Conversing Across the Divide: A Encounter Between Opposing Perspectives
Meeting the Individuals
One Participant: Peter, 34, London
Occupation Ex- civil servant, currently a learner focusing on public health
Political history Voted Green recently (also a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour Party. Identifies as “left, and globalist rather than nationalist”
Interesting fact A sketch of a tea cup he did as a kid was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Second Diner: A., 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk manager in the construction sector
Voting record Originally from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to understand the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
Akshat During the past 20 years, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics we talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve across the world. I anticipated someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, steamed buns, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I believe he was too. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for London.
Key disagreements
Akshat I view migration like sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish tastes wonderful. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter Akshat had a metaphor about salt. It would be odd to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation.
The first participant There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can weigh on the benefit system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for prospects, so you should only go if you are able to support your own needs and your family.
Peter We got lost with some of the facts. I don’t think it is the case that you arrive and work and then after five years you obtain indefinite leave to remain. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, application costs are really high, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. There is no special treatment for anybody. And concerning the recent changes, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we must maintain a degree of humanity.
Sharing plate
Akshat Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but simultaneously, wealth creation helps communities and should be encouraged.
Peter We each have global outlooks. And we agreed that some parts of society – politics, the press – thrive off creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom benefitted from colonial times, it should pay compensation to affected nations. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess the past with present day morality; times are different, modern people were not responsible of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is Britain able to do that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I believe there was much reckoning with colonial history. For example, when I first moved to the United Kingdom, the public weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that colonialism played in it. My view is decolonisation isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
The first participant It may not alter the way I think, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I talk to individuals every day with opinions are contrary to my own. The goal is bringing everyone to the same page, so that all of us can strive for the betterment of the community.
Peter We were there for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of any point, but we each liked dinner, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with others in future.
