In May 2011, a Quebec-wide invitational meeting on participatory action research (PAR), was held in Quebec City. It aimed to network people interested in PAR, to take stock of such practices in HSS and to reflect on their future. Written in a reflexive perspective by the organizing team, this article presents the origins and orientations of the meeting, the processes put in place for its organization and conduct, its main findings, as well as suggestions that emerged for the future.