🔗 Share this article Dining Over the Gap: A Encounter Between Opposing Viewpoints Introducing the Participants One Participant: P., 34, London Profession Former civil servant, now a student studying community health Political history Voted the Green Party last time (also a member of the political group); formerly Labour. Identifies as “left, and internationalist rather than nationalist” Interesting fact A drawing of a tea cup Peter created as a child was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery Second Participant: A., 43, Harrow Occupation Risk manager in the infrastructure industry Political history Originally from the Indian subcontinent, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and supported Conservative. Describes himself as “slightly right of centre” Amuse bouche He self-learned to read and write Urdu. “It has no practical use for me, I was just fascinated” For starters Akshat During the past 20 years, I have resided and been employed in the Middle East, East Asia, the US. The topics Peter and I talked about are focused on Britain, but they are also global, because people's lives more or less follows the same curve across the world. I anticipated someone very liberal, but Peter wasn’t all gung ho – we had a productive, logical conversation. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos. Peter We split appetizers – seafood rolls, steamed buns, daikon cakes with beansprouts, which were excellent. I felt somewhat anxious, as I think he was too. Was he going to attack me for my sensitivity? We’re both immigrants. I grew up in Dublin; I’ve lived in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We bonded over our affection for the capital. The big beef The first participant I view migration like sprinkling salt to a dish. When you add a little bit, the food is delicious. Use too little or too much and the dish is either too bland or too salty. The second participant He had a metaphor regarding salt. It would be a funny place to be if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the nation. The first participant There are, unfortunately, people escaping oppression, but many migrants arriving in the UK are those seeking better finances who may not contribute much and can weigh on the welfare 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 family. Peter We became confused with some of the facts. In my view it’s like you come over and are employed and then after five years you get permanent citizenship. Nothing is automatic. It’s been a hostile environment for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, there is an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. There is no special treatment for anybody. And regarding the new policies, under which family reunification is restricted, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I think we must maintain a degree of compassion. Sharing plate The first participant Peter’s sceptical of unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but at the same time, wealth creation benefits society and should be encouraged. The second participant We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that certain elements of the community – politics, the press – benefit from creating conflict. We discovered common ground in basic principles and ethics. For afters The first participant Peter is of the opinion that since the United Kingdom profited from colonial times, it should pay reparations to those countries. My view is simply: you cannot judge history with contemporary ethics; times are different, modern people had no control of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Suppose the UK was obliged to repay the Indian nation, it would be a significant sum of money. Is the UK in a position to do that? No. Peter In the past, I believe adequate reflection occurred with colonial history. As an instance, 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 isn’t just about signing a cheque, it should be about examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities. Takeaways The first participant It won’t change the way I think, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals regularly whose views are contrary to mine. The goal is bringing everyone to the common understanding, in order that all of us can strive for the betterment of the community. Peter We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I had a Japanese dessert wine. I didn’t persuade him of anything, but we each liked the meal, so we could hopefully be more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in the coming times.