The initial United States military objectives of freeing the Iraqi people of the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and securing Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction have been achieved. (Let's assume these objectives as presented to the World were based on honesty, integrity and noble intentions.) Iraq plays a pivotal role in the stability of the Middle East and remains center stage to nearly every nation on the planet. The people of Iraq deserve an equally concerted effort by the World to create vision out of the chaos and destruction of decades of war. This is an opportunity to create an exemplary, Self-directed Society in Iraq. It is time for the United States to take the initiative, rise to the challenge, set an example and create an international Development Team under the direction and support of the United Nations for this next phase in Iraq. This phase would be marked by the following steps: > The Development Team would draft an agreement of a series of objectives to be voted upon by the people of Iraq AND by the people of each of the 15 countries represented in the Security Council of the United Nations. > These objectives would outline the collective vision by the Iraqi people for their country. > The primary objective would be the creation of a 100% weapons free zone within the borders of Iraq. > The Development Team would be given the resources and support to create and implement an innovative exchange program: weapons for Venture Projects [the definitions for 'Venture Projects need to be decided by the Iraqi people]. > Upon completion of this agreement, the United States would relinquish all military control within Iraq to an international commission which would include a peace-keeping force based on Alternative Mediation principles eg those advocated by the Center for Non-Violent Communication (in which it can be expected that the United States will play a significant but not sole role). We have countless NGO resources which have demonstrated success in these areas. Look to South Africa as another example. > The Development Team would be given the financial support of the World nations and an Iraqi Resources Oil Fund to create an Economic Initiative Fund similar in nature and implementation to micro funds of the Grameen Bank. > The Development Team would be given the financial support of the World nations and an Iraqi Resources Oil Fund to empower cross-border citizen development groups from the fields of business, arts, education, sports, literature, government… > The Development Team would be given the financial support of the World nations and an Iraqi Resources Oil Fund to create an international education center in Iraq, providing free, stipend- supported education to a collection of international students at all education levels…as a collaboration with schools around the World. > The Development Team would encourage the Iraqi people to consider using this unprecedented point in history to create the first United Nations country (based on certain altruistic principles as to be outlined by the member states of the UN). > The Development Team would be a transparent and open-source group, open to review other ideas in line with the agreement from the first step, perhaps through the implementation of an interactive website. Reach for the stars. In actuality we may reach the mountaintop. (This proposal was a BaseCamp Solstice project and had been submitted to the Bush Administration and to the UN prior to operation "Shock and Awe, the invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, to show that alternatives to war did exist. www.BaseCampSolstice.info )