UNESCO's participant profile presents Daniel Michels, founder of Emblem: Digital Souvenirs, as a member of the 2025-2026 cohort of the Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme. According to UNESCO's August 2025 announcement, the programme's 50 participants were selected from 8,250 applicants from every region of the globe. The profile connects his participation to Emblem's wider mission of turning places, memory, and culture into digital souvenirs made by Emblem creators.
His selection places him among a global group of young leaders recognized for proposing innovative responses to contemporary intercultural challenges. Through his participation in the programme, Michels brings forward a vision in which culture can serve as a bridge between people, helping foster understanding in a world often shaped by division, misrepresentation, and disconnection.
At the heart of his work is the belief that every culture carries symbols of memory and meaning, and that these should be shared in ways that are accessible, creative, and respectful. With Emblem, Michels seeks to reimagine the souvenir as a cultural encounter: one that supports Emblem creators, values local narratives, and invites people to see one another through culture rather than prejudice.
His story is also shaped by personal experience. Born in Brazil and later reconnecting with his Luxembourgish roots, Michels spent years studying, learning languages, and traveling across different regions of the world. These experiences reinforced his conviction that culture is one of the most powerful tools for mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence.
Through UNESCO's Youth for Peace platform, Daniel Michels joins a new generation of changemakers working to build more connected and inclusive societies through dialogue and creativity.
Learn more about Daniel Michels and his work through Emblem: Digital Souvenirs.