Equality office cancels aid money for Netzcourage
The Netzcourage association against hate speech and discrimination on the Internet will no longer receive money from the federal equality office. The background to this is controversy surrounding the association's communications and a controversial statement made by executive director Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin on the Internet.
The financial support for the project was discontinued at the end of November 2021, as the Federal Office for Gender Equality (EGB) announced on Friday in response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency. The decision was recorded in an order on Wednesday and communicated to the association.
On Thursday evening, Spiess-Hegglin had drawn attention to the decision on the short message service Twitter. The association, based in Oberwil near Zug, announced on Friday that it would not appeal the decision. It would thus concentrate on its work and discard political ballast.
The @EBG_BFEG_UFU has decreed that the financing of @NetCourage To adjust.
Our immense work is not in doubt.
And now?#NetAmbulance adjust?
Or raise 1500 new members for financial independence?https://t.co/HoOnSAjksk#WeAreNetCourage
- Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin (@JolandaSpiess) December 9, 2021
Donations and new memberships
The association wants to replace the lost funds with additional donations and new memberships. The amount in question is 192,000 Swiss francs. The federal money was intended for the operation of a "net ambulance" as an initial contact point for victims of cyber violence.
In July, the federal government had criticized deficiencies in Netzcourage's communication and a lack of separation between Spiess-Hegglin's role as a private person and as executive director. Spiess-Hegglin had published a controversial Twitter post by the magazine Megaphone of the Bern Reitschule with a Like. The post showed journalist Michèle Binswanger with her head cut off. Spiess-Hegglin was last in a legal dispute with Binswanger over a book.
Admonished in summer
The ETUC sent the association a warning because of Spiess-Hegglin's Twitter like. It asked those responsible for a communication concept and a code of conduct for dealing with social media.
Netzcourage stated that the association lacked the resources and strength to meet the additional official requirements and obligations. This was justified with the high workload as well as "waves of hate with tremendous vehemence", which had been directed against managing director Spiess-Hegglin.
Double resignation in October
In October, there was a surprising double resignation at the top of the association. National Councilors Tamara Funiciello (SP/BE) and Greta Gysin (Greens/TI) resigned as co-presidents with immediate effect. They claimed differences over the direction of the association with the managing director.
At the beginning of December, Andreas Glarner, a member of the SVP National Council from Aargau, wanted to cut off the association's federal funding during the budget debate in parliament. The National Council rejected the motion by 131 votes to 49. (SDA)
