Conversing Across the Gap: A Meeting Among Different Perspectives
Meeting the Participants
One Participant: P., 34, London
Profession Former government employee, currently a student studying community health
Voting record Voted Green recently (and a affiliate of the political group); previously Labour Party. Describes himself as “progressive, and internationalist rather than patriotic”
Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup he created as a child was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland
Other Participant: Akshat, 43, from Harrow
Profession Risk manager in the infrastructure industry
Voting record Originally from India, Akshat has resided in the United Kingdom for five years, and supported the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche Akshat self-learned to understand Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated”
For starters
The first participant Over the last 20 years, I’ve lived and worked in Qatar, East Asia, the United States. The issues Peter and I talked about are UK-centric, but they are also global, 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 drank beer, he opted for mojitos.
Peter We split starters – fishy spring rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I’ve lived in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for London.
Key disagreements
Akshat I look at immigration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. When you add a little bit, the food is delicious. Add too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
Peter He used an analogy about seasoning. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
The first participant There are, sadly, individuals escaping oppression, but many migrants coming to the UK are those seeking better finances who do not necessarily add significant value and can weigh on the benefit system. No one compels you to go to a new country for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you are able to support your own needs and your relatives.
Peter We became confused with certain details. In my view it’s like you come over and work and then following a half-decade you get indefinite leave to remain. Nothing is automatic. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding 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 certain level of humanity.
Common ground
Akshat Peter questions unchecked capitalism. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation helps communities and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that some parts of society – politics, the media – thrive off stoking division. We discovered shared understanding in basic principles and values.
For afters
Akshat Peter believes that because the UK profited from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge the past with present day morality; times are different, current society had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years 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 believe adequate reflection occurred with the colonial past. As an instance, upon my arrival to the UK, the public had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the part that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it should be about looking at past errors and where we should be now.
Takeaways
The first participant It won’t change the way I think, but I appreciate his worries. I converse with people every day whose views are opposite to mine. The goal is uniting people to the same page, so that all of us can work towards the betterment of society.
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 each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more receptive to having conversations with other people in the coming times.
