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[Peoples Temple letterhead]
February 10, 1978
Cde. Viola Burnham
Chair Person
WRSM [Women’s Revolutionary Socialist Movement]
Public Road
Kitty
Dear Cde. Burnham;
Bishop Jim Jones wanted me to communicate to you his deep gratitude for the work you are doing to liberate women to enhance socialism. Jim has always stated to all of our members that this is a most necessary task and the most revolutionary one. We want to extend an invitation for you to visit Jonestown so you can address our group, especially our women and so you can share with us our common interests of your work with women. We are interested in any ideas also you may have in which our women can be more productive in Guyana’s development.
We have had for many years communication groups and women’s activist groups so that women can participate more confidently in leadership. Women in our group hold some of the most responsible positions in all aspects of our project. Men who have grown up with chauvinistic attitudes have learned that they too benefit from the development and utilization of the minds and energies of both women and men. Racism and sexism make no sense in the human community but to eliminate these deeply ingrained problems takes much work and communication and we are always interested in sharing with persons like yourself these common goals.
We have been interested in our cooperative and working out ways to educate our young children so that they do not later have to go through re-learning. Even in play sex discrimination can start so we encourage young girls to feel free to play with trucks and boys to be tender to animals and smaller children. In this way a more complete individual can develop and persons don’t feel ashamed to develop natural interest because they don’t feel the vocation isn’t feminine or masculine enough. We have women mechanics, welders, carpenters, electricians. We have men and even young teenage men that have showed a remarkable interest and talent in working with infants, toddlers, and children.
Please let us know if you can fit a visit into your very crowded schedule as we would be very inspired if you could address us. We would be overjoyed and would look forward to showing you our project and serving
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you a buffet from our fresh grown foods. We have also talent among our members that we were told is almost like Hollywood professional entertainment but their creative presentations have to do with socialist principles.
We look forward to hearing from you and we all express our solidarity with you in your work to bring to fruition the productive potentialities of women and thus to aid in the development of Guyana.
Cooperatively yours,
Sharon Amos
Administrative Assistant to Bishop Jim Jones