The Luxembourg Army is the national military force of Luxembourg. The army has been a fully volunteer military since 1967. As of December 2018, it has 939 personnel.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has long been a prominent supporter of European political and economic integration. In 1921, Luxembourg and Belgium formed the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU) to create an inter-exchangeable currency and a common customs regime. Post-war, Luxembourg became a founding member state of the United Nations, and dropped its policy of neutrality to become a founding member state of NATO. Luxembourg expanded its support for European integration, becoming a founding member state of the Benelux Economic Union, and one of the "inner six" founding member states of the three European Communities; the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the European Economic Community (EEC). Subsequently, Luxembourg became a founding member state of the European Union (EU) when the EEC and ECSC were incorporated into it in 1993. Luxembourg is a founding member of the Schengen Area, abolishing internal borders amongst its member states, named after the Luxembourg village where the original agreement — since incorporated into EU law — was signed in 1985. At the same time, the majority of Luxembourgers have consistently believed that European unity makes sense only in the context of a dynamic transatlantic relationship, and thus have traditionally pursued a pro-NATO, pro-US foreign policy.
The Scout movement in France consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and Girl Guides. Next to Germany, France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.
Scouting in Luxembourg is a federation of two Scout associations serving Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, Scouting was founded in 1914 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922. SiL has a membership of 5,275 Scouts as of 2011.
Scouts of Syria is the national Scout and Guide organization of Syria. Scouting in Syria was founded in 1912; Guiding started in the 1950s. The coeducational association serves 9,358 members and is a member of both the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The Fédération des Scouts de la République démocratique du Congo (FESCO), the national federation of eleven Scouting organizations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was founded in 1924, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) first in 1963 and again in 1981. The coeducational Fédération des Scouts de la République démocratique du Congo has 71,486 members as of 2010.
The Association des Scouts du Niger is the national Scouting organization of Niger. It was founded in 1993 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1996. The coeducational Association des Scouts du Niger has 3,202 members as of 2011.
The Bureau de Liaison des Associations Guides du Luxembourg was the national Guiding federation of Luxembourg. Guiding in Luxembourg started in 1915 and was among the founder members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1928. The federation consisted of two associations and had a membership of 2,093 Guides in 2008. The membership in WAGGGS was transferred to the Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten in 2017, following the closing down of the second component organization Association des Girl Guides Luxembourgeoises in 2014.
The Fédération Nationale des Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses du Luxembourg is one of Luxembourg's Scouting and Guiding organizations. It is a member of the federation Scouting in Luxembourg.
The Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten is one of Luxembourg's Scouting and Guiding organizations. It is a member of the federation Scouting in Luxembourg and of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The Guides du Bénin is the national Guiding organization of Benin. Guiding in Benin started in 1954, the association was founded in 1960 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1963. The girls-only association has 1,533 members. It is affiliated to Scoutisme Béninois, the national member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
The Fédération Libanaise des Eclaireuses et des Guides is the national Guiding organization of Lebanon. Guiding was introduced to Lebanon in 1937 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1954. The girls-only federation consists of five independent organizations with a total of 6,615 members(as of 2008).
Émile Krieps was a Luxembourgish resistance leader, soldier, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Krieps served in cabinets under Pierre Werner and Gaston Thorn.
The Asociación Guías Scout del Uruguay is the national Guiding organization of Uruguay. It serves 71 members. Founded in 1955, the coeducational organization became an associate member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in 1966; the membership was revoked in 2014.
Scouting and Guiding in Luxembourg is served by several different organizations:
The Scouts of the World Award is an international Scout recognition administered by the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It was developed to give "young people more opportunities to face the challenges of the future" as identified by the United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000. That declaration identified eight Millennium Development Goals and participation in the award helps one work towards those goals.
The International Catholic Conference of Scouting (ICCS) is an autonomous, international body committed to promoting and supporting Catholic Scout associations and to be a link between the Scout movement and the Catholic Church. Its headquarters is located in Rome, Italy.
Les Guides de la République Démocratique du Congo is the national Guiding organization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was founded in 1991 and became an associate member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) in July 2008. The association serves 7,784 girls.
When Luxembourg was invaded and annexed by Nazi Germany in 1940, a national consciousness started to come about. From 1941 onwards, the first resistance groups, such as the Letzeburger Ro'de Lé'w or the PI-Men, were founded. Operating underground, they secretly worked against the German occupation, helping to bring political refugees and those trying to avoid being conscripted into the German forces across the border, and put out patriotic leaflets encouraging the population of Luxembourg to pull through.
Emile Hemmen was a lyric poet and writer from Luxembourg who lived in Mondorf-les-Bains.
