ANNUAL REPORT 2015

THE PACE OF NATURE

A big thank you for your extraordinary support in 2015!

It has been a year of many changes and challenges (and some unexpected opportunities) along the Abraham Path and in the Middle East at large. Today we find ourselves swimming against a current of conflict and division that threatens the safety and basic values of many of the communities along this ancient route. It is in times like these that walking the path of hope is perhaps most difficult, but at the same time most necessary. It is in times like these that the hospitality of perfect strangers reminds us that whatever divides us, what unites us is far greater. Our common story began here, on the same earth that is constantly besieged and disputed today.

By supporting the Abraham Path, by being part of our global community, you

are defying those who instill fear, and announcing the presence of hope. You have helped us to reach a goal that but a few years ago seemed wildly improbable: over 1,000 miles this year passing through 150 communities throughout the Middle East. You are helping walkers from around the world connect with families and guides who couldn’t be more proud and delighted to receive them, in a world where many would prefer they were kept apart. Amazingly, the number of walkers on the path, reinforced by locals, keeps rising year by year, a promising sign of resilience and hope.

I hope that you can all experience the path for yourself one day, to walk in the footsteps of the Friend, as Abraham is known, and to ‘meet the family,’ as we like to say. There are always homes and hearts open and waiting for you. Until that day comes, we will continue to work to bring the path to

you, through our online guidebook, through social media and videos, and through walks and events for our circles of friends around the world.

I feel honored that you choose to support this audacious project, in all its complexities and triumphs. Each homestay or wilderness guide training, partnership with a local NGO, and waymark along the trail, has been possible because of you.

Please accept my deepest gratitude. Step by step with you along the path,

Dear Friend,

William Ury | ChairAbraham Path Initiative

We invite you to participate

in a grand adventure: to walk

together in the cradle of

civilization, to meet people

from different cultures and

traditions, to learn something

new about ourselves, others,

and the world, and to serve

the larger community.

The Abraham Path is a cultural walking route

through the heart of the Middle East, Rated the

world’s #1 new walking trail by national

geographic in 2014

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The Abraham Path is an exercise in the

possibility of change.”

– Peter Beaumont for The

Guardian

December 2015

abraham path in the news 2015:

2015 in numbers

14 NEW Regions ALONG THE PATH

17NEW communities

930 MORE kiloMETERS

2,800 MORE walkers

IMprovement over 2014:

2015 TOTALS: 29 REGIONS, 128 COMMUNITIES, 2,008 KM, 5,800 WALKERS

2015 has seen many successes for our partnership project with the

World Bank, Masar Ibrahim: Economic Development Across Fragile

Communities. The project has continued in its second year to make

progress in its all components, with a strong focus on:

• the capacity and the institutional sustainability of the local actors

across the value chain of the path

• development of the path

• promotion of the path and expansion of the private sector

engagement on the path

• action research via engagement of experts on experiential

tourism in fragile and conflict affected societies

PARTNERSHIP WITH the WORLD BANK

Completed activities together with those still

ongoing contribute to rural development,

employment, and women’s empowerment

in communities normally excluded from

the mainstream economic development

and investment in the West Bank, and often

disconnected from one another. The project

has been extended to June 2017 and is poised

to build on this foundation, scale up its impact,

and achieve its full potential.

Investing in peopleBeyond the development of local

trails, the Abraham Path Initiative

is committed to investing in local

talent and entrepreneurship that

can enhance outdoor culture in the

region at large. One shining example

of this skill-sharing is Osama, an

experienced wilderness guide

from Jordan for whom API

funded a Wilderness

Emergency Medical Technician

certification early in 2015. With his

background in eco-tourism and new

medical credentials from the SOLO

School of Wilderness Medicine in

New Hampshire, USA, Osama has been

teaching Wilderness First Aid to guides,

adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts

throughout the Middle East.

Thus far Osama has taught 4 sponsored

courses through partnerships with Mercy

Corps, Operation Mercy, and Bethlehem

University, with approximately 40

completing the training in Wilderness First

Aid. Participants have included current

wilderness guides and trainees, as well

as people from other ends of the tourism

sector, including staff of an award-winning

eco-lodge in Jordan.

This year, the ever-expanding resources in our online guidebook, which is

the only comprehensive database of Abrahamic sites and routes, brought

walking the Middle East to new terrain.

Under the care and hospitality of Bedouin tribes, groups of walkers explored

the arid landscapes of the Sinai from the Red Sea to Saint Catherine.

In December, two British walkers embarked on an

epic journey of over 1,000 miles through the Middle

East. Documented on walkthemasar.com, their

experience of slow travel through rural communities

showed the world the warmth and openness of the

region that media so often obscures.

Finding real-life adventure

“I walk and talk; sweat and breathe. I clack my hiking poles together at

barking dogs, and I drink deeply when I find a spring. I look to the sky regularly for more rain, and I scan hilltops when I hear the greetings of a shepherd. I head south at 3 miles an hour. Onwards, along the masar.” – Leon McCarron

While the path continued to grow in miles

and impact in 2015, our global community of

supporters had numerous firsts and reached new

audiences this year. In June, our friends group

in Brazil hosted another successful Caminho

da Paz run through São Paulo, celebrating the

religious and ethnic diversity of the city and of

Brazil. In addition to registering Abraham Path

in the Netherlands for European donor outreach,

this year saw the great success of our first ever

crowdfunding campaign! We raised over $32,000

thanks to social media outreach and the personal

passion of supporters like you. Thank you for

being such a supportive, enthusiastic family!

Building a global community

Herve Aaron Najah Abouelafia Cheryl Alexander Judith Ansara & Robert Gass Gidon Ariel Loes & Stan Asmus Molly Baldridge Joe Bamberg David Baum Simon C. Bell Jerome Bellion-Jourdan Alice Bender Mark Biddle Ihab Bishara Anders Bjerkholt Sergio Bondi Charles & Jonelle Boteler Ellen Brock & Larry Kaptein Branwen Cale James Carty Connery Cepeda Alexandre Chade Adolf Chang Jean Pierre Chatelain Gabrielle Chatelain Colleen Clark Alice Clough Ty Cobb Bert & Barbara Cohn Susan Collin Marks

Michael Collins & Beverley Freeman Cynda Collins Arsenault & Marcel Arsenault Rich Curd Shaynna Cutler David Dantzic Lance Davis Roger de Freitas Julie de Gongre Zachary DuBow Krzysztof Dziedzic Celeste en Lennard Scholtz Keith & Lorraine Fairmont Bob & Joan Feitler The Flora Family Foundation James Patrick Finerty Elisabeth Forney Mimi & Peter Frankel Morris Friedell David Friedman Benjamin Friedman Terry Gilman Ellen Giordano Stephen Goldberg Morton Goldfein Anthony Gonzalez Claire Lieberman Goulding Catherine & Matthew Grainger Paul & Dedrea Gray

Marcia Greenblatt Martin Grottenthaler Isabelle Guy Susan Hackley & Paul Henry Nohad Harati Matt Harms Leigh Harrison Thomas Hast John Hawks Katrin Henkel Ronit Herzfeld Frances & Timothy Hester Fiona Hodgson Daniel Hogan Jenna Hornsby Ron & Janet Hornsby Sophie Howarth Nancy Huntingford Forsan Hussein Katrina Jacobs Nicolas Joly Ginny Jordan Hilary Kalisch Tad Kelly Ron & Sue Kertzner Anthon Keuchenius Laura Klemt Susan Klemt Saadi Neil D. Klotz Dominik Knill

Anna-Marie Krahn Buddy Kring & Ellen Dale Otto Laurila Stephane Le Cam Judith Litjens Katie Lunday Donald & Lissa Lundgren Cully Lundgren Bettina Müller Barry Madani & Dyala Roda Jamil Mahuad Veronica Martini Cherise McGivern Anisa Mehdi & Peter Zimmerman Rev. Elizabeth Mirante Thomas Modern Nicole Montgomery Hana Nečasová JS Noël Tyler Norris Simon Olsen Lene Ostergaard Christie Platt Oliver Pospisil Bernard Prat Mary Elizabeth Pratt Neil & Trudie Prior Barbara Reiner Lis Rhodes Elsi Rizvanolli Riana Robert

Jane Roberts Judy Robinson Debbie Rolfes Craig Rosenberg Russ Rosenzweig & Lucy Liu Rosenzweig Ron Rubenstein Amaia Sánchez-Cacicedo Frank, Thomas & Alison Sander The Sandpiper Fund Zeynep Satana Jerome Sauvage Lionel & Ariane Sauvage Stefan Schütz Ivan Schouker & Cynthia Anderson James K. Sebenius & Nancy Buck Martina Sedlakova Linda Sena Ross Sherbrooke Dorothy Sherwood Louise Sibley Fay Simcock Dick Simon Ian & Caroline Smith Bud & Charlotte Sorenson Jan Stahl & Cynthia Ruggero Charles Steinberg & Torkin Wakefield John Steiner & Margo King

Hannah Stork Stefan Szepesi & Kirsten Asmus Raymond Taraila Nelson Teixeira Jocelyn Tetel Peter & Barbara Thornton Mark Tinglof Carl and Tinbet Tinstman Barbara Trager Dan Urbach Gabi Ury William & Lizanne Ury Andrew & Lucie Ury Elizabeth Ury Brenda Valiente Sharon & Leaf van Boven Philip Van Dyke John Vermilye Jan Volkmer Victor Weisberg Josh Weiss Rick & Rebecca White Mary White Kelsey Whiting-Jones Glenn Whitney & Conner Middelman-Whitney Andrew Wilson Mark Yolleck Anonymous

We want to express our deepest gratitude to those who donated in 2015:

William Ury | Chair

Anisa Mehdi | Vice-Chair

Raed Saadeh | Vice-Chair

Lionel Sauvage | Vice-Chair

Board of Directors

Mona Adeljawad

Alexandre Chade

Paul Gray

Jamil Mahuad

Verónica Martini

James Sebenius

Ivan Schouker

Louise Sibley

Stefan Szepesi

Josh Weiss

Aseel Zahran

Our work would not be possible without the leadership and commitment of our Board of Directors:

Board members and friends walking in Jordan in March 2015

Financial InfoRMATION

World Bank Income: 32%Other Institutional Income + Interest: 3%

INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: 57%In-Kind Donations: 8%

Total Income $1,410,765

Administration: 20%Program: 80%

Expenses: $1,171,744

World Bank Income: 53%Other Institutional Income + Interest: 1%INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTIONS: 41%In-Kind Donations: 5%

Total Income $2,036,899

Administration: 20%Program: 80%

Expenses: $1,980,077

2014 2015

*Audited financials will be made available as soon as 2015 audit is complete.

USA Mailing Address:

Abraham Path Initiative PO Box 473 Concord, MA 01742 USA

USA Physical Address:

Abraham Path Initiative 1563 Massachusetts Ave Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

European Address:

Abraham Path Initiative PO BOX 25209 3001 HE – Rotterdam Netherlands

UK FRIENDS OF ABRAHAM PATH:

Friends of Abraham Path 7 Mill Plat, Isleworth London TW7 6DY United Kingdom

Partners

In partnership with the Harvard

Program on Negotiation, API held

our first ever public symposium,

which was attended by over

100 guests from throughout the

community, and featured expert

speakers from around the world.