Maloca Community Garden is actively dedicated to creating a safer space that is welcoming and empowering for all of our members and visitors. We welcome people from all over the city and all walks of life to join us in growing together, and we do not tolerate discriminatory, abusive, or oppressive behavior of any kind. This includes, but is not limited to: verbal abuse; sexual harassment; the use of racist, sexist, homophobic, or other oppressive language; bullying; and all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, nationality, ethnicity, ability, gardening experience, parenthood, health status, immigration status, physical appearance, socio-economic status, etc. If such behaviour occurs, we will take appropriate action to ensure that every member and guest at the garden is treated with respect.

Nonviolence
Maloca Community Garden is committed to nonviolence and has a zero tolerance policy for physical, sexual, and verbal violence. Anyone who threatens violence or commits physical or sexual assault or abuse, will be required to cede membership, private plots and leave the garden immediately.

Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to: unwanted flirting, touching, and sexual advances; crude, degrading, or unwanted sexual comments, propositions, jokes, innuendos, and slurs; stalking, staring, and other unwanted sexual attention; display of pornographic material; etc. If you are unsure as to whether something might be considered sexual harassment, don't do it! Understand that consent is paramount in all interactions and relationships. If you feel you have been sexually harassed and do not want to confront the perpetrator directly, please bring the issue to a coordinator or staff supervisor. We will make every effort to address the situation in a way that feels appropriate to the person who has been harassed. In most cases, the perpetrator will be given a warning and an opportunity to change behavior; after the second offense, the perpetrator will be required to give up their membership and plot.

Verbal Abuse, Bullying, and Oppressive Language
We will not tolerate verbal abuse, hate speech, or bullying of any kind, and we will not tolerate the use of oppressive language, including but not limited to racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, or other oppressive jokes, stereotypes, slurs, comments, etc. If you feel you have been verbally abused, bullied, demeaned or degraded, or made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe due to the use of oppressive language and do not want to confront the perpetrator directly, please bring the issue to a coordinator or staff supervisor. We will make every effort to address the situation in a way that feels appropriate to the person who has been abused. In most cases, the perpetrator will be given a warning and an opportunity to change behavior; after the second offense, the perpetrator will be required to give up their membership and plot.

Conflict Resolution and Mediation
We encourage all of our volunteers to develop conflict resolution, mediation, and nonviolent communication skills, and to fully participate in making this a safer space for everyone. We realize that misunderstandings can occur, and that even the most well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences. Because we come from so many different backgrounds, it is not always clear what is acceptable and what is offensive. Whenever possible, people should be given the opportunity to reconcile differences, change problematic behaviors, and make amends, so that we can learn from our experiences and grow as human beings. In order for this to work, however, we need to open our minds and be receptive to constructive criticism, rather than becoming defensive when called out on inappropriate behavior. There has to be a willingness to apologize, admit wrong, compromise when appropriate, and try to see the other person's point of view.

If interpersonal conflict arises between garden members, a conflict resolution process will be initiated by the Garden Coordinators. This will include a written notice from the coordinators and an initial meeting. If the conflict persists, the garden coordinators will initiate a conflict resolution process led by York University’s Office of Student Conflict Resolution. Garden members who refuse to participate in these processes will have their membership revoked.