Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. The Council does this by: maintaining a diverse membership; convening meetings to discuss and debate major international issues; supporting a Studies Program that fosters independent research; publishing the journal Foreign Affairs; sponsoring independent task forces; and providing up-to-date information about foreign policy.