In his report to the World Zoroastrian Organisation’s annual general meeting in London on September 17, 2006 its chairman Sammy Bhiwandiwalla hailed the formation of their New Zealand chapter earlier in the year. The protracted negotiations were successfully concluded by two dynamic young entrepreneurs of the WZO family: Farah Unwala and Darius Mistry. On the obverse, noted solicitor Rustom Dubash, member of the board for 15 years and WZO president for the last six, has chosen to retire.
Their work for socio-economic uplift and aid to the victims of disasters saw the Organisation raise and defray nearly £ 80,000 to help the survivors of the massive earthquake that hit Pakistan at the end of 2005. Bhiwandiwalla had a special word of praise for WZO board member Toxy Cowasjee who edits also its publication Hamazor. He noted that she had "helped to secure the lives of many hundreds of destitute women and children” by implementing a spontaneous relief program. He also acknowledged the support of the Erach and Roshan Sadri Foundation of the UK for their support in the WZO’s scheme of replacing 150 mud huts of indigent rural Zoroastrians in Gujarat with houses of brick. The Foundation’s aid has enabled the WZO to proceed with nine such constructions. The Gujarat farmers and the Medical Relief Fund shared the benefits – £ 10,000 – raised by Rohinton and Pervize Irani with a barbeque at their beautiful home and garden, informed Bhiwandiwalla. Former chairman Rumi Sethna and his wife Hilda have also contributed hugely with the annual gala dinner dance they organize.
"WZO’s financial resources are limited,” noted Bhiwandiwalla, acknowledging the help provided by the World Zarathushtrian Trust Fund, Dasturji Sohrabji Kutar Benevolent Fund, the Noshirwan F. Cowasjee Medical Benevolent Fund and the Firuz Madon Foundation in the task of aiding the community in various ways. In India, apart from their long standing project to rehabilitate the Zoroastrian farmers of Gujarat, Bhiwandiwalla complimented Dinshaw and Bachi Tamboli for running WZO sanatoria in Sanjan and Udvada and maintaining two senior citizens’ homes in Navsari.
As part of its program to disseminate knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion, history and culture, the WZO organizes talks and seminars. Over the past year Prof Ivan Steblin-Kamensky of St Petersburg University, Burzine Waghmar from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Mitra Mehr from the US shared their knowledge with the community under WZO auspices.