Dining Across the Gap: An Meeting Among Different Perspectives
Meeting the Participants
First Participant: Peter, 34, London
Occupation Ex- civil servant, currently a student focusing on community health
Voting record Supported Green last time (also a member of the political group); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “progressive, and globalist rather than nationalist”
Amuse bouche A drawing of a teacup Peter did as a kid was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Participant: A., 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Hailing from India, he has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre”
Amuse bouche Akshat taught himself to understand the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
Initial impressions
Akshat During the past two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The issues we talked about are UK-centric, but they are also global, because human life more or less evolve similarly across the world. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We split appetizers – fishy spring rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I felt somewhat anxious, as I believe he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and Spain. We bonded over our love of London.
The big beef
The first participant I view migration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter He had a metaphor about salt. It would be a funny place to be if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the country.
Akshat There are, sadly, individuals escaping oppression, but a lot of people coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can weigh on the benefit system. Nobody forces you to move to a new country for opportunity, so you should only go if you are able to support yourself and your relatives.
Peter We became confused with certain details. I don’t think it is the case that you come over and are employed and then after five years you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming since Theresa May, visa fees are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, access to benefits is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding 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 certain level of compassion.
Common ground
The first participant Peter questions unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that certain elements of the community – government, the media – thrive off stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in basic principles and values.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that because the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, it should pay compensation to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with present day morality; eras vary, modern people were not responsible of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is Britain able to manage that? Certainly not.
The second participant In the past, I believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, the public had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I appreciate his worries. I converse with individuals regularly with opinions are contrary to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that everyone can work towards the betterment of society.
The second participant We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we each liked dinner, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with others in the coming times.
