Conversing Over the Divide: An Meeting Between Opposing Perspectives
Introducing the Participants
First Diner: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Former civil servant, now a student focusing on public health
Voting record Voted Green recently (also a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “progressive, and globalist rather than nationalist”
Interesting fact A drawing of a teacup Peter did as a kid was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Diner: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk analyst in the construction sector
Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Identifies as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche Akshat self-learned to understand Urdu. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the United States. The issues we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated a staunch liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
The second participant We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I think Akshat was. Would he criticize me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and Spain. We connected through our love of London.
The big beef
Akshat I look at immigration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant He had a metaphor regarding seasoning. It would be odd to be if the government was choosing some preferred demographic of the nation.
The first participant There are, sadly, people escaping oppression, but a lot of migrants arriving in the UK are those seeking better finances who may not add significant value and can weigh on the benefit system. Nobody forces you to move to a new country for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you are able to support yourself and your relatives.
Peter We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and work and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, application costs are quite expensive, there is an NHS surcharge, access to benefits is limited. There is no special treatment for anybody. And concerning the new policies, under which family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we have to have a degree of compassion.
Common ground
The first participant Peter questions unregulated markets. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of society – government, the media – thrive off stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it should pay reparations to those countries. I simply think: you cannot judge history with present day morality; eras vary, current society were not responsible of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay India, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.
Peter In the past, I don’t think adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, when I first moved to the UK, the public had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that colonialism played in it. I hold that decolonization is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
Akshat It may not alter the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly whose views are opposite to mine. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the improvement of society.
The second participant 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 receptive to engaging in dialogues with others in future.
