Drawing on theoretical research findings of the EduMAP extensive study on national Adult Education (AE) policies in the European Union (EU) and as part of a broader qualitative data collection based on 40 case-studies, the following chapter investigates four selected adult education practices dealing with young people in situations of vulnerability, in France, Austria and Germany, respectively. The intent is to analyse how diverse conceptualisation of Active Participatory Citizenship (APC) and the educational strategies adopted in the different programmes impact on the learning outcomes of the interviewed learners. APC can be either explicit and on the cover, as a core objective pursued through an adopted education strategy, or it acts more implicitly and under cover. To prove this assumption, the findings have been systematised, first scrutinizing the endorsed APC concepts and the implemented educational approaches in the programme’s designs and from the providers and practitioners’ perspectives, and second investigating learners’ points of view on their learning outcomes in terms of competence development and reflected experiences. The third step analyses the factors that are relevant for successfully enabling young people in situations of risk to participate in the society and/or community. The findings bear out that how APC is defined and characterised in the AE programmes is not the only impacting factor but equally important is how this is incorporated in the educational practice and adopted in the pedagogical strategy.

This article focuses on the triangle of intercultural learning – global learning and development education in which DDV International’s work is situated. It outlines the development of intercultural bilingual education as well as the situation of the indigenous people in Latin America. Some of the indigenous languages are at risk of extinction and with them also the indigenous knowledge attached to it. Once they are lost, intercultural learning through these languages and cultures will not be possible anymore. Drawing on research and some results of the intercultural bilingual education the article highlights the role and importance of intercultural learning, and the potential for empowerment and transformation based on the dialogue between the indigenous and western cultures that occurs in development work.