Last week’s G20 meeting in Pittsburgh ushered in a new era in international diplomacy as world leaders moved closer to the G20 model for international governance, leaving the G8 a mere shadow of its former self. The G8 will begin to quietly pack its bags after 2010 and will likely fade into a distant memory, only to be recollected in graduate theses.

The joint announcement regarding the gradual transition from the G8 to the G20 was made between Stephen Harper and South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, with the first back-to-back summit being held in the Muskoka region of Ontario over the summer of 2010. Despite the cries from anti-globalization protestors about the undemocratic and cabalist nature of these groups, this move is in the best interest of the individual nations, as well as the world in general.

These protestors forget that expanding the G8 to the G20 greatly increases the voice of newly emerging nations such as Brazil, India, and China on the world stage. These countries will be included in discussions on climate change, health, and poverty—discussions that desperately need to be heard. A greater diversity of opinions and actions will be brought to the international arena, which had previously been dominated by Europe and the United States.

Hopefully Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, President Susilo Yudhoyono of Indonesia, and Prime Minister Recep Erdogan of Turkey will become household names for Canadians, forcing us to be less Western-centric.

This shift from continental Europe to the East and South reflects a shift in the geopolitical reality. No longer will decisions be made solely in London, Paris, and Washington. Increasingly we will have to look to Beijing, Brasília, and New Delhi for leadership and co-operation on a host of issues, from terrorism to financial regulation to human security. The actions taken on global warming and future financial crises will be more comprehensive with these nations on board.

Most importantly, the G20 also represents an opportunity to Canada that we’ve seldom had before. As one of the most diverse countries in the world, Canada is poised to utilize its vast reserves of both human capital and natural resources to maximize its global connections and become a significant global player. The question for Canadians is, do we have a government that is ready to take advantage of these international opportunities?