The Social Tattoo Project In SoHo Inks Volunteers With Trending Disasters, Social Problems (VIDEO)

Want to get a tattoo of the world's trendiest crisis? Its most recent devastating disaster?

The Social Tattoo Project is here to help. Currently operating out of an art gallery at Sacred Tattoo in SoHo, the project is based on the idea that the world's issues "deserve more than just a moment's empathy." They want to make that empathy permanent--as in permanent tattoos.

At the beginning of each week, a good ink-tentioned volunteer offers up his or her own skin to honor one of four selected trending subjects on Twitter, which are then voted on for the next seven days.

The winning subject (e.g. Japan earthquake) is then branded on said volunteer, who has no say in the tattoo design.

So far folks have forever accessorized their compassion with a broken heart for #Haiti, a pie-chart for #Poverty, a flower-flag for #Norway, a cresting wave for #Japan, and, perhaps most tastelessly, handcuffed hands for #humantrafficking.

The problem, of course, is that these tattoos are permanent, and hopefully the catastrophes, tragedies and social problems they represent won't be.

How would you feel if you had a Three Mile Island tattoo on your forearm? A DDT ban tattoo on your ankle? Gay Girl In Damascus on your neck? You get the idea.

(For the record though, Miley Cyrus's marriage equality tattoo is actually pretty awesome).

Check out the videos below and if you're so inclined, you can vote by tweeting #socialtattoo and your #favorite trend of the 4 to @social_tattoo.

[VIA Bowery Boogie]