Home

Hotline MDI

maansikkel

founded by Magenta

1997

Suzette Bronkhorst and Ronald Eissens started the first Internet Discrimination Hotline worldwide. The then Minister of Internal Affairs, Hans Dijkstal, opened the Hotline (Meldpunt Discriminatie Internet / MDI) on March 21, 1997 [report] in the De Balie debate center in Amsterdam. The Hotline was funded by the Ministry of Justice.



The MDI investigated reports of (alleged) expressions of discrimination, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia and tried to find out who was responsible. If such an internet statement was punishable under the Dutch Criminal Code, the MDI informed the provider, and if the statement was not removed, the reporter or the MDI reported it to the Public Prosecution Service.

However, this is no different from what applies to any other Dutch citizen, which means that the actual power of the MDI was also limited. The MDI, on the other hand, possessed legal knowledge and experience, and thus offered citizens and organizations assistance in removing criminal material.

2002

Opponents of the MDI, from both the extreme left and the extreme right, regularly quarreled with each other — and the MDI. Right-wing columnists saw a Great Left Conspiracy, in which the MDI would play a key role, while left-wing media perceived the opposite. In 2004, the Dutch Press Council has declared such allegations to be unfounded and defamatory.

2004

In 2004, Edwin Martin came up with the idea of 'The Haterix'. A Flash-movie that would show the horrors of cyber hate. Ronald loved the idea. Jolie volunteered to create the animation, Ronald and Suzette wrote the texts and Ronald provided the text audio with help from a friend in New York.
Flash got deprecated in 2020, but with the help of an ancient computer, the animation was converted to YouTube. Listen to Ronald as Rofius:

2016

On December 22, 2016, MiND took over the registration of reports of discrimination, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia on the internet from Meldpunt Discriminatie Internet. MiND is part of the public-private foundation NL Confidential.

MDI_orig_OudeSite1999.jpg
MDI_orig_OudeSite1999.jpg
MDI_2000.jpg
MDI_orig_output_2003.jpg
haterix.jpg
haterix2.jpg
haterix3.jpg
Meldpunt_Screen.jpg
MDI_2008.jpg
MDI_2013.jpg
MDI_2015.jpg
Suzette en Ronald
This website...

...is dedicated to Suzette Bronkhorst and Ronald Eissens, and their relentless, uncompromising battle against racism, discrimination, fascism, extremism and cyber hate. We will preserve their legacy and continue to give our best for a better world, a world of peace, hope and respect for all.


Go to: