Guest Opinion Submitted to the Boulder Daily Camera

A Cyber Cafe for Dushanbe – Now It's Our Turn
by Donald Mock, President Boulder Dushanbe-Sister Cities

The Evil Empire. In 1982, a small group of Boulder citizens decided to "think globally and act locally" by directly reaching out to the citizens of the Soviet Union to further the cause of world peace and mutual understanding. This was a time when the US and USSR were locked in the Cold War policies of Mutual Assured Destruction and the US referred to the USSR as the "evil empire." The Sister Cities International program was deemed to be an appropriate model for their efforts, and so began the quest to link Boulder to a city in the Soviet Union. CU Physics Professor Jim Scott suggested we pair with Dushanbe, in the Soviet Republic of Tajikistan, because of similarities in geography and climate, as well as their academic and scientific institutions and warm, hospitable citizens. In 1987, after five years of intense lobbying, the Soviet bureaucracy finally designated Dushanbe as Boulder's sister city. The comment from Mayor Maksud Ikramov of Dushanbe was roughly "My, you people are persistent."

An Unexpected Gift. Mayor Ikramov soon announced that he would send us a "teahouse" as a token of friendship between our two peoples. Most Boulderites at the time had little inkling of what this meant. After all, Japanese-style teahouses are small, simple structures. But what arrived in 200 crates was anything but small and simple. Forty Tajik artisans had spent over a year hand-carving and painting a large Chaikhona, or Persian-style teahouse – which for them serves as the heart of a community – an ornate Central Asian Starbucks, if you will. It took Boulder another eight years to select an appropriate site, adapt the design to our climate, identify construction funding, and assemble it. Thus was born the Dushanbe Teahouse, now a major Boulder attraction and the largest gift ever presented to the people of the United States by the people of the former Soviet Union.

What to Give Back? In formally accepting the Teahouse, the City of Boulder signed a formal protocol pledging to give something equivalent back and designating the Boulder Dushanbe Sister Cities (BDSC) non-profit as the one to do it. BDSC considered many ideas but eventually settled on the concept of an eco-friendly Cyber Cafe, incorporating both high-tech and alternative energy components that would represent the best of what Boulder has to offer. David Barrett (recent Colorado Architect of the Year) of Barrett Studio Architects was selected to design the structure. In 2004, a concept design was completed, a US construction liaison hired, and steps taken to initiate groundbreaking in Dushanbe. Upon arrival, however, all bets were off. Despite a decree promising us a site on Rudaki, the main street, we were suddenly told that we could not proceed unless we planned to construct a five-story tall building, which we could not do. Our team came back to Boulder tired and discouraged.

A Way Forward. Mayor Ruzzin personally intervened and traveled to Dushanbe in late 2004 to negotiate a new decree, promising us a site in a major Dushanbe park. The Cyber Cafe was then redesigned to match the new location. Trying a different tactic this time, BDSC hired a Tajik firm to serve as our liaison and to solicit construction bids. David Barrett and I traveled to Dushanbe late last month to interview the bid finalists, inspect examples of their work, and get the final go-ahead from City officials. The bids seem reasonable, the contractors competent, and the City of Dushanbe eager to proceed. With only four days notice, they arranged for a spectacular groundbreaking ceremony. Over a thousand citizens showed up on a rainy morning to hear speeches by the Mayor of Dushanbe, the US Ambassador, and myself, and to watch entertainers, a ceremonial tree-planting, and the sealing of a time capsule. It was carried nationally on Tajik TV.

Now It's Our Turn. Do we have sufficient funds to finish the project? No. Then, why do a groundbreaking ceremony? Because, without that ceremony there was no guarantee the project could proceed. Now we have a very public "green light" from Dushanbe. The total project will cost $940,000, of which we have already collected $340,000 from nearly 900 donors. Of the remainder, $400,000 needs to be raised by the end of May to proceed with construction. And luckily, $255,000 of that amount can be in the form of temporary loans to the project that will be repaid (with 6% APR) starting approximately eight years from now out of revenues the City collects from the Teahouse restaurant lease. Currently, that same revenue stream is paying back the City's original Teahouse construction loan. Although the Teahouse is owned by the City of Boulder, taxpayer dollars in the long run will not have paid for it. The Teahouse is paying for itself.

Why It Matters. The Teahouse was presented to the people of Boulder, one of the wealthiest of American communities, by the people of Tajikistan, now an independent nation, but poorest of the former Soviet republics. Boulder citizens have enjoyed the Teahouse's charming ambiance and exotic beauty for eight years now. It is featured in all the major travel guides. Besides the lease revenues, it is a major source of sales tax dollars for the City from the tourism it attracts. Not to give something back would be unthinkable. Individual citizens and businesses must be willing to step up to this challenge. What started as a way to help bridge the gap between Cold War rivals has turned into a symbol of friendship and cooperation between the US and a predominantly Islamic part of the World. Note that Dushanbe lies only 90 miles north of Afghanistan. Yes, Boulder can make a difference.

Act Now. For more information about the Cyber Cafe Project or the fundraising campaign (with Mayors Ruzzin, Toor, Greenlee, Durgin, and Jourgensen serving as honorary co-chairs), please go to www.boulder-dushanbe.org, or contact Don Mock at 303-440-6283. You may also send "Cyber Cafe Gift" donations directly to BDSC, PO Box 4864, Boulder, CO 80306.

Don Mock is a former member of the Boulder City Council and currently serves as President of the Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities non-profit organization.