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Richard was the President of
Futureworks Inc., a firm that specialised in the development of distance ICT
technologies in rural development, custom networks and IT consulting for
rural telecentre planning, design and delivery in support of rural
development. After 4 years in business, Richard and Futureworks won the
Government of Newfoundland Export Award from the Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Technology. Richard was formerly a Commissioner with
the Economic Recovery Commission in the province of Newfoundland and
Labrador, Canada. He was also the Founder, Chairman and CEO of the
Enterprise Network, an electronic distance education, business and economic
development information service for rural areas that was a joint venture of
both the federal and provincial governments. The Enterprise Network Inc.
established North America's first rural telecentres and rural online service
in 1988.
Rich has personally assisted
rural telecentre start-ups in remote rural communities in Uganda, Tanzania,
Benin, Ghana, Malawi and Indonesia. Rich has worked with rural development
and ICT diffusion in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand and
throughout Western Europe and Canada. A sociologist who has taught as an
Adjunct Professor for many years, he has presented and spoken at conferences
dealing with rural ICT diffusion and the entry of developing nations into
the Information Society all over the world.
Richard has numerous
publications pertaining to rural development and the information economy to
his credit. These include "If you have a lemon, make lemonade: A Guide to
the Start-Up of the African Multi-Purpose Telecentre Pilot Projects",
"Little Engines that Did! Case Studies from the Global Telecentre Movement"
and a chapter for an academic text on Rural and Community Economic
Development in Canada, "Community Economic Development in Canada", along
with many other publications.
Richard has lived in Torbay,
Newfoundland, Canada for 28 years and now lives in Ottawa, Canada. His
hobbies include basketball, golf, music and micro-computers.
Telephone (613) 236-6163 (ext.
2400)
rfuchs@idrc.ca
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