Acknowledgements

Even though we had the first edition to build upon, this second edition turned out a steep learning experience for authors and editors alike. Partly that had resulted from numerous new developments in human security worldwide, but mostly it had to do with the new format of the book. Publishing online sure is different from publishing the old way! Nevertheless, or perhaps consequently, we enjoyed the process tremendously — thanks to the support of everybody involved.

We are greatly indebted to the chapter authors; their diligence and patience in the face of unexpected delays and extra requirements was much appreciated.

The publishing expert from BCcampus, Ms Lauri Aesoph, contributed invaluable support to the process, for which we are extremely grateful. Without her help this project would likely not have gotten off the ground in the first place.

We also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the two editorial assistants, Ms Sara Enns and Ms Walsham Tenshak, without whose expert academic proficiency a timely publication of this text would not have been possible.

We are also grateful to the University of Northern British Columbia and to BCcampus for their joint support as co-publishers of this textbook. We thank UNBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology for supporting the editing with a publication grant, and to Mr Grant Potter for his frequent good advice and encouragement.

In our view, this project has come to exemplify synergy; the total exceeding the sum of its parts – not just in terms of chapter contents but primarily in its awesome team of human collaborators.

Alexander Lautensach & Sabina Lautensach
Editors