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Sean Penn’s Haitian harangue, chastises 'world' for not doing more

By April MacIntyre May 19, 2012, 15:52 GMT

Noted actor Sean Penn has chastised the entire world and media professionals for forgetting about Haiti. © Andrew Evans / PR Photos

Noted actor Sean Penn has chastised the entire world and media professionals for forgetting about Haiti.

TheWrap.com reports that Penn used a news conference for a benefit for the poor country to express his disgust at the entire world for letting Haiti languish.

"It's not only celebrities who went for a day," he said to a room full of journalists at the Cannes film festival, when asked about his long-term commitment to the country. "It's the whole f*cking world. It's all of you."

He added, "The reason we have Haiti fatigue is because there was never a commitment in the first place."

Penn cited the work of young volunteers who he claimed were making a difference in the perpetually impoverished country which has seen one corrupt regime after another rule a downtrodden people who seemingly cannot change the status quo.

Penn was joined by former Dancing with the Stars alum, Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova  and film director Paul Haggis, each of whom have non-profit organizations working in Haiti: Sean Penn’s Haitian Relief Organization, Paul Haggis’ Artists for Peace and Justice and Petra Nemcova’s Happy Heart’s Fund.

The Cannes Festival announced just last week that they would officially support a the Carnival in Cannes fundraiser, described as a star-studded event, with Ben Stiller, Gerard Butler, David Schwimmer, Hayley Atwell, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jason Clarke expected to attend.