'Home' is not what it used to be.

Increasingly, newspapers have to show why the rest of the world matters, rather than assuming it doesn't.

The best editorials help readers think critically about the state of their community, and consider how to respond and act; for that reason, we should be witnessing a renaissance in editorial writing about international affairs. That we are not says more about the traditions and habits of editorial writers than it does about the communities we strive to reflect and represent.

Many newspapers, seeking to maintain the loyalty of their readers, have decided to focus more on issues close to home. What they often miss is that home is not the same place it used to be. Every city in North America is being reshaped by international events, most significantly by the largest influx of immigrants since the turn of the century, and by the growing importance of international trade and investment.

To serve our local mission, editorialists need to become increasingly sophisticated about the rest of the world.

In Vancouver, for instance, one-quarter of our population is composed of immigrants, mostly from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India. The new immigrants have financed the city's real estate boom, populated its public schools, reshaped its architecture (to howls from older residents), and kept its economy buoyant while the rest of Canada has been floundering.

Political and economic developments in Asia have largely determined the flow of money and people to British Columbia. A Vancouverite who wants to know where the city is headed needs to understand the prospects for Hong Kong after the Chinese takeover in 1997, the threat posed by China's recent military maneuvers in the waters off Taiwan, and the developments in the civil war in Kashmir. And if The Vancouver Sun won't explain these developments to them, we have a growing number of foreign-language competitors who will.

In a recent editorial in the Sun, we used the World Bank's 1995 report on foreign investment to explain one element of this transformation. Canada was an economy built by foreign money, mostly American. But as the report shows, foreign investment in Canada has been disappearing along with corporate profits, while investment has exploded in places like China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

The editorial argued in favor of international rules to discourage countries from slashing wages and regulations to attract investment, but it could equally have pressed for changes at home to bolster Canada's competitiveness.

For most of the 20th century, editorialists saw little need to defend the relevance of international subjects. The two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Cold War threat of nuclear annihilation offered compelling reasons to care about events abroad. But increasingly, newspapers have to demonstrate why the rest of the world matters rather than assuming it does.

International editorials have suffered because many simply comment on the big issues of the day without drawing local connections. While certain events such as the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin warrant widespread reflection, others - such as the latest developments in Bosnia or the ups and downs of reform in Russia rarely touch our readers.

Apart from relevance and reader interest, one other objection to international editorials is that they lack influence: Most papers have no ability to affect foreign policies. Editorial writers, the argument goes, should stick to local and regional topics where the voice of the paper carries greater weight.

But the argument is misguided for two reasons.

First, a newspaper shirks its responsibility when it fails to explain to people complex developments that affect their lives. The Vancouver Sun has no ability to influence how China treats Hong Kong after 1997. But our readers need to be informed, because China's actions will reverberate in this city. Editorials can help to explain those connections.

Second, while smaller newspapers may not be able to affect international events, they can influence how their communities respond to those developments. How many immigrants do we want? What are the implications for our schools and social services? How should we deal with extradition of criminals? These are questions where editorials can affect political responses.

Our economy is increasingly part of a world economy. How should our infrastructure be designed to encourage competitiveness? What should we be seeking in trade agreements?

With the Cold War over, military forces are shrinking. Do we defend local bases because they help the economy, or do we back a larger vision that opposes throwing money at useless defense establishments?

These are big topics, worthy of editorial comment. And they are ones that bring the world to our readers in ways that can make concrete and meaningful the fuzzy notion of "globalization."

The international editorial has never been more relevant, but editorial writers face a more challenging task in demonstrating this for their readers.

Edward Alden writes for The Vancouver Sun in British Columbia.