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On 25 September 2026 , the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) approved Youth Cultural Bridges in a Fragmenting World , a multiplier initiative developed by Emblem founder Daniel Michels through ASEFYLS Capacity Training 2026 , which he joined after selection from more than 3,600 applicants.
The project brings a simple question into practice: how can young people keep human and cultural connections alive across political divisions, while respecting each community’s identity and right to disagree? Through locally authored digital souvenirs, Cultural Passports and real-world encounters, Emblem is exploring ways to turn cultural discovery into shared learning.
What ASEF’s support means
The confirmed support is in-kind, not financial . ASEF has authorised a programme partnership acknowledgement and the use of its supplied logo for the approved multiplier activity. Its support also includes:
Access to learning resources shared through the programme.
The opportunity to submit posters, photographs and other public materials for possible promotion through ASEF’s communications channels.
The opportunity to discuss the activity with the team and enquire about contributions from speakers or facilitators.
This is a defined relationship with the multiplier initiative, not blanket sponsorship of every Emblem feature. No ASEF funding was awarded, and a possible future feature or speaker contribution should not be read as already confirmed.
From learning about the future to connecting people today
ASEFYLS Capacity Training 2026 focuses on anticipatory leadership: considering different possible futures to make more thoughtful decisions today. Its multiplier activities invite participants to bring that learning into their communities.
For Daniel, the practical application is cultural connection without requiring everyone to share the same viewpoint. Local creators retain their voices; a common digital space makes their places, artworks and stories discoverable. The initiative asks what supports meaningful participation, what creates barriers, and what can be learned from both enthusiasm and disagreement.
Two Cultural Passports, distinct local voices
The Kyiv Passport and Yekaterinburg Passport are live cultural collections within Emblem. They bring together places and creative perspectives, allowing people to discover local stories and collect digital souvenirs connected to real visits.
Showing both on the same platform does not erase their different contexts. Participation remains voluntary, local authorship matters, and cultural inclusion does not imply endorsement of a government or political position. These are independent cultural projects, not a diplomatic agreement between the cities.
The People Passport pilot
The People Passport was independently piloted during the International Festival of Youth in Yekaterinburg, 11–17 September 2026 . It explores a different kind of souvenir: a photo memory of the people you meet, connected to a country, region or cultural Pavilion.
It remains a pilot project , with further learning and improvements ahead. The festival provided the setting; People Passport was not an official festival feature. The field pilot preceded ASEF’s written approval on 25 September and now informs the wider multiplier account. ASEF is not being presented as an organiser of the festival.
What comes next
The next step is to document the experience, invite voluntary reflections from contributors and share accessible lessons. The work will examine what people discovered, whether they felt accurately represented, and what could make future cultural cooperation easier.
Published Passports and photo memories are concrete outputs. They are not, by themselves, proof of improved trust or lasting peacebuilding impact. The initiative’s ambition is to build connection while remaining honest about what has been achieved and what still needs to be tested.
Emblem thanks the Asia-Europe Foundation and the ASEFYLS2026 team for their training, constructive feedback, approval and in-kind support.
Programme acknowledgement
ASEF authorised the following acknowledgement for the approved multiplier’s event materials:
This event is organised in partnership with the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), as part of the ASEFYLS Capacity Training 2026.
This article is published independently by Emblem. The approval and support details are drawn from Daniel Michels’s public project report, Youth Cultural Bridges in a Fragmenting World, dated 27 September 2026. It is not a publication issued by ASEF.