Sean Penn's Dirty Hands coalition takes M&C reporter to New Orleans

By M&C People Apr 28, 2008, 16:45 GMT

10/24/2007 - Sean Penn - © Insidefoto / PR Photos

Sean Penn made a case yesterday at the Coachella music festival for this generation to roll up their sleeves and get involved, and has organized a fleet of bio-diesel buses to transport volunteers to New Orleans.

Our music reporter, S.P. MacIntyre, who was on site covering the three-day festival for Monsters and Critics for a second year, signed on and is leaving today on the Dirty Hands Caravan bound for New Orleans.

Penn announced his volunteer initiative at the Coachella Festival on Sunday, April 27, encouraging young people to "take action".

S.P. MacIntyre

MacIntyre writes, "Apparently, Sean Penn, about five days ago, decided it would be awesome if a bunch of concert-goers could pile into a bus with tenting equipment and go on an all-expenses-paid cross-country tour doing volunteer work and protesting, ending up at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.  I was curious.

So curious, in fact, that I signed up for it.  On the form, it asks if you have any specific dietary criteria (there was a box for vegan, for vegetarian, etc.). LINK

I checked the box for 'Other,' drew arrows pointing to the other options, and wrote, 'I require all of the meat that these people don’t eat.'  Will I get kicked out due to my irreverent (read: assholish) ways?  We’ll find out: I leave at noon on Monday."

Sean Penn onstage at Coachella, Photo by Chance Knecht. ©M&C

Penn invited festival-goers to "be spontaneous."

"This is about volunteerism," he said from the main stage, just before My Morning Jacket's set. "Revolution is a young man's job and you can be the revolution."

Ben Harper and Everlast are also taking part in the Dirty Hands Caravan, and will serenade participants at their campfires at night, Penn said.

Volunteers will be encouraged to get involved by building houses for the homeless, protesting the Iraq war while supporting the needs of veterans and their families, caring for the sick or needy, cleaning up parks or neighbourhoods across America, and contributing to their communities in various ways.

The caravan is scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on Sunday (May 4) to help close out the city's Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The buses are set to depart from the Coachella parking lot in Indio, California tomorrow (April 28) at noon. For further information, visit Coachella.com.