If you think your rights as a contractor (consultant / freelancer) -- or as a full-time employee, for that matter -- are being trampled on, or if you think it might be time to blow the whistle on some behaviour in the workplace you find unacceptable, it's worth running your concern past a lawyer first to see if you have a case. These human rights and employment lawyers have a track record of successful actions within the international aid system and come highly recommended.

As an aid professional with intermittent income and working abroad a lot you are bound to have residency issues which impact your financial planning  ... from income tax and pensions to the simple stuff like making international bank transfers and obtaining a mortgage. These companies have proven that they understand the complexities of your wandering lifestyle and will be willing to walk you through the options.

The postgraduate Diplomas, Certificates and Masters' degree courses recommended here offer what fellow aid workers suggest is not just good value-for-money, but genuine opportunity for career advancement. Some have distance learning options. There is also a section on e-certification.

Aid workers, war correspondents and others working at the edge witness human tragedy on a reguar basis, and exhibit a wide range of psychological reactions as a result. Some of the effects are immediate; some accumulate over years, leading to ‘eruptions of anxiety’ at the most unlikely moments. If you think – even for a moment – that getting help might be useful, others like you have recommended the following counsellors.

Alternatively, perhaps you just need to de-compress for a bit, in which case one of these specially selected 'rest & recuperation' getaway centres might be just the ticket.

Here's where you find general support services, from how to get a job in the aid sector, advice on employment law, to books on aid work, and where to find language courses and translation services online etc etc.