Ulla Rønberg, wife of recently appointed Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose, has spent her career promoting cultural diplomacy long before the term came into vogue. Although she’s on a leave of absence from the Danish Agency for Culture while in D.C., Rønberg is finding ways to incorporate her love of culture with her new role as an ambassador’s spouse.

In November 1999, Nancy Matthews arrived at Tehran airport at 3 o’clock in the morning. Susan Koscis followed directly behind her. Koscis had made the trip a few years earlier through an NGO called Search for Common Ground, when she organised a visit of American wrestlers. Nancy was now planning to find and bring Iranian artists back to the United States for an exhibition. Koscis and Nancy were cultural diplomats.

Ismayilli region’s small town of Lahij may be included in the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List, for its unique copper art.[...] The nomination will be considered at the tenth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to take place in Namibia from November 30 to December 4, 2015.

According to recent documents released by UNESCO, North Korea has submitted kimchi to be nominated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, meaning that it would be officially recognized as important to world heritage and merit cultural protection from UNESCO. The submission for Intangible Cultural Heritage status, titled “Tradition of kimchi-making in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” is looking like a shoe-in for UNESCO status. 

They came from all over conservative Algeria, clad in black leather, studded bracelets and even the traditional Muslim veil to revel in a rare heavy metal concert. Organized earlier this month in the eastern city of Constantine -- designated this year's Capital of Arab Culture by the Arab League and UN cultural agency UNESCO -- the two-day Fest 213 brought together metal fans from across this North African country.

The South African documentary, Miners Shot Down, on Monday night walked away with the International Emmy award for best documentary. The film covers the 2012 Marikana massacre when mineworkers in one of South Africa's biggest platinum mines began a wildcat strike for better wages. Six days later, the police used live ammunition to brutally suppress the strike, killing 34 and injuring many more.

In the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting [...] This unique cultural initiative, the first of its kind since CHOGM started taking place in 1971, was presented by the CHOGM Malta 2015 External Culture Program bearing the theme Culture as Global Value. It was co-financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs through its Cultural Diplomacy Fund together with the Arts Council Malta.

TBS’ late-night talk show Conan secretly sojourned to the island nation, becoming the first American late-night program to broadcast from Cuba in over 50 years. [...] O’Brien’s second travel special, Conan in Armenia, proved to be not only another boon for ratings, but also a powerful example of cultural and public diplomacy.