"We're not creating this path. This path already exits. In some ways, we're just dusting off the path so you can see the footsteps," says Harvard's William Ury, a world-renowned expert on conflict negotiation and a coauthor of the best seller, "Getting to Yes." The concept of the project dawned on Ury after decades of working to bring warring sides together, from the Middle East to Northern Ireland.

"I've worked in the Middle East on and off since the late 1970s, and it seemed that among those of us who were looking for political solutions tended to kind of steer away from religion," Ury says in a phone interview from his office in Boston. The feeling, he says, was "Don't go too close to religious issues — because that's too regressive, it's too hot."

"The Oslo process to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict failed, in part, because of that. The question came to me, 'What if you actually welcomed in the constructive role of religion, the ancient beliefs and ancient texts?'

"It occurred to me that Abraham was the single most underutilized resource in the Middle East. He represents faith, hospitality, kindness towards others. So the question was, could one somehow evoke the ancient stories to be a catalyst for coexistence, as well as understanding and even an economic source for growth.

Test run

Last November, after three years of research and gathering supporters from different faiths, Ury and people from 10 countries set out on a 12-day study tour through all of the countries through which the path would initially run. The goal was to test the feasibility of the path and to seek support from many realms: tourism ministry officials, economic and religious leaders and nongovernmental organizations.

They found an enthusiastic response almost everywhere, even in the places where it might be a hard sell, such as in Syria and Israel. Taking on obstacles slowly. Just in mentioning those countries, the potential obstacles in the path spring up almost immediately.

Is a Syrian government about to give out visas to Israelis? Would the average American or European feel safe traveling there? Will Israel give out visas to Muslims from around the region to walk through the part of the path that will wind into its territory?

"We have to go slowly," Ury acknowledges. Parts of the path could take years to establish, and its founders say that they don't plan to play Pollyannas about some of the harsh realities on the ground.

"On the trip, from the point of view of religious, social and economic relations, we found that the idea had a lot of resonance, and despite the difficulties and issues, we got a green light to really proceed. Now what we're faced with is how to assist, how to inspire the actual building of the path."