🔗 Share this article Dining Across the Divide: A Meeting Among Different Perspectives Meeting the Participants One Participant: P., 34, from London Occupation Ex- government employee, currently a learner focusing on community health Voting record Supported Green recently (also a member of the political group); previously Labour. Identifies as “left, and globalist instead of nationalist” Interesting fact A sketch of a teacup he did as a child was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland Second Participant: Akshat, 43, Harrow Profession Risk manager in the infrastructure industry Political history Hailing from India, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and voted Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly moderate right” Interesting fact Akshat taught himself to read and write Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing” Initial impressions Akshat Over the last 20 years, I have resided and been employed in the Middle East, South Korea, the United States. The issues we discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because human life more or less evolve similarly across the world. I anticipated someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, he opted for 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 he was too. Would he criticize me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I have resided in the United States and Spain. We connected through our affection for London. The big beef Akshat I look at immigration like adding salt to a dish. With a small amount, the dish tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned. The second participant Akshat had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be odd to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country. Akshat There are, unfortunately, individuals escaping oppression, but many migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much 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 can take care of yourself and your relatives. The second participant We became confused with certain details. In my view it’s like you come over and work and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, visa fees are really high, you pay an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. 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 want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we must maintain a degree of compassion. Common ground The first participant Peter questions unregulated markets. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged. The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of the community – politics, the media – benefit from creating conflict. We discovered common ground in basic principles and ethics. For afters The first participant Peter believes that since the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it should pay compensation to those countries. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess the past with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the UK had to compensate India, it would be a huge amount of money. Is the UK in a position to manage that? No. Peter Until recently, I believe adequate reflection occurred with colonial history. As an instance, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people had little knowledge of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule contributed to it. My view is decolonization is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now. Final thoughts The first participant It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I talk to people regularly whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the common understanding, so that everyone can strive for the betterment of the community. Peter We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we both enjoyed dinner, so we might become more open to having conversations with others in future.