The passing of Burjor Jal Avari MBE – 1938-2019
WZO member and an iconic personality, Burjor Jal Avari passed away on 29th March 2019 at 5.50 pm.
Burjor Avari was born in 1938 in pre-independent India to Parsi Zoroastrian parents in a small, but a historic town called Navsari in Gujarat.
Burjor spent his childhood in Kenya and Zanzibar.
He graduated in history from the University of Manchester and obtained teacher training from the Oxford University’s Institute of Education.
Avari taught history in Kenyan and British schools from 1962 to 1984.
He became the team leader for developing multicultural education in the schools of Tameside in 1984.
In 1988, he was appointed as a Principal Lecturer at the Manchester Metropolitan University, where he coordinated multicultural education and taught Indian history.
He was awarded the title of MBE in 1988 for his work in multicultural education.
Having retired in 2003, Avari held the position of an Honorary Research Fellow at the Manchester Metropolitan University.
Burjor’s brother, Noshir Avari has prepared an article summarising the various tributes paid to him at his funeral, and this was published by Asian Voice last week.
Following is the link to Noshir Avari’s article :
The-passing-of-Burjor-Jal-Avari-MBE-200419.pdf
Burjor was an iconic Zoroastrian who pioneered and academically promoted the concept of multi-culturalism in the UK following the disturbing race riots in many cities in 1987.
Secondly, it is Professor (Lord) Bhikhu Parekh’s wish that a Burjor Avari Memorial Fund should be set up under the ambit of Manchester Metropolitan University which would arrange for an annual Memorial lecture to be delivered at Manchester University each year by any emminent world personality on the theme of multi-culturalism.
Noshir, together with his two nieces, (Burjor’s daughters) are on the committee responsible for the running of the Memorial Fund together with several University dignitaries.
They are naturally desirous to promote the Memorial Fund’s profile as far as possible in order to attract funds.
1) Donation via cheque to WZO, UK:
Please make your cheque payable to: ‘The World Zoroastrian Organisation’ and post to:
World Zoroastrian Organisation,
World Zoroastrian House
5 Hanworth Road
Feltham
TW13 5AF
Please mention Burjor Avari Memorial Fund on the back of the cheque.
2) Donation through the WZO website:
Please visit the WZO website www.w-z-o.org and on the right hand side of the home page you will see a Donations box. You will be able to make secure PayPal payment through this.
Please mention “Burjor Avari Memorial Fund” in the description box.
If you do not have a PayPal account, you can still make your donations using your Credit card by clicking ‘Continue’ just below the text ‘Don’t have a PayPal account?’.
Your payment will be made on PayPal’s secure server in a currency of your choice.
UK residents can claim ‘Gift Aid’ for their donation.
3) Donation via check to WZO, US Region:
US citizens can make a payment to President of WZO, US Region,
Mr Kayomarsh Mehta,
6943 Fieldstone Drive,
Burr Ridge,
IL 60527-5295.
Email id: wzo_usa@w-z-o.org
Please make your checks payable to ‘The World Zoroastrian Organisation (US Region)’.
If you are a US Tax payer, then your donation is tax deductible.
Burjor leaves behind, the loves of his life – Zarin, his wife and childhood sweetheart to whom he was married for forty-nine years, and their two lovely daughters, Rushna and Anahita.
They have always been his pillars of strength.
Burjor was universally loved by all his wider family and will be sincerely missed.