Dining Over the Divide: A Meeting Among Opposing Perspectives
Introducing the Individuals
One Participant: Peter, 34, London
Profession Ex- government employee, currently a learner studying public health
Voting record Voted Green recently (also a affiliate of the party); previously Labour. Identifies as “progressive, and internationalist instead of patriotic”
Interesting fact A sketch of a teacup he did as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Other Diner: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Profession Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry
Political history Hailing from India, he has resided in the UK for half a decade, and voted the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “slightly moderate right”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to read and write Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics we talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also global, 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 engaged in a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We shared starters – seafood rolls, dumplings, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of the capital.
The big beef
Akshat I view immigration like adding salt to a dish. With a small amount, the food is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is either too bland or too salty.
The second participant He had a metaphor about salt. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the United Kingdom are those seeking better finances who do not necessarily add significant value and can weigh on the welfare system. No one compels you to go to a new country for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of yourself and your family.
The second participant We got lost with certain details. In my view it’s like 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 for some time, application costs are really high, you pay an NHS surcharge, access to benefits is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And concerning the recent changes, under which family reunification is restricted, it is astonishing to state: we desire your labor, but we reject you as a person. I believe we have to have a certain level of humanity.
Common ground
Akshat Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth helps communities and should be encouraged.
The second participant We each have global outlooks. And we concurred that some parts of the community – government, the media – benefit from creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in basic principles and values.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that since the UK profited from colonial times, it ought to provide compensation to those countries. I simply think: you cannot judge the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain was obliged to repay India, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is the UK in a position to do that? Certainly not.
The second participant In the past, I believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. For example, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, the public had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that colonialism played in it. I hold that decolonisation is not merely about signing a cheque, it ought to involve looking at past errors and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
The first participant It may not alter the my perspective, but I appreciate his worries. I talk to people regularly with opinions are opposite to mine. The goal is uniting people to the common understanding, in order that everyone can strive for the betterment of society.
The second participant We remained for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I drank a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with others in the coming times.
