The first two international conferences on local and regional health programmes held in Amiens and Quebec have paved the road for a new public health paradigm. The conferences have served to share experiences from the field to re-think practice and create bridges between health promotion, prevention, care and integration at both the action and decision levels, and amongst diverse actors from the field. The challenges have been put forth, in Amiens in 2001 and in Quebec three years later. The next step is to pursue and enrich these exchanges at the international level reinforcing the Francophone position by capitalising on approaches and tools, and mobilising new partners. The next rendezvous for this on-going adventure is set for the third conference.