Summer 2026 Camp
Analog Minds in Digital Capitalism
Jul 26th – Aug 1st 2026 / up to 20 participants (age 18-40)/ 2 lecturers/ Lusatian Mountains, Czechia
Unplug | Think | Connect
Just relax and read
Joy of the Summer
Svitavka river burbles just behind the hut
Time for dinner in nature
Watching the evening sky…
What is our Analog Minds camp concept?
In a world of endless digital notifications and scrolling, we are too distracted to think deeply for long. Our Analog Minds summer camp offers something increasingly rare: a full six days without digital distractions physically together with kindred minds, where you will explore pressing social issues about our contemporary societies and economies, share thoughts, meet others, discuss together and have fun.
Our summer camp for young adults takes place in a great setting for analog thinking: a 200 year old former inn, in the middle of the beautiful hilly nature of the Lusatian Mountains in the north of Czechia, two hours north of Prague.
Build community
„A camp for young adults where you stay analogue and debate issues shaping the society we live in.„
What to expect?
Critical thinking
Cultivate your wits, read books, and build a community of like minded people. Discuss, and reflect on issues that shape us and the world we live in.
To make the critical thinking part really exciting, we will be joined by two experienced lecturers, Raanan and Pieter, who devote their holiday time to the camp. They are both university professors of political science with a long experience in relating theories in political science, economics, and law to questions of public policy and reform. They will recommend readings, introduce and summarize themes and ideas, invite you to share your thoughts, and, especially, guide our common debates. They will also challenge your arguments for the sake of finding other angles or sharpen them as an exercise in critical thinking. All in a respectful, friendly way, in line with ideas of ancient agora debates and current academic practice.
No tech distraction
Focus
Exploration
Offline time
Offline time
Sometimes it is good to shut down a laptop and phone and enjoy life as it is, here and now. When was it last time you spent six days without a smartphone? You cannot really remember but you want to try? Then this can be just the place! And don’t worry, you will have some access to a desktop with internet and one half-a-day when you can use your phone. We will not plunge into a total digital darkness…
Summer state of mind
The Camp experience
This camp is about meeting physically and building a community of like-minded people, with time to think deeply and focus long. It’s about exploring local nature, preparing common dinners, and watching the stars at the camp fire.
On a typical camp day we will spend about three hours in seminar-style debate sessions every morning while in the afternoon you decide your programme. Do you want to read, go for a hike along the many paths in the Lusatian hills, swim in the nearby lake, or play football? In the evenings, we will gather around the fire and talk more loosely.
Swimming
Evening debates and more…
The Focus: Analog minds in digital capitalism
We live in times of enormous and fast-moving social, political, economic changes and tensions. The regime of globalized democratic capitalism has for decades brought us security, great increases in welfare and also environmental degradation and a degree of inequality.
But now democratic capitalism seems to be mutating into a new type of regime, characterized by a tech-driven platform economy – what Yanis Varoufakis calls techno-feudalism and Shoshanna Zuboff calls surveillance capitalism. This emerging regime is based on automation, AI, massive political power of billionaires and business models designed to capture human attention and monetize and manipulate human behavioral data.
Our democracies are becoming ever more polarised, populist, conflictual, and ineffective. And we’re seeing greater degrees of mental health problems and demoralization especially among young generations and, if anything, even greater degrees of inequality and no less environmental degradation. In sum, we‘re living in times of tech-driven polycrisis.
How to live freely, think critically, find human connection and remain resilient in this new regime of techno-feudalism? How to improve human autonomy, welfare and agency? What are the consequences for individuals (micro) and societies and democracies (macro) of fast-evolving technologies and economic practices? How to think about these issues and find positive ways to react, be resilient, remain critical, and find communities and micro-level and macro-level solutions?
At the Analog Minds camp, we will critically discuss these fundamental questions together. We will think about the role of individual agency and cognitive autonomy in the evolving regime of digital techno-capitalism. During our lectures and debates we will identify key principles for using AI while becoming aware of the hidden cognitive and social costs (including screen addiction and cognitive offloading), and we will discuss the social implications of these principles.
here will be your text
Discuss important topics
Who will you meet?
Pieter
The lecturer
Pieter does research and teaching in how states function, what they provide to the citizens, and how liberal capitalist societies cope with mounting pressures. He is a Professor at a Danish university with a PhD from the London School of Economics. Besides that in his free time Pieter enjoys running, playing tennis, reading lots of books, and contributing to Analog Minds.
Raanan
The lecturer
Raanan is a university Professor interested in cognitive aspects of political decisions, empirical legal studies, and public administration. As a former Vice-Dean for education at the Hebrew University he is interested in the impact of AI on cognition and education. He loves sailing, bouldering, and music. He holds a PhD from Oxford University.
Jana
The camp organizer
Photo: Robert Wengler
She is making sure the camp is a great experience for everybody. Jana loves nature and Czech mountains, so the choice of the camp location was a no-brainer for her. She always has a good tip for hidden local gems or a hike! Besides Analog Minds, she has been working in research and research management in five different European countries. She has a PhD in Demography.
Participants
Up to 20 participants aged between 18 and 40
We will be a group of up to twenty young people aged between 18 and 40, two lecturers, and a camp organizer. The participants will come from different countries and walks of life. Maybe they will be students or not. Important is motivation to engage in both the analog and the critical thinking part of the camp. Not least to enjoy the company and take the opportunity to have a great summer time together!
Pieter
The lecturer
Pieter does research and teaching in how states function, what they provide to the citizens, and how liberal capitalist societies cope with mounting pressures. He is a Professor at a Danish university with a PhD from the London School of Economics. Besides that Pieter enjoys running, playing tennis, reading lots of books, drinking good espresso and Czech pilsner.
Raanan
The lecturer
Raanan is a university Professor interested in cognitive aspects of political decisions, empirical legal studies, and public administration. As a Vice-Dean for education at the Hebrew University he is interested in the impact of AI on cognition and education. He loves sailing, bouldering, and music. He holds a PhD from Oxford University.
Jana
The camp leader and fun guide
She is making sure the camp is a great experience for everybody. Jana loves nature and Czech mountains, so the choice of the camp location was a no-brainer for her. She always has a good tip for hidden local gems or a hike! Besides Analog Minds, she has been working in research and research management in five different European countries. She has a PhD in Demography.
Participants
Up to 20 participants aged between 18 and 40
We will be a group of up to twenty young people aged between 18 and 40, two lecturers, and a camp organizer. The participants will come from different countries and walks of life. Maybe they will be students or not. Important is motivation to engage in both the analog and the critical thinking part of the camp. Not least to enjoy the company and take the opportunity to have a great summer time together!
This camp is an opportunity!
A word from Jana:
„I dreamed up this camp last summer in a remote off the grid Alpine hut. I wished others could experience the simplicity and beauty of offline time. And so here it is, the Analog Minds camp, for you who want to live, think, and create for a few days without digital distraction. Join me!“
Your destination
We will be staying in the middle of the beautiful wooded hills of the Lusatian Mountains in the north of Czechia. Our camp is based at Roubenka Svitávka, a 200 year old traditional timber-framed building of a former inn close to Česká Lípa.
In the 1970s it was transformed into a communist ‘pioneer’ camp site to be finally reconstructed in 2024 into a simple yet cosy base for holiday stays and events. The facility provides accommodation in huts or rooms by two or three with a shared bathroom. We will have catered breakfast and lunch. Dinners will be prepared by ourselves either as a barbecue, salads, or on an individual basis depending on the day.
The surroundings offer a number of scenic hikes, pub/refreshment in 300m, lake for swimming 5 km, shop and restaurant 5 km (in Sloup v Čechách). Svitávka is reachable by public transport or car in two hours from Prague and five hours from Berlin. We will provide you with more detailed practical information upon registration to the camp.
Come to this journey with us!
Limited number of spots
Price
290 €
What is included: accommodation in a hut shared by two or three participants, six breakfasts, six lunches and four dinners, access to a sauna.
What is not included: other expenses such as travel to and from the destination, or dinners during the two free evenings.
Important dates
- January to July 2026 is time for your application
- End of June notification of acceptance and payment
- Mid-June practical details regarding travels and destination
- July 26th - August 1 the Analog Minds camp takes place
Any questions?
Packlist: Book, pencil, hiking boots, camera
A space for free spirited curious minds…
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you are curious about the organization, application process, or the values that guide us, you will find the information right here. If you don’t find answer to your question here, feel free to reach to us directly.
Our values & aims
What is the idea behind Analog Minds?
Analog Minds works toward the maintenance and cultivation of the individual’s capacity to concentrate, focus, and think deeply and critically. We pursue these goals because they are essential to the preservation of personal independence, responsible citizenship, and creativity. To fulfill this mission, Analog Minds organizes the Analog Minds camp, where participants stay without digital devices, engage in debates on topics of societal relevance, build community, and enjoy a summer week in good company.
Offline & tech-free
Is the camp completely offline? And how does that work?
Yes, it is offline but not completely… We will have a dumb phone and limited internet access on site. Also you will have your phone available for half-a-day in the middle of the week. For the other time, we will collect your electronic devices and store them safely. But don’t worry, there will be a fixed PC work station with internet that you can use 30 minutes a day.
What if I will need to call someone or check something online during the camp?
Don’t worry you will have the opportunity. We will have a dumb phone that you can use during the stay and others can reach you on that phone if needed. You will receive the phone number of the dumb phone before the camp starts. Also you will have your phone available for half-a-day in the middle of the week. Additionally, you can check what you need online during the 30 minutes reserved for you at the fixed PC work station.
What if I will not manage to stay without my smart phone during the stay.
We really hope you will manage :-). It is an experiment for all of us. I cannot remember the last time I spent six days without a smart phone… But if you find it is really too hard, you are free to take your phone and depart from the camp earlier. Also you will have your phone available for half-a-day in the middle of the week.
Is this a right place for digital detox?
At Analog Camps we will be offline so in that sense it can be seen as digital detox. On the other hand, it is not the main aim of the camp. The main aim is to debate important issues of our society and capitalism, challenge our mind, connect with others, make new friendships, and enjoy the summer outdoors. It is not a place of punishment, organized meditation, neither it is a digital addiction rehab. If you suffer from any form of digital addiction we cannot help you with this at Analog Camp. Rather we recommend you to turn to a relevant specialist support of your country (ex. for UK check here).
Accommodation & food
How is the accommodation?
The accommodation is simple but comfortable. It comprises eight huts and three rooms in an old guest house. You will be sharing a simple hut for sleeping with one or two other camp participants. The bathrooms and showers are shared, available in the main house. The main house also includes kitchen and a former inn that will serve as the main indoor meeting room. The beds will be equipped with covers, bed-linen, pillows. You do not have to bring a sleeping bag. Sauna is also available on site.
Do I need to cook my own food?
No, the participation fee includes accommodation and full board. We will have catered breakfast and lunch. We will prepare common dinners such as salads, or barbecues. You may expect to be on duty to prepare dinner with some others once during the week. You may also just go out some evenings.
What if I have some dietary restrictions?
Please let us know should you have dietary restrictions. We will provide vegetarian food upon request and try to accommodate other wishes. Should you be vegan or have other food restrictions, please be aware that we are unable to provide for an individual diet in the camp setting in the rural area we will be in. If you need to adhere to your strict food limitations please plan for preparing adequate meals yourself.
Is there a pub or shop nearby?
There is a pub about 300 meters from the accommodation. Shop and other practical amenities are available in the small nearby towns Sloup v Cechach and Cvikov.
Preparation & logistics
What shall I take with me?
Well, apart from the usual personal belongings, medicines, ID etc. Think of what you need to have when you cannot have digital devices, such as prints of your travel bookings, readings, cash in Czech Crowns (something around 2.000 CZK (80 Eur)), physical payment card, physical health insurance card. Maybe you want to take an analog watch, camera, book, newspapers, pen, pencil, eraser, notebook, CDs, map.
How will I get to the venue?
You can reach the venue at Roubenka Svitavka situated in the North of Czechia either by car in less than two hour drive from Prague, or you can take a direct bus from Prague to a nearby town Nový Bor. We will then pick you up there. We will send you more detailed information on transportation options once you are registered as a participant.
Should I prepare somehow in advance?
Upon acceptance to the camp we will indicate some readings that will be referred to in the lectures and debates. We expect you to read these before the camp starts.
Program & people
Where will be the participants from?
We are open to participants from all countries and looking forward to have an international, gender mixed group of English speaking participants.
What prior knowledge do I need to participate in the lectures?
Analog Camp is open to all who are interested in debates, readings, exchange of opinions about societal issues, and trends shaping our world. We will create inclusive, safe, and honest environment for discussions. No special profile in terms of education or training is required. Upon acceptance to the camp we will indicate some readings that will be referred to in the lectures and debates. We expect you to read these before the camp starts.
How will you select the participants?
We are looking forward to bringing in interested participants. We will use the motivation you submit to choose the participants. Therefore, we recommend you to give some thoughts to what you write in the application. Also, please refrain from using any AI help for this small text.
Will I have free time?
Yes, you will have time for yourself, time to relax, read, explore the local nature, and enjoy the company of other participants. Typically the afternoons and some evenings will be free. Jana can of course always give you a tip where to go.
Do you have another question? Feel free to write to us directly!
Ready for the Analog Minds camp experience?
If you think this may be something for you, don’t hesitate and apply! We have only a limited number of spots. So secure your place now!
Unplug | Think | Connect
Our partners
Persons and institutions supporting our project. Thank you for your support!
