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Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers.

Insight, wit and analysis from BBC correspondents, journalists and writers from around the world.

From Our Own Correspondent: DR Congo and the West Bank

DR Congo and the West Bank

BBC World Service - From Our Own Correspondent, DR Congo and the West Bank

Alan Johnston presents despatches from correspondents Fiona Lloyd Davies and Gail Simmons

Alan Johnston with personal stories from correspondents abroad. Fiona Lloyd Davies meets a Congolese woman helping scores of rape survivors; Gail Simmons follows a modern courtship on the West Bank.

Alan Johnston introduces personal stories and insight from correspondents around the world. In this edition: Fiona Lloyd Davies learns how one Congolese woman has helped thousands of survivors of rape and violence, while Gail Simmons follows some unexpected steps in the dance of manners and technology which is a modern Palestinian courtship. 


Fertile fields, agonising memories

The war which has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1996 has devastated millions of lives. Civilians in the east of the country are still living in fear of marauding armed groups; and along with their killings and looting, there's much sexual violence. But one remarkable local woman, Masika Matsuva, has helped more than 6000 victims of rape over the past decade, providing medical supplies, counselling and other assistance. 

Fiona Lloyd-Davies watched her at work in one of the region's most lawless provinces, South Kivu. 


Coffee cups and Facebook friends

You might say that in life,  there are few more important things than finding the right person to love. But what's the best way of doing that? Some say it's all about personal feelings and romance - and luck letting the right two people meet at just the right time. But others aren't keen on leaving everything to chance. They would say that with a bit of planning, marriage and love can both be arranged. 

In many cultures and countries, people are finding their own ways to blend both approaches and take a little from each. For them, both traditional and modern strategies for mate-finding have their advantages. Gail Simmons has been watching one such relationship develop amid the hills of the West Bank.

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