The Abraham Path is a route of cross-cultural tourism that retraces the journey made by Abraham (Ibrahim) through the heart of the Middle East some four thousand years ago. Three and a half billion people — over half the human family — trace their history or faith back to Abraham, considered the father of monotheism. The Abraham Path honors this shared cultural heritage by linking together into a single itinerary of outstanding interest and beauty the ancient sites associated with Abraham and his family.
The centerpiece of the Abraham Path is a long-distance walking trail, beginning in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where many believe Abraham to have been born, and in the nearby ruins of Harran, where Abraham is said to have heard the call of God to 'go forth.' Initially covering a distance of 1,200 kilometers, the Abraham Path will pass through some of the finest landscapes, historic sites, and holy places of the Middle East before culminating at Abraham's tomb just south of Jerusalem in the city of Hebron/Al-Khalil. Eventually the route will extend to encompass Abraham’s travels to and from Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
At the Harvard Negotiation Project, Senior Fellow & co-founder William Ury with Senior Fellow & co-founder Joshua Weiss, the project engages in a number of activities at the global, international, and intrastate conflict levels including: research and writing, teaching and training, and peacebuilding projects. (formerly the Nuclear Negotiation Project and Project on Preventing War)
has been created to address two major problems facing humanity: a global democracy gap and a problem-solving gap. The project links national members of parliaments and congresses from around the world via the Internet and other technological mediums in a virtual forum to address global or transboundary issues. The e-Parliament continues its work on an energy efficiency campaign calling for a one-watt global goal for energy usage by appliances in standby mode. This concept has already generated legislative initiatives in Brazil, Norway, and the European Union. Through the project's on-going "ideas bank," members are sharing effective ways in which different national legislatures have addressed comparable problems. In September 2005 the e-Parliament held its first global hearing on space weapons.
The Third Side. No more critical challenge faces each of us, and all of us together, than how to live together in a world of differences. So much depends on our ability to handle our conflicts peacefully - our happiness at home, our performance at work, the livability of our communities, and, in this age of mass destruction, the survival of our species.
The Third Side offers a promising new way to look at the conflicts around us. The Third Side is the community - us - in action protecting our most precious interests in safety and well-being. It suggests ten practical roles any of us can play on a daily basis to stop destructive fighting in our families, at work, in our schools, and in the world. Each of our individual actions is like a single spider web, fragile perhaps but, when united with others, capable of halting the lion of war. Although the Third Side is in its infancy in our modern-day societies, it has been used effectively by simpler cultures for millennia to reduce violence and promote dialogue.
The Third Side is a website that offers ideas, resources for you to begin making changes in your life today, and stories of the Third Side in action.