Casey Kelso
Senior Strategy and Organisational Development Consultant for Civil Society
“Effective campaigns are built on decision points, real or manufacured. Maybe legislation is possible now or an international conference is addressing the issue soon or some event has made your issue timely. Tell people why now.”
I am a strategist at heart, with 20+ years of experience in human rights, anti-corruption and applied ethics, and transformational management in CSO and philanthropy. In my approach to team management, I have a facilitative and empowering approach with kindness. I can provide:
- trainings for capacity building on political analysis and influencing skills
- coaching and expert advice on strategic planning, advocacy and campaigns
- civil society space, security management, crisis communication
As a United States citizen holding UK nationality with unlimited residence in Germany, and with lifelong experience working in and on Sub-Saharan Africa, I have a zest to bridge international cultural gaps through listening and learning.
Casey Kelso
Contact
Please reach out and contact me.
I’d love to hear from you.
Signal / WhatsApp Tel:+49 1522 8897 894
Email: casey@caseyrights.com
Twitter: @caseyrights
“A good advocacy campaign strategy should identify your target audiences and narrow influencing objectives for each; create messages for these audiences conveyed through their channels (such as social media, trusted commentators, direct lobbying); and plan for key moments and levers of influence on a decision-maker to achieve your advocacy goals.”
From “How to Design a Policy Advocacy Campaign”, published in How To Do Public Policy, by Anke Hassel and Kai Wegrich, Oxford University Press, 2022
Experience
As a consultant since 2021, Casey provides trainings, tool kits, expert policy papers and strategic advice to WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support), Terre des Hommes International Federation, Transparency International, the World Organisation Against Torture / Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT) among other clients.
Casey has had a long career in policy, advocacy and communication in senior leadership positions with several international NGOs. He currently is on part-time retainer with WINGS as Senior Advocacy Officer, working on civil society space and enabling environment issues. At the International Crisis Group, which focuses on “preventing and resolving deadly conflict”, Casey was Chief of Advocacy and Strategic Communications. He worked for almost 13 years for Transparency International’s Secretariat as Policy and Advocacy Director and Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East, serving a worldwide movement of national organisations against corruption. There, he led global integrity campaigns, worked with investigative journalists on large scale corruption scandals, and created the global security system for rapid reaction and risk preparedness. Casey headed the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and worked for 10 years for Amnesty International as interim worldwide communications director, Deputy Director for Research and Action on Sub-Saharan Africa, and Researcher on Southern Africa.
X Feed
🚨Aid coalition chief: Israel blocks wheelchairs, prosthetics, watermelons, and fresh produce from entering Gaza
Athena Rayburn, executive director of the Association of International Development Agencies, which represents more than 100 humanitarian and development NGOs
Breaking News: The U.S. military fired the publisher and the top editor of Stars and Stripes, which had reported on problems aboard the U.S.S. Lincoln.
The disgrace that is Ben-Gvir has either lost his humanity or never had any. In any vaguely civilised society he would have been jailed long ago for incitement to murder. In Israel he’s the second most powerful politician
So there is a British surgeon who returned from Gaza who says:
"The bodies of Palestian children returned with hearts, lungs, and livers removed"
Skills & Experience
Moderation, Training and Public relations
Designing curriculum and delivering training through charismatic facilitation. Skilled moderation of debates and panel discussions. Canny crafting of public relations strategies to maximise public profile and influence audiences to action.
Organisational Change
Active participation in two major organisational change efforts in Transparency International and Amnesty International. Leading international discussions on moving beyond toxic NGO work environments and the elements of humane, people-centred collective accountability.
Advocacy and Influencing Strategies
Twenty-five years in campaigning and high-level advocacy, including two global campaigns and dozens of successful national-level campaigns. Worked well with local CSOs and international NGOs on how the global policy debate can be leveraged at national level for social change.
Human Rights
Background in child rights and child soldiers, with experience in field research on serious human rights violations, such as the use of children in armed conflict, torture and police killings. Focus on the intersection between economic and corruption, as well as social rights such as the fight for equality of LGBTQ.
English Editing and Technical / Policy Writing
Writing short and concise policy briefs. Translating technical research-based papers into easily readable fliers, summaries and speeches on international law, human rights, philanthropic multi-stakeholder approaches and anticorruption.
Anti-Corruption & Ethics
Many years experience in anti-corruption research design and advocacy, with a focus on the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Strong credentials and networks in anti-money laundering and financial crime investigation.
Security Preparation & Civil Society Space
Teaching how to keep clarity in times of crisis, in proactively preparing and addressing security risks. Offering capacity development in risk assessment, strategies and mitigation, as well as how to craft rapid response advocacy actions and crisis communications.
Philanthropy & Resourcing
Strong understanding of philanthropic ecosystems, barriers to cross-border giving, and transformational processes to create local ownership and localisation of development assistance. Accomplished in maintaining clear, transparent relationships with foundations and bi-lateral donors.
Testimonials
“Professional but approachable, easy to work with as open to suggestions, changes, and demanding review process. Expertise was not only excellent but specific to the organisation allowing autonomy in the work and bringing a fresh angle.”
“Your experience, knowledge, and commitment to co-creating an advocacy strategy have laid strong foundations for the work that WINGS and the network will carry forward. Your ability to connect people, ideas, and platforms has opened doors to new spaces, relationships, and allies, something I’ve always deeply appreciated.”
“Very engaging. The approach, tone and structure of the workshop organised was particularily spot on. As the workshop gathered quite a big group, with quite diverse profiles (programmatic staff, operations staff, communications staff, etc.), it… was very successfully done and all participants very much appreciated the training.”
“Casey Kelso’s extensive experience, deep knowledge of human rights advocacy and critical approach to the NGO sector made him shine among other consultants and we were convinced since the beginning that he was the right fit for the development of our training… Participants have highly appreciated Casey’s energy and ability to create an open space for honest exchanges where different points of views and experiences could be shared.”
“Philanthropy’s unique role is to bridge between ngo/nfp/csos and the power structures. We have the unique ability to have feet in both and be effective as bridge builders because we are both.”
“This was fantastic. Super well delivered, super clear. I am sure my Central Advocacy Team and I will be able to build a lot on this over the coming months.”