🔗 Share this article Dining Over the Divide: An Meeting Among Different Viewpoints Introducing the Individuals First Diner: P., 34, from London Occupation Former government employee, now a student studying community health Voting record Supported the Green Party last time (and a affiliate of the party); formerly Labour Party. Describes himself as “left, and globalist instead of patriotic” Interesting fact A drawing of a teacup Peter created as a kid was once displayed in the National Gallery of Ireland Second Diner: A., 43, Harrow Occupation Risk analyst in the infrastructure industry Voting record Hailing from India, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Identifies as “slightly right of centre” Amuse bouche Akshat self-learned to understand the Urdu language. “It has no practical use for me, I simply found it intriguing” Initial impressions The first participant During the past two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, East Asia, the US. The topics Peter and I talked about are UK-centric, but they are also global, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve across the world. I was expecting someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we engaged in a good, rational discussion. I drank beer, he opted for mojitos. The second participant We shared appetizers – seafood rolls, dumplings, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the US and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for London. The big beef Akshat I view migration like sprinkling salt to a meal. With a small amount, the food tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is insipid or overly seasoned. The second participant He used an analogy about salt. It would be a funny place to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation. Akshat There are, unfortunately, people fleeing persecution, but many migrants coming to the United Kingdom are economic migrants who do not necessarily add significant value and can burden the benefit system. No one compels you to go to a different nation for prospects, so you should only go if you can take care of your own needs and your relatives. Peter We got lost with certain details. I don’t think it’s like you come over and are employed and then following a half-decade you obtain permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an healthcare levy, eligibility for support is limited. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anybody. And regarding the recent changes, whereby you can’t bring your family over, 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. Common ground The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. So am I, but simultaneously, wealth creation helps communities and ought to be promoted. The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we concurred that certain elements of the community – politics, the media – benefit from creating conflict. We did find common ground in basic principles and values. For afters Akshat Peter believes that because the United Kingdom benefitted from colonial times, it should pay reparations to those countries. My view is simply: it is unfair to assess history with present day morality; eras vary, modern people were not responsible of events 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay India, it would be a significant sum of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? No. Peter In the past, I don’t think there was much reckoning with colonial history. As an instance, upon my arrival to the United Kingdom, people had little knowledge of the Great Famine and the role that colonialism contributed to it. My view is decolonization is not merely about signing a cheque, it should be about examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities. 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 mine. The goal is bringing everyone to the common understanding, so that everyone can work towards the improvement of society. The second participant We remained for two and a half hours. Akshat had dessert and I drank a Japanese dessert wine. I did not convince him of anything, but we both enjoyed the meal, so we could hopefully be more receptive to having conversations with other people in future.