tarazi is executive director of the united palestinian appeal, an organization aiding palestinians in need. last year, g.j, whose father is palestinian, led a grassroots leadership training workshop in ramallah. welcome. >> thank you. >> emily siegel is a peace activist and former delegate for interfaith peace builders, an organization that brings people from diverse backgrounds together for trips to the israeli/palestinian are to shed light on grassroots peace efforts in that region. welcome. >> thank you. >> and ambassador phil wilcox, president of the foundation for middle east peace, which works to bring peace to the area through education and advocacy. during his 31 years in the u.s. foreign service, he served as ambassador at large for counter terrorism in the state department and as chief of mission in jerusalem. >> let me start with you. given the failure of diplomatic efforts to achieve peace in the middle east, why the continued failure of diplomatic efforts, and what can grassroots efforts to to stimulate the peace process? >> the failure of diplomatic efforts is due to the

united states. and president obama making a strong appeal for middle east peace urging world leaders to unite together for peace in the region. and calls on israelies and palestinians to come to an agreement. >> this holy land will remain a symbol of our differences instead of common humanity. i refuse to accept that future. well we all have a choice to make. each of us must choose the path of peace. >> there is the u.s. delegation walked out of mahmoud ahmadinejad's speech. he said some of the world speculated u.s. staged the september 11th attacks. to assure israel's survival. >> the uc berkeley graduate released from an iranian prison hopes to meet with mahmoud ahmadinejad this week while he's in new york this week. sarah shourd appeared nine days after being freed from that prison. she spent nearly 14 months in solitary confinement. she and her friends were arrested while hiking near the border of iraq and iran. >> there is only one day i gave up. i just didn't get out of bed. didn't eat. just cried and didn't even, you know speak to guards. and i had to keep going for my mom. >> shourd was raised by a single mother and was able to see bower and fattal one hour