On May 14th 1999 a group of women from Vieques, Puerto Rico joined for a common cause: to end the American military's occupation of their homeland for military testing. From 1940-2003, the US Navy occupied the small island (population approximately 9,000). The women added their voices to a chorus that resulted in the end of the occupation and emphasized the importance of women's participation and empowerment. After the Navy's departure, the Alliance continued working towards the well-being of Vieques' families and future generations.

Just a month before their April meeting, one of their countrymen had been accidentally killed by the U.S. when a test bomb missed its target. And so the women of Vieques met to share the effects the military was having on them as mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. They knew, for example, that cancer rates on their island were higher than on the main island. In fact, the women's alliance had begun with jornadas, which held screenings for breast cancer and free clinical exams.

The AMV women began tying white ribbons to military gates, and the symbol of peace spread throughout the island. In December 1999, they helped to establish the Peace and Justice Camp outside the military gates as an alternative to the more strident demands of their male counterparts. The camp resembled their homes; there they cooked, prayed, and celebrated family activities.

In 2000, the group developed a women's cancer support group that established links with local and national providers of cancer healthcare and education. A year later, they developed a health program for the entire community, resulting in services for more than 3,000 residents. For the first time in more than 20 years women were able to deliver babies in their hometown due to the reestablishment of the Health Center. With the support of groups from the main island of Puerto Rico, in 2001 they opened the doors to CASA ALIANZA, where community services are administered for all Viequenses. They launched a sex education camp for young Vieques women with goals of reducing teen pregnancy, promoting self-esteem, preventing abusive relationships, and developing leadership skills.

Today, because of the work of the Alliance, politics on Vieques is no longer just for men. Alianza´s members are frequently asked to join community panels and commissions. AMV has been represented in different forums focusing on women's participation in the peace movement in the United States, Latin America, and Asia. Judith Conde has been a spokesperson in several of them, and she and the Alliance been widely recognized. For example, the Puerto Rican National Coalition, based in the US, gave the AMV a special award, and the University of Puerto Rico UNESCO Chair for Peace Education recognized AMV in their Third Distinguished Lectureship.

Just a month before the women of Vieques' April meeting, one of their countrymen had been accidentally killed by the USA when a test bomb missed its target. And so the women met to discuss the effects the military was having on them as mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. They knew, for example, that cancer rates on their island were higher than on the main island. In fact, the women's alliance had begun with jornadas, which held screenings for breast cancer and free clinical exams.
The AMV women began tying white ribbons to military gates, and the symbol of peace spread throughout the island. In December 1999, they helped to establish the Peace and Justice Camp outside the military gates as an alternative to the more strident demands of their male counterparts. The camp resembled their homes; there they cooked, prayed, and celebrated family activities. In 2000, the group developed a women's cancer support group that established links with local and national providers of cancer healthcare and education. A year later, they developed a health program for the entire community, resulting in services for more than 3000 residents. For the first time in more than 20 years, women were able to deliver babies in their hometown following the reestablishment of the health center. With the support of groups from the main island of Puerto Rico, in 2001 they opened the doors to Casa Alianza, where community services are administered for all Viequenses. They launched a sex education camp for young Vieques women with the goals of reducing teen pregnancy, promoting self-esteem, preventing abusive relationships, and developing leadership skills.
Today, as a result of the work of the Alliance, politics on Vieques is no longer just for men. Alianza's members are frequently asked to join community panels and commissions.

For 65 years, the US navy used Vieques for military training and testing, including routine bombing from the air and sea, and munitions storage and disposal. The Navy's presence provoked tensions, injustice, insensitivity, economic disadvantage, and destroyed much of the natural environment.