THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOUND INITIATIVES FOR WORLDWIDE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND

Abstract

The International Year of Sound is a global initiative promoted by UNESCO Charter of Sound 39C/59 2017: “The Importance of Sound in Today’s World: Promoting Best Practices”. It consists of coordinated activities on regional, national, and international levels, organized by the International Commission for Acoustics. These activities aim to stimulate the understanding of the importance of sound in all aspects of our society throughout the world. In this paper, the aim of the International Year of Sound is described, together with the organization of activities and planned initiatives. Despite the pandemic context has caused the rescheduling of most of the events, the International Year of Sound has been going on, thanks to the awareness-raising projects of the National Commissions for Acoustics. A particular focus on “My world of sounds”, the International Competition for students, has been done. As a matter of fact, it has been observed that the awareness of younger generations plays a crucial role in the spread of correct acoustic behaviours.