In President Barack Obama’s major address today in Cairo, he spoke about his vision for cooperation between America and Muslim-majority countries on important projects to fight poverty by expanding economic opportunity and – in cooperation with the Islamic Conference – to eradicate polio.

From President Obama’s speech  “On A New Beginning” given June 4, 2009 at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt:

On science and technology, we will launch a new fund to support technological development in Muslim-majority countries, and to help transfer ideas to the marketplace so they can create more jobs. We’ll open centers of scientific excellence in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and appoint new science envoys to collaborate on programs that develop new sources of energy, create green jobs, digitize records, clean water, grow new crops. Today I’m announcing a new global effort with the Organization of the Islamic Conference to eradicate polio. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.

-Aaron Banks