🔗 Share this article Dining Over the Gap: An Encounter Among Different Perspectives Meeting the Participants One Participant: P., 34, from London Occupation Former civil servant, now a student focusing on public health Voting record Voted the Green Party last time (also a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour. Describes himself as “left, and globalist instead of patriotic” Interesting fact A sketch of a teacup he did as a kid was once hung in the National Gallery of Ireland Other Participant: A., 43, Harrow Occupation Risk analyst in the construction sector Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has resided in the United Kingdom for five years, and voted the Conservative Party. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right” Interesting fact He self-learned to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing” For starters The first participant Over the last 20 years, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics Peter and I discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because people's lives more or less evolve similarly wherever it is. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we had a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos. The second participant We shared appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I think Akshat was. Was he going to attack me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for London. Key disagreements The first participant I view migration similar to adding salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food is delicious. Use too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty. The second participant He used an analogy regarding salt. It would be odd to be if the state was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation. The first participant There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but many migrants arriving in the UK are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. No one compels you to move to a different nation for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of yourself and your family. The second participant We got lost with certain details. In my view it is the case that you come over and are employed and then following a half-decade you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, application costs are quite expensive, there is an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. There is no special treatment for anybody. And regarding the new policies, whereby family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we reject you as a person. I believe we must maintain a degree of humanity. Common ground Akshat Peter’s sceptical of unregulated markets. So am I, but simultaneously, wealth creation benefits society and ought to be promoted. The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of society – politics, the media – thrive off creating conflict. We did find common ground in basic principles and values. For afters Akshat Peter is of the opinion that because the UK profited from colonial times, it ought to provide compensation to those countries. I simply think: it is unfair to assess history with contemporary ethics; eras vary, current society had no control of events decades or a century ago. Suppose the Britain was obliged to repay India, it would be a significant sum of funds. Is the UK in a position to manage that? Certainly not. The second participant In the past, I believe adequate reflection occurred with colonial history. As an instance, when I first moved to the UK, people weren’t aware of the Great Famine and the part that imperial rule contributed to it. I hold that decolonization is not merely about signing a cheque, it should be about looking at past errors and our current responsibilities. Takeaways Akshat It won’t change the way I think, but I appreciate his worries. I converse with people every day with opinions are opposite to mine. It’s about bringing everyone to the same page, so that everyone can strive for the betterment of the community. Peter We were there for two and a half hours. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with others in the coming times.