Dining Over the Gap: A Meeting Between Different Perspectives
Meeting the Individuals
First Diner: Peter, 34, London
Profession Ex- civil servant, currently a learner studying community health
Voting record Supported Green recently (and a member of the party); previously Labour Party. Identifies as “left, and internationalist instead of nationalist”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a teacup Peter created as a kid was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Second Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Originally from India, he has resided in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and voted the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “slightly moderate right”
Amuse bouche Akshat taught himself to understand Urdu. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, South Korea, the United States. The topics Peter and I talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because people's lives largely follows the same curve across the world. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We split starters – seafood rolls, steamed buns, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our love of the capital.
Key disagreements
The first participant I look at migration similar to sprinkling salt to a dish. With a small amount, the food is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant Akshat had a metaphor regarding seasoning. It would be a funny place to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation.
The first participant There are, unfortunately, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go to a different nation for prospects, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of your own needs and your relatives.
Peter We got lost with some of the facts. I don’t think it is the case that you come over and work and then after five years you obtain indefinite leave to remain. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, application costs are quite expensive, you pay 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 certain level of humanity.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. I am, too, but at the same time, economic growth helps communities and should be encouraged.
The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that certain elements of the community – politics, the media – thrive off stoking division. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
For afters
The first participant Peter is of the opinion that since the United Kingdom benefitted from the colonial era, 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 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the Britain had to compensate India, it would be a significant sum of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? Certainly not.
The second participant Until recently, I believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. For example, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that colonialism contributed to it. My view is decolonization is not merely about signing a cheque, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now.
Final thoughts
Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I talk to people every day with opinions are opposite to my own. It’s about uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the betterment of the community.
Peter We remained for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I drank a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we each liked dinner, so we could hopefully be more receptive to engaging in dialogues with other people in the coming times.
