In 1989, amidst a social and political crisis in Colombia, the youth took to the streets in order to demand changes to their government. La Séptima Papeleta (The Seventh Ballot) was a proposal led by the student movement which sought to review and renew the national constitution of Colombia, written in 1886. Before this proposal, the Colombian elections were composed of 6 ballots, all cast by elected government officials: senators, representatives to the House, mayors, deputies, governors, and councilors. The student movement proposed a Seventh Ballot, one that would call for a National Constituent Assembly, allowing the people of Colombia to play an active role in their government. Due to the massive outpouring of public support for the new ballot, it was approved in 1991, and led to the eventual implementation of a new constitution.

The 13th article of the 1991 constitution of Colombia states: “All people are born free and equal before the law, will receive the same protection and treatment from authorities and will enjoy the same rights, freedoms and opportunities without any discrimination for reasons of sex, race, nationality or family origin, language, religion, political or philosophical opinion.”

POR TODO LO QUE NOS UNE / CONTRA TODO LO QUE NOS SEPARA (FOR EVERYTHING THAT UNITES US / AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT DIVIDES US) is a phrase that emerged from the student movement and has been resurfacing during the social uprisings in 2021, seen graffitied, printed, and written on the streets, walls and windows of the cities of Colombia. It is an urgent call for equity, dignity and autonomy against all kinds of violence and oppression.

In conjunction with the window, Relámpago will be teaching a letterpress workshop at Center for Book Arts on Friday, June 24, 5-8pm. You can register for the workshop here.

RELÁMPAGO
Bogotá, Colombia
Relámpago is a place where visual projects are conceived and produced. They are a team, a publishing house, an experimental printing press, an exhibition space, and a design studio. At its heart it is a letterpress workshop which, through experimental practices, reconfigures historical precedents and uses them to learn and unlearn the present. It is a platform where capricious projects are reviewed, deconstructed and reassembled. Relámpago believes in building networks and rebuilding community through craft and art.

Durante 1989, en medio de una crisis social y política en Colombia, la juventud se unió a reclamar en las calles cambios que consideraba urgentes para el país. La Séptima Papeleta fue una propuesta del movimiento estudiantil para revisar y renovar la constitución nacional de 1886. Como resultado, en las elecciones de 1990 se aprobó convocar una Asamblea Nacional Constituyente.

La constitución de 1991 dice en su artículo 13: “Todas las personas nacen libres e iguales ante la ley, recibirán la misma protección y trato de las autoridades y gozarán de los mismos derechos, libertades y oportunidades sin ninguna discriminación por razones de sexo, raza, origen nacional o familiar, lengua, religión, opinión política o filosófica.”

POR TODO LO QUE NOS UNE / CONTRA TODO LO QUE NOS SEPARA es una frase que surgió de este movimiento estudiantil y ha vuelto a circular por las calles, muros y ventanas del país a partir del estallido social de 2021. Es una invitación vigente y urgente a favor de la equidad, dignidad y autonomía. Contra todo tipo de violencia y opresión.