Conversing Over the Divide: An Meeting Among Opposing Viewpoints
Introducing the Individuals
One Participant: Peter, 34, from London
Profession Ex- civil servant, currently a learner studying community health
Voting record Supported Green recently (also a affiliate of the political group); previously Labour Party. Identifies as “progressive, and internationalist instead of nationalist”
Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup he created as a child was once hung in the Irish National Gallery
Other Participant: A., 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the construction sector
Voting record Originally from India, Akshat has resided in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported the Conservative Party. Identifies as “somewhat right of centre”
Amuse bouche Akshat taught himself to read and write the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, South Korea, the US. The topics we discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because human life largely follows the same curve wherever it is. I anticipated someone very liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a productive, logical conversation. I drank beer, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We shared starters – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe Akshat was. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We each have immigrant backgrounds. I grew up in Dublin; I have resided in the US and Spain. We bonded over our affection for London.
The big beef
Akshat I look at migration similar to sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Use too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned.
The second participant Akshat had a metaphor about seasoning. It would be a funny place to exist if the government was selecting some preferred demographic of the nation.
Akshat There are, unfortunately, people escaping oppression, but a lot of people arriving in the United Kingdom are those seeking better finances who do not necessarily contribute much and can weigh on the welfare system. Nobody forces you to move to a new country for opportunity, so you ought to relocate if you can take care of yourself and your relatives.
The second participant We got lost with certain details. I don’t think it’s like you come over and work and then following a half-decade you get permanent citizenship. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an healthcare levy, access to benefits is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anyone. And concerning the new policies, under which you can’t bring your family over, it is astonishing to state: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I think we must maintain a certain level of humanity.
Sharing plate
The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and ought to be promoted.
The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of society – government, the press – benefit from stoking division. We did find shared understanding in basic principles and ethics.
Dessert and debate
Akshat Peter is of the opinion that because the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it ought to provide reparations to affected nations. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess the past with contemporary ethics; times are different, current society had no control of events 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? Certainly not.
Peter In the past, I believe there was much reckoning with the colonial past. For example, when I first moved to the UK, people had little knowledge of the Irish famine and the role that colonialism contributed to it. My view is decolonisation is not merely about issuing payments, it ought to involve looking at past errors and our current responsibilities.
Takeaways
The first participant It won’t change the way I think, but I appreciate Peter’s concerns. I converse with people every day with opinions are contrary to mine. The goal is bringing everyone to the common understanding, so that all of us can work towards the improvement of the community.
Peter We remained for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of any point, but we each liked dinner, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
