Conversing Across the Divide: An Encounter Between Opposing Perspectives
Meeting the Individuals
One Participant: P., 34, from London
Occupation Former government employee, now a student focusing on community health
Voting record Supported Green recently (and a affiliate of the party); previously Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and internationalist instead of patriotic”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a teacup Peter did as a child was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the construction sector
Voting record Hailing from the Indian subcontinent, he has lived in the UK for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right”
Amuse bouche He self-learned to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I was just fascinated”
Initial impressions
The first participant Over the last two decades, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics Peter and I talked about are UK-centric, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated a staunch liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
Peter We shared appetizers – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the US and Spain. We connected through our affection for the capital.
Key disagreements
The first participant I look at migration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the dish is delicious. Add too little or too much and the dish is either too bland or too salty.
The second participant Akshat had a metaphor regarding salt. It would be odd to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
The first participant There are, sadly, individuals fleeing persecution, but many migrants coming to the UK are economic migrants who may not add significant value and can burden the benefit system. Nobody forces you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you should only go if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives.
The second participant We got lost with some of the facts. In my view it’s like you arrive and work and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment since Theresa May, application costs are really high, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anyone. And regarding the new policies, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it’s incredible to say: we desire your labor, but we reject you as a person. I believe we have to have a degree of humanity.
Sharing plate
Akshat Peter questions unregulated markets. So am I, but at the same time, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of the community – politics, the press – thrive off creating conflict. We discovered common ground in fundamentals and ethics.
Dessert and debate
Akshat Peter believes that because the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it should pay compensation to those countries. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; times are different, current society had no control of what happened decades or a century ago. Let’s say the Britain had to compensate the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is Britain able to manage that? No.
The second participant Until recently, I don’t think adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. For example, upon my arrival to the UK, the public weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the role that imperial rule played in it. My view is decolonization isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about looking at what went wrong and where we should be now.
Takeaways
Akshat It may not alter the way I think, but I understand his worries. I converse with people regularly with opinions are contrary to my own. The goal is uniting people to the common understanding, so that all of us can work towards the betterment of the community.
The second participant We remained for 150 minutes. Akshat had dessert and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we both enjoyed dinner, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with others in future.
