The International Year of Chemistry 2011: ‘Chemistry–our life, our future’

Friends, Chemistry enthusiasts and all men and women; let’s celebrate 2011 as ‘Chemistry Year’!
The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) will commemorate the achievements of chemistry, and its contributions to humankind. This recognition for chemistry was made official by the United Nations in December 2008. Events for the year are being coordinated by IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
The theme of IYC2011 is "Chemistry–our life, our future," and it will focus on the “achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind.” It aims to raise awareness of chemistry among the general public and to attract young people into the field, as well as to highlight the role of chemistry in solving global problems. IYC2011 events are being organized by national chemical societies, such as the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Brazilian Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical Industry and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and by regional chemical federations, such as the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences and the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry.
The UN resolution calling for the International Year of Chemistry in 2011 was submitted by Ethiopia and co-sponsored by 23 nations. A case was made that chemistry makes a vital contribution towards achieving the goals of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014.