If film is the ultimate art form, or at least a vehicle for showcasing all types, I can really get behind Breadtruck Films and Jeff Durkin’s Kickstarter-funded documentary Art As A Weapon. The art film/political documentary is focused on raising awareness about the Burmese struggles for human rights through a dialogue with Western artists like Shepard Fairey. This project is yet another awesome example of how we can provoke change by speaking with our dollar. Money might not be the root of all evil, but rather how we spend it. If you’re interested in funding the project, check out the Kickstarter page and the different rewards for participation, not least of which could be bettering many people’s quality of life.

By the stache of Rollie, it’s Movember, a month-long celebration of fine mustachery that raises awareness for prostate cancer and other c-words that affect men. That’s right, mustache season is officially open, and TOMS is getting in on the facial hair fun. Grab these limited edition kicks for both gents and gals (because even ladies feel the love), and grow a Mo to save a bro this month! [h/t Bless this Stuff]

There are times in this world where we need to do everything in our power to keep someone on this planet and such is the way I feel about my pal Amit Gupta (founder of Photojojo and Jelly). Amit is currently battling leukemia and while he has been getting an outpour of support from the interwebs, we’re still working on finding him a bone marrow match so we can get him healthy and back to making awesome in this world.

It’s really easy to join the bone marrow registry (you take a simple swab test) and hopefully if we can get enough new registrants, we can save Amit’s life and countless others in the process. Please guys, it would mean so much to me if you’re able to able to join (especially if you are South Asian) or just keep spreading the word to friends and family. There are even drives to collect potential donors in NYC and Dallas today with more scheduled for Connecticut, San Francisco and Ann Arbor real soon. Everything you need to know about helping out can be found here and if you prefer the FB, here.

Tired of your weekly routine? Great, because this Friday is PARK(ing) Day and we encourage all of you to take a break. You know, that is if you’re down with more urban green space and promoting community. It’s truly an international affair and last year, 850 parks were set up in 183 cities across the globe to demonstrate the need for more urban green space. This will be our 3rd year of creating our own park in San Diego (details here) and we’ll be joined by our friends at Sezio, Community, The Foundry, the San Diego Architectural Foundation and Synthetic Lawn Supply. Last year, we were called hippies and deadbeats by some miserable people (on the interwebs of course) so this year is sure to have its share of drama, although I must say we’re getting to be pros at handling the fuzz. I kid, they were actually quite awesome about us doing this last year! Get on out there, even if it’s just during lunch and if you’re not in SD, check the map to find locations in your city.

If you’re tired of art shows in museums are warehouse spaces, sometimes you just have to remind yourself that it’s not the only art out there. In my mind, public art that’s interactive may be among the best because it excludes no one (unless you hate the concept of anything new and different). One amazing project over the last year or so is Swings, put on by the do-gooders at ohSanFran. The team installed swings in public spaces across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Panama and the Marshall Islands for no other reason than to celebrate a childhood passion and spread happiness. Fresh off that success, the team is bringing the project to Bolivia and has a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their expenses. While the campaign goal has been met, this is such a seriously awesome cause that I don’t mind throwing a few more bucks towards because they are really making an effort to spread smiles and show less fortunate kids some semblance of the childhood most of us were so lucky to have. It’s also a great reminder that it’s often really simple things that make us the happiest.

Reminder: You can make it happen. Seriously, get out there. And if you need help, let us know, we got your back.

I feel like if you’re a true believer in design, you know there’s more to it than being really really ridiculously good-looking. You recognize that design can inspire social change and do so much more than fuel a consumer economy. Well, there’s a mega design opportunity going on right now – the search is on for a new logo for human rights since it doesn’t have a globally recognized symbol. Sure, there will be a lot of entries and the competition will be tight, but there’s a lot at stake here. The right symbol will go a long way towards accelerating change and making sure even those less fortunate see a fraction of what we take for granted every day in our country. Entries are due by July 31st and it’d be awesome to see a few submissions by HM readers. Let us know know if you do! [via TBD]