Do you feel secure? Many people do not. They look around them and see the UK leaving Europe, China challenging the United States, terrorism, cyber attacks, climate change, the rising cost of housing, inequality, new technology taking over jobs - and they wonder how they will cope.

Future NZ 2016 is all about security. This is very much the subject of the times. It is behind so much of the political uncertainty in the world. Mainstream parties do not seem able to come up with answers to the questions people are asking.

More radical parties from the left and right are being listened to and are gaining considerable support. The authors of the articles published here are not taking sides, but they are providing food for thought.

There are no easy answers to the complex question we all face. But we can make a start by being better informed about what is going on.

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This process will be helped not only by Future NZ, the magazine, but also Massey University's Future NZ Forums, which will be held in Auckland and Wellington and focus on security issues.

This is fourth year the forums have been held and in the past we have looked at megatrends, the rise of China, changes in population and the food revolution.

The focus on security this year acknowledges that security is becoming central to the way we organise our society.

What is important is that our search for security does not make us defensive or insular. Rather, we need to find ways to live with complexity and uncertainty that will allow us to thrive. What is happening in the world can be as much a source of opportunity as it can be a challenge.

The aim of Future NZ- both the magazine and the events - is to help us take a positive look at what lies in front of us. All the best for the year (and years) ahead.