🔗 Share this article Conversing Over the Divide: A Meeting Among Different Viewpoints Meeting the Participants First Participant: Peter, 34, from London Occupation Former civil servant, currently a learner studying community health Voting record Supported Green last time (and a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour Party. Identifies as “left, and internationalist instead of nationalist” Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup Peter did as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland Second Participant: A., 43, Harrow Occupation Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry Political history Originally from India, Akshat 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 understand the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated” For starters Akshat Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics we discussed are UK-centric, but they are also global, because human life more or less follows the same curve 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, Peter had mojitos. Peter We split starters – seafood rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our love of the capital. The big beef Akshat I view migration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty. Peter Akshat used an analogy regarding seasoning. It would be odd to exist if the state was selecting some preferred demographic of the country. The first participant There are, unfortunately, individuals fleeing persecution, but a lot of migrants coming to the United Kingdom are those seeking better finances who may not contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. No one compels you to go to a new country for opportunity, so you should only go if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives. Peter We became confused with certain details. I don’t think it’s like you arrive 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, there is an healthcare levy, access to benefits is limited. There is no special treatment for anyone. 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 think we must maintain a degree of humanity. Sharing plate Akshat Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but at the same time, economic growth 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 stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in basic principles and values. For afters Akshat Peter believes that since the UK benefitted from the colonial era, it should pay compensation to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess the past with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of events 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the UK was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a huge amount of funds. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not. Peter Until recently, I believe there was much reckoning with the colonial past. As an instance, upon my arrival to the UK, people weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the part that colonialism contributed to it. My view is decolonization isn’t just about issuing payments, it should be about examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities. Final thoughts Akshat It won’t change the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly with opinions are contrary to mine. The goal is uniting people to the same page, in order that everyone can work towards the betterment of the community. Peter We remained for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to having conversations with other people in future.