On the 29th of June 2020, the Ethiopian state assassinated Haacaaluu Hundeessaa. A peer, a powerhouse, a poetic historian, an activist and an artist. He was assassinated because the Ethiopian state is deathly afraid of any upstanding, dignified Oromo person, but especially of one so committed to uplifting the mental, emotional and material state of the Oromo nation. Through his music, Haacaaluu spoke to the hearts of Oromos everywhere. As one person, his assassination triggered in me an unquenchable fire to see my people free. And i know that it's done the same for Oromo people worldwide. The Oromo are 40+ million in population, the largest indigenous people group in East Africa and our language is the 4th most widely spoken on the African continent. To the Oromo and many other nations and nationalities living within the borders of Ethiopia, the state is a lethal ideological project, and it's about time my people get free of it.

- Soretti Kadir, storyteller, facilitator, activist