Canada was built on the forcible theft of Indigenous lands and the destruction of our societies, and through the disempowerment and desecration of Indigenous women, it continues to condone gender violence and genocide by failing to take action to end these epidemics. Men, regardless of race, economic class or educational background continue to exercise their privilege to abstain from directly engaging the issue of gendered violence. Indigenous women’s voices continue to go unheard. We remain both targeted and unsupported. ... I advocate for love because it is the most powerful, life-giving force and it is our greatest strength. Love is the reason our people have survived, the reason we fight to protect our lands and our future. Love is the source of our courage, it is what that enables the most disempowered to stand against genocide and destruction, though outnumbered, outgunned, and largely unsupported. Love is our life force. It is the most healing, regenerative, empowering resource we have to draw upon. And, even more, it compels us to action. - Siku Allooloo, "From Outrage to Radical Love" Happy International Women's Day! In Canada, all gendered violence exists within a colonial context. Read and share the rest of INM's #ItEndsHere series here: http://nationsrising.org/tag/itendshere/