October 6: America's dirty little secret: Economist Author, Calvin Helin Shares Plan for Breaking the Poverty Cycle October 6, 2011

NEW YORK - From urban public housing projects to impoverished Native American reservations, middle class suburban neighborhoods to Wall Street, economic dependency has become a serious pandemic in the U.S.

Just what is economic dependency? It is the inability to become financially self-reliant, because government programs aren't just a temporary help - they're a permanent crutch. Today, economic dependency has become a way of life for millions of Americans. Approximately 20 percent of the population relies on the government for daily housing, food, and health care, and 1 in 6 Americans is now being served by at least one government anti-poverty program [USA Today]. Most troubling of all, one out of every five children in the U.S. is now living in poverty [US Census].

Calvin Helin, attorney, entrepreneur and recognized authority on poverty, not only wants to expose this reality - he wants to reverse it.

Raised in a poor Native American village, Helin witnessed firsthand the affects of economic dependency among indigenous people and recognized that the principles are universal and not limited to poor minority groups. With his book, The Economic Dependency Trap: Breaking Free to Self-Reliance (Ravencrest Publishing, January 2011), Helin opens eyes to the devastating toll of mainstream economic dependency, and argues that a culture of entitlement won't embolden our children: It will endanger them.

WHAT: Dances with Spirits: Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World
Helin's research reveals the psychological impacts of economic dependency on adults. Financial handouts like welfare checks and government bailouts only instill a false sense of entitlement. They also breed a number of other damaging attitudes, like victim-thinking, lack of confidence, learned helplessness, inability to cope with adversity, and an absence of self-responsibility and accountability. Such mindsets are passed from generation to generation until escape seems impossible. Helin poses solutions for everyday individuals, educators, policymakers, and community organizers.

WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, October 6, 8:00-10:00 pm/EST

New York Open Center
22 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-219-2527
To register and learn more about this event please visit http://www.opencenter.org/dances-with-spirits-ancient-wisdom-for-a-modern-world/

WHO: CALVIN HELIN is the six-time bestselling author of Dances with Dependency, a landmark book that provided a blueprint to help Native American populations break free from "the welfare trap" of government dependence. He is an international speaker on economic dependence and global poverty.

Learn more at http://www.calvinhelin.com and http://www.ravencrestpublishing.com Helin is available for media interviews October 6th and 7th and press passes are available for anyone interested in attending the event.