of the community and partakes in all community events. Volunteers can stay at ARI for any desired amount of time. In the case of Wellesley College Intern it is the predetermined time span of the internship.
The typical ARI Day:
6:30 am – 6:45 am Morning exercise
6:45 am – 7:00 am Cleaning Chore
7:00 am – 8:00 am Food Life Work (taking care of livestock and crop/ vegetable fields)
8:15 am – 9:10 am Breakfast & Dishwashing (there is a rotation system for dishwashing)
9:10am – 9:45 am Morning Gathering
10:00 am – 12:20 pm Farm work (crops and vegetable section)
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch & Dishwashing
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm Farm work (crops an vegetable section)
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Break
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Food Life Work (taking care of livestock and crop/vegetable fields)
6:00 pm – 6:30 pm Break
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Dinner
After Dinner: Free Time and Evening Activities
Housing at ARI
Every Wellesley Intern is housed in the female dorm on the ARI campus. Staff members, other volunteers, and participants (trainees) also live there. Rooms are shared by two people and are equipped with a bed, desk, and closet. Sheets are provided, and bathrooms are shared by 4-6 people.
Food at ARI:
ARI is 80% self-sustainable, and every community member is on cooking duty at some point every week. The food is organic and meals are balanced. Rice and vegetable dishes are served at every meal. Meat is served frequently, and religious based dietary needs are taken into consideration. There will always be a non-pork, vegetarian, or non-beef option available. Tea is served with every meal, and safe drinking water is available at any faucet. Interns are provided three meals every day except for lunch on Sunday. There are several grocery stores as well as restaurants that are easily accessible from ARI as a Sunday lunch option.
Religion at ARI:
The ARI community is very religious, and the mission of ARI is based on Christian believes. While the community is accepting of all faiths, the majority of ARI participants and staff members are Christian. Nobody is forced to practice any religion at ARI, however, every community member is expected to show their respect to those who do. The entire community prays before meals and a daily, spiritual morning gathering is conducted to share believes and ideas. Community members take turn in chairing the morning gathering. Every Wellesley intern is the chairperson for one morning gathering during their stay at ARI. There will be ample of time to observe the structure of morning gatherings before it is one’s turn to be in charge of one. There is no particular format that has to be followed, and Bible readings are optional.
Computing at ARI:
ARI has a computer lab with working PCs and Internet access. However, it is advisable to bring a laptop, since ARI’s computers are shared by a large number of people and tend to be slow. Wireless access is available in ARI’s main building (dining hall).
Getting around – Weekends
During the week, the tight schedule at ARI makes it difficult to leave campus. On weekends many volunteers and interns gather to do trips to Tokyo, Nikko and even Kyoto. Trains are the most convenient modes of transportation, and the local train station is a 10 minute bike-ride from the ARI campus. Bikes to get around town (e.g to the train station) are provided by ARI.
- Jeannine, Class of 2010