In this article, we analyze our action research (AR) practice with the goal of assessing and making sustainable the « Service aux jeunes » (SAJ) project, which targets youth who are at risk or affiliated with street gangs in Laval. We show how, at a crucial time when the project was at risk of disappearing, our research team worked with the SAJ to make informed, democratic decisions based on the meaning that the interveners give collectively to their actions, their roles and the future of their project. We ask ourselves about the emancipatory nature of the RA process, analyze the role of participants and discuss certain methodological and epistemological issues with RA.