President George W. Bush has called on Group of Eight nations to commit to increased funding to fight AIDS and malaria internationally, the Washington Post reports (washingtonpost.com, 6/6).

At the June 5 groundbreaking of a $185 million Washington, DC, facility to house the U.S. Institute of Peace—a government think tank for preventing conflicts and maintaining postwar stability—Bush said:  “The work of democratic development is the great cause of our time, and we shouldn’t shy away from it. And we must be confident in our ability to help others realize the blessings of freedom. My big concern is that the United States has become isolationist and nervous—we don’t support those values that have stood the test of time.”

According to the Post, Bush also emphasized providing security to young democracies, sending civilians to assist in stabilizing war-torn countries, and bolstering health systems in poor countries that are potential hotbeds for terrorist activity.