http://us.oneworld.net en_US Showcasing the most important news and views on human rights and development worldwide. http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/160567/1/ WASHINGTON, May 16 (OneWorld) - Antiwar veterans of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan took their case to Capitol Hill Thursday, baring their souls with stories of killings of innocent civilians, torture, and wrongful detentions. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83732 The California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a law barring same-sex couples from getting married is unconstitutional, said a human rights monitor, welcoming the new law as an important precedent for equal rights around the world. From: Human Rights Watch http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/160578/1/ Both humanitarian aid and political aid is needed in Myanmar (formerly Burma) now, says a board member of a U.S. group active on Burmese issues. From: U.S. Campaign for Burma http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/160566/1/ NEW YORK, May 16 (OneWorld) - Pressure is mounting on the Canadian government to take actions against private loggers and other business concerns that encroach upon indigenous peoples' territories. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83731 "The conference agreement on the 2008 [U.S.] Farm Bill makes numerous improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices," says policy analyst Dottie Rosenbaum. From: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83733 The approximately 100,000 ethnic Nubians living in Kenya continue to demand official recognition -- notably citizenship -- although they face less political discrimination than in previous years. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83730 Visit some of the specials spaces set aside for youth in a refugee camp in Darfur, where children of all ages can go to play, learn, and begin the healing process. [Scroll down to view video.] http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/160565/1/ WASHINGTON, May 15 (OneWorld) - As UN estimates of the number of Burmese affected by Cyclone Nargis rose from 1.5 to 2.5 million and the United States and United Nations continued to wrangle with Myanmar's rulers over visas for aid workers, Atlanta-based CARE received a $1 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver humanitarian relief in Myanmar. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83728 A number of international aid organizations and foreign governments are helping Chinese authorities respond to the Monday earthquake that claimed over tens of thousands of lives and destroyed 3.5 million homes. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83727 Selling excess rice held in Japan and imported from the United States would incite a rapid drop in the global price of rice but requires immediate action from Tokyo and Washington, write former editor of The Rice Trader, Tom Slayton, and policy analyst, Peter Timmer. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83729 Indigenous peoples in Nicaragua are increasingly threatened by climate change despite their minimal ecological footprint, writes a Nicaraguan advocate for indigenous peoples' autonomy and development. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83726 Four prominent American social justice groups are launching a campaign to halve poverty in the United States in 10 years. http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/160548/1/ WASHINGTON, May 14 (OneWorld) - Americans -- from nonprofit groups to the Rockefeller family -- are starting to fight back against the petroleum industry, which is earning record profits as consumers face spiraling gas prices. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83725 This month marks the 60th anniversary of Israel's existence, but the organization Jewish Voice for Peace says it will not celebrate the establishment of a Jewish state until Palestinians are granted their fundamental human rights. http://us.oneworld.net/link/gotolink/addhit/83724 Asian governments -- seen to have greater leverage with Myanmar authorities -- are being asked to increase the pressure on the military junta to effectively address the humanitarian crisis caused by Cyclone Nargis.